FRENCH
WINE
Now
nothing is real except French wine.
— poet Conrad Kent Rivers
READING
BETWEEN THE WINES:
Even
if you’re an amateur wine snob and barely know your
wines, you’ll recognize several of the big name French
wines like Chablis, Bordeaux, Burgundyand Beaujolais, to
name a few.
All
of the major wines in France emerge from specified terroir
(meaning collective growing conditions of the region), and
their quality and origin are held under strict regulatory
lock-down.
But
even with so many points fins, French wines offer many single-grape
and blended varieties that will make your mouth sing, “Oui,
Oui!”
MAJOR
FRENCH WINE REGIONS
In France, the more specific the appellation, the more prestigious
the wine is considered to be. They have adopted a system
of increasing specificity and they are:
(in order from least to most specific)
Region
District
Sub-District
Village or Commune
Vineyard
The
problem is that unless you are extremely familiar with French
geography, it's hard to know what is what just by looking
at the label.
There
are ten wine regions in France, each with their own flavor
and style of wine. A five most important are:
Alsace
Wine
Bordeaux Wine
Burgundy Wine
Loire Valley Wine
Rhone Valley Wine
THE
POPULAR GRAPES
The top grapes used to make French wines are:
| Red
Grapes |
White
Grapes |
| Cabernet
Franc |
Chardonnay |
| Cabernet
Sauvignon |
Chenin
Blanc |
| Carignans |
Clairette |
| Gamay |
Muscadelle |
| Grenache |
Pinot
Gris |
| Merlot |
Sauvignon
Blanc |
| Mourvedre |
Semillon |
| Pinot
noir |
Ugni
Blanc |
| Syrah |
|
HOW
TO ORDER/BUY
In France, there is a vineyard for every wine type, so it
can get excruciating trying to keep it straight.
Just
keep in mind:
• Expect to order and buy wine by region and
vineyard, not by wine variety.
• Find out what region grows your favorite grape,
and order wines from that region.
• French vintners love to blend several grapes, but
you should still be able to easily narrow down your choice
by grape.
LEGAL
QUALITY CODES
The French have strict controls on their wines, regulated
by specific laws to ensure origin, authenticity, and style.
The four classifications of French wine, from top quality
on down, are:
1.
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC)
• Tested for excellence.
• Strictly controlled by the "Institut National
des Appellations d'Origine" (INAO) in regard to:
o methods of growing and producing
o locality
o grape variety
o minimum alcohol the wine must contain
o winemaking techniques
2.
Appellation d'Origine Vin De Qualité Supérieure
(AOVDQS)
• Tested for excellence; smaller number of lesser
known wines
• Strictly controlled by the INAO in regard to:
o methods of growing and producing
o locality
o grape variety
o minimum alcohol the wine must contain
o winemaking techniques
3.
Vin de Pays (VDP)
• Exceptional value for the money
• Less strictly controlled by the INAO in regard
to:
o methods of growing and producing
o strictly limited locality
o single-grape variety
o minimum alcohol the wine must contain
o winemaking techniques
4.
Vin de Table
• Everyday wine of France.
• Leniently controlled in regard to:
o
single-grape and blended varieties
o wine must fall between 8.5 to 15% proof
References
www.terroir-france.com
www.frenchwinesfood.com
www.vino.com
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