A few weeks back I was ask by a friend to entertain the idea of hosting a group and discussing French Wines. So while I get my information together for this event I thought I would share it with you! French Wines are some of the best in the world! Every "5 star" restaurant has a selection of them on its Wine List, and for good reason! The French have strict standards for production, and labeling as do the Italians, by enforcing these standards they are in control the product production and protect the integrity of the wine! So here goes and I hope it is useful to you!
- APPELLATION CONTROLEE’.. Legally defined wine growing region under French Law. Official designation that indicates prescribed standards have been met in production. Sometimes the term is used to apply to a certain wine, as in "an appellation."
- ALSACE…is a region in the northeast of France close to Germany, and the city of Strasbourg. The types of grape grown here vary from Riesling, Pinot Gri, Tokay, Sylvaner, and Pinot Blanc. They produce Refreshing, Semi Dry, or Sweet Wines.
- CHAMPAGNE…East of Paris this region is famous for its Sparkling Wine, it is only "Champagne" if it is from this region! Types of grape grown here are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.
- BORDEAUX…Southwest France near the Atlantic, and the Coast City of Bordeaux. This region produces over 700 million bottles of wine per year! These wines are a mix of flavors that range from Full body reds, Medium body Dry Whites to Sweet White Wine. The grapes grown here include Merlot, cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Semillion. So many wines are from here so I will list just a few, Medoc, Haunt Medoc, Margaux, Pomerol, Graves, Listrac, and Moulis. Sauternes, are the most famous sweet wine from this region.
- LOIRE VALLEY… the northwest area of France from Massif to the Loire River. This is the home of the Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc grape. They make Dry Whites, Semi Sweet, Rose, Fruity Reds, and some Sparkling wine as well. the wines are very famous from this region Vourvray, Poully Fume, Sancerre, Muscade, Anjou, and Coteaux da Lyon.
- LANGUEDOC…Located on the border of the Mediterranean Sea. Grapes grown her are the Syrah, Merlot, Cinsauit, Rose, Cabernet, Grenache, and Garignan varities. Wines produced are: Sweet Banyols, Rose, Dry Rose, and Muscatt.
- BURGUNDY…located south of Paris between Dijon and Lyon some of the most revered wines are from this region. Grapes grown here are Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay and include Poully Fuisse, Chablis, Cote du Nuits, Cote du Deaune, and Rully. They are medium to full body reds, and dry white wines.
- RHONE…The Rhone Valley is south of Lyon and reaches to the Mediterranean Sea. The wines are Full body to light body reds in the north, and Fruity to dry in the south. This valley has 16 micro climates. They produce Cheateauneuf du Pape, Cote du Rhone, Croze Hermitage, and Gigondas.
There are many wines not listed here from France, such as Gamay, and Beaujolais, and the list goes on and on. There are also regions, and micro-regions, too many to count, but this will get you started. I have been involved with wine for many years, and am still learning. You I hope will use this information to get you started in your quest to know more about the wines of the world. Wine is a complex art of growing and making, it has been around for thousands of years. You may find the following link helpful I use it often: www.pinkiesonline.com/wine/glossary.html
Also this is a great place to find information on wine: www. wines.com/pronunciation.html
