Appellation
System
A
number of laws to control
the quality of French wine
were passed in 1935. They
established the Appellation
d'Origine Contrôlée
system, which is governed
by a powerful oversight
board (Institut National
des Appellations d’Origine
- INAO). Consequently, France
has one of the oldest appellation
systems for wine in the
world, and strictest laws
concerning winemaking and
production. Many other European
systems are modelled on
it. With European Union
wine laws being modelled
on those of the French,
this trend is likely to
continue with further EU
expansion.
French
law divides wine into four
categories, two falling
under the European Union's
Table Wine category and
two falling under the EU's
Quality Wine Produced in
a Specific Region (QWPSR)
designation. The categories
are:
Table
wine:
Vin
de Table - Carries
with it only the producer
and the designation that
it is from France - 38%
Vin de Pays - Carries
with it a specific region
within France (for example
Vin de Pays d'Oc) - 15%
QWPSR:
Vin
Délimité de
Qualité Superieure
(VDQS) - Less strict than
AOC, not often used - 2%
Appelation d'Origine
Contrôlée
(AOC) - Wine from a particular
area with many other restrictions,
including grape varieties
and winemaking methods -
35%
Today there are 450 different
wine appellations in France,
yet only 15% of all French
wines enjoy the marketing
benefits of AOC designations.
Labeling
Practices
The
labels on a bottle of French
wine often carry important
information that can help
the consumer evaluate its
potential quality. Following
are some potentially important
phrases:
"Mis
en bouteille au..."
chateau, domaine, or propriété
indicate the wine was actually
made at the same location
as it was grown.
"Au
chateau" means
that it was bottled at the
chateau printed on the wine's
label, using grapes from
vineyards around the chateau
itself.
"Au
domaine" means
that it was bottled "at
the field," while "à
la propriété"
means bottled "at the
estate."
"Mis
en bouteille dans nos caves"
or "mis en
bouteille dans nos chais"
means that it was probably
bottled in a different place
than it was grown, using
grapes traded and bought
on the open market.
"Vigneron
indépendant"
is a special mark of independent
wine-makers, to distinguish
themselves from larger corporate
winemaking operations and
symbolize a return to the
basics of the craft of Learn-Wine-Tasting-Graphic.
Bottles from independent
makers carry a special logo
that is usually printed
on the foil cap covering
the cork.
Wine
Regions of France
Alsace
- Alsatian wine (French:
Vin d'Alsace) has a long
history. The wine producing
region of Alsace in France
primarily produces white
wines. Its wines, which
have a strong Germanic influence,
are produced under three
different Appellation d'Origine
Contrôlées
(AOCs): Alsace AOC for white,
rosé and red wines,
Alsace Grand Cru AOC for
white wines from certain
classified vineyards and
Crémant d'Alsace
AOC for sparkling wines.
Both dry and sweet white
wines are produced, and
are often made from aromatic
grapes varieties. Along
with Austria and Germany,
it produces some of the
most noted dry Rieslings
in the world, but on the
export market, Alsace is
perhaps even more noted
for highly aromatic Gewürztraminer
wines. Because of its Germanic
influence, it is the only
region in France to produce
mostly varietal wines, typically
from similar grapes as used
in German wine. France has
agreed to stop calling its
wine Tokay.
Beaujolais
- Beaujolais (Biôjolês
in Arpitan) is a historical
province and a wine-producing
region in France. It is
located north of Lyon, and
covers parts of the north
of the Rhône département
(Rhône-Alpes) and
parts of the south of the
Saône-et-Loire département
(Burgundy). The region is
known internationally for
its long tradition of winemaking,
and more recently for the
enormously popular Beaujolais
nouveau.
The
Beaujolais is a French AOC
wine generally made of the
Gamay grape which has a
thin skin and few tannins.
Like most AOC wines they
are not labelled varietally.
Whites from the region,
which make up only 1% of
its production, are made
with Chardonnay grapes.
Beaujolais tends to be a
very light-bodied red wine,
with relatively high amounts
of acidity.
Most
Beaujolais is red wine made
from Gamay grapes. Basic
Beaujolais is the classic
"bistro" wine
of Paris, fruity easy-drinking
red that is not intended
for long keeping. This is
epitomised in Beaujolais
Nouveau, which is fermented
for just a few weeks and
which can be dominated by
estery flavours such as
bananas and pear-drops.
However some of the most
serious cru wines can wines
can be kept for up to 10
years - one of them has
even spawned its own verb,
"morgonner", to
describe how it develops
with age into something
that resembles the Pinot
wines of Burgundy proper.
The crus show noticeable
differences depending on
altitude and the aspect
of their slopes.
Beaujolais
wines are often produced
by the carbonic maceration
process. The whole grape
cluster is put in a tank
while carbon dioxide from
the fermentation breaks
down the skin of the grape.
This results in a fruity
wine without much tannin.
The AOC's for most of the
crus allow up to 15% Pinot
Noir, but it will be banned
from 2015.
There
are a handful of rosé
wines produced by allowing
the juice contact with the
skins for just one day,
but they are seldom seen
outside the region.
White
wines are made from Chardonnay,
with a little Aligoté.
White wine used to account
for more than the current
2% of production, but most
of the Chardonnay vineyards
were included in the northern
Saint-Véran appellation
which was created in 1971.
St Véran is sometimes
(incorrectly) regarded as
a synonym for white Beaujolais;
both may be regarded as
a southern extension of
the Maconnais and can produce
good value white wines in
a Burgundian style.
About
a third of the region's
production is sold as Beaujolais
Nouveau, a marketing name
created by George Duboeuf
for the local vin de l'année.
It is fermented for just
a few weeks and released
to much fanfare on the 3rd
Thursday of November - "Beaujolais
Nouveau Day". It has
been a great success in
turning the region's vin
ordinaire into early cash
flow, particularly for Duboeuf,
but critics suggest that
this has been at the expense
of consumer perceptions
of the better wines, thus
endangering the long-term
future of the region.
Bordeaux
includes Medoc, Graves,
Saint Emilion and Sauternes
- See great article
on Bordeaux. A Bordeaux
wine is any wine produced
in the Bordeaux region of
France. Over 700 million
bottles of Bordeaux wine
are produced every year,
ranging from large quantities
of everyday table wine,
to the most expensive and
prestigious wines in the
world. Bordeaux wine is
made in 9,000 wineries called
châteaux from the
grapes of 13,000 grape growers.
There are 57 appellations
of Bordeaux wine. Map
of Bordeaux region.
The
major reason for the success
of winemaking in the Bordeaux
region is the excellent
environment for growing
vines. The geological foundation
of the region is limestone,
leading to a soil structure
that is heavy in calcium.
The Gironde estuary dominates
the regions along with its
tributaries, the Garonne
and the Dordogne rivers,
and together irrigate the
land and provide a maritime
climate for the region.
In
Bordeaux the concept of
terroir plays a pivotal
role in wine production
with the top estates aiming
to make terroir driven wines
that reflect the place they
are from, often from grapes
collected from a single
vineyard. The soil of Bordeaux
is composed of gravel, sandy
stone, and clay. The region's
best vineyards are located
on the well drained gravel
soils that are frequently
found near the Gironde river.
An old adage in Bordeaux
is the best estates can
"see the river"
from their vineyard and
majority of land that face
riverside are occupied by
classified estates.
The
wine regions of Bordeaux
are the area around the
city of Bordeaux within
the Gironde department of
Aquitaine. The region is
naturally divided by the
Gironde River into a Left
Bank area which includes
the Médoc and the
sub regions of St-Estèphe,
Pauillac, St.-Julien, and
Margaux and a Right Bank
area which includes the
subregions of Saint-Émilion,
Pomerol, Bourg and Blaye.
Additional wine regions
include the area of Graves
which is south east of the
Médoc and includes
the sub regions of Pessac-Léognan,
Sauternes and Barsac. Across
from the Graves, on the
Right Bank, is the Entre-Deux-Mers
area between the Gironde
and Dordogne rivers.
All
of these regions have their
own appellation and Appellation
d'origine contrôlée
laws which dictate the composition
of their vineyards, time
of harvest and appropriate
yields as well as various
winemaking techniques. Bordeaux
wine labels will include
the region on the front
if all the grapes have been
harvested in a specific
regions. Generic Bordeaux
wine labellings are often
produced by co-operatives
and négociants who
work with grapes from different
appellations or less prestigious
ones like Entre-Deux-Mers.
Estates
in Bordeaux are often classified
according to the reputed
quality of the producer.
On the Left Bank, the Bordeaux
Wine Official Classification
of 1855 is the starting
point for classification
and includes most of the
Left Bank estates as well
as Sauternes and Château
Haut-Brion of Graves. Estates
who were not classified
in that listing may be classified
under the Cru Bourgeois
label. In 1953, the rest
of the Graves was classified.
In 1954, a separate classification
of Saint-Emilion wine was
set up for this Right Bank
region.
While
wine making styles do vary,
a general rule of thumb
is that the Left Bank is
predominately more Cabernet
Sauvignon based with the
Right Bank more Merlot based.
The Graves area produced
both red wine and white
wine from the Sauvignon
blanc and Sémillon
grapes. The area of Sauternes
and Barsac are more known
for the botrytized dessert
wines.
Bordeaux
is generally broken down
into the Left bank and the
Right Bank. For a quick
tutorial on Right bank vs.
Left bank click
here.
The wine regions of the
Left bank of the Gironde
river is bordered by large
coniferous forest land that
have a tempering affect
on the maritime climate
of the area. The region
spans from the mouth of
the river down south and
includes the four famous
communes of St-Estephe,
Pauillac, St. Julien and
Margaux. It also includes
the area formerly known
as the Bas-Médoc
(lower Médoc), but
now simply labeled as Médoc,
this region of Bordeaux
is located at the mouth
of the Gironde River. Although
the region does not have
any classified growths,
there are a number of Crus
Bourgeois located in the
soft clay soil of the Médoc.
As Merlot favors the clay
more then Cabernet Sauvignon,
the wines from this region
tend to have favor the right
bank style of St.-Emilion
more then other Left bank
wines.
The
Central Médoc includes
the area between St. Julien
and Margaux. This area is
home to many Crus Bourgeois
including the Cru Bourgeois
Exceptionnels rated Château
Chasse-Spleen and Château
Poujeaux. Within the Central
Medoc there are the appellations
Listrac-Médoc and
Moulis-en-Médoc.
Within Moulis, some wines
estates near the village
of Grand Poujeaux have added
that name to their labels.
The Listrac appellation
is located on a lime stone
based plateau and produced
highly tannic wines that
require a bit of aging before
they soften.
The
area just south of Margaux
is called Southern Médoc
with wines produced
in this area using the Haut-Médoc
designations or, in some
cases, Margaux. This area
includes the classified
growths of Château
La Lagune in Ludon and Château
Cantemerle in Macau.
The
area of Libournais encompassed
much of what is referred
to as the Right Bank. Named
for for it historical capital,
Libourne, this area sits
on the right bank of the
Dordogne river and expands
past west past the convergence
of the Isle river. Further
west, after the Garonne
and Dordogne rivers meet,
the region of Bourg and
Blaye is found the right
bank of the Garonne. The
"expression" Right
bank typically refers to
wines from the Pomerol &
St-Emilion areas of Libournais.
The
Bordeaux wine region is
divided into subregions
including Saint-Émilion,
Pomerol, Médoc, and
Graves. In 1855 a classification
system was made at the request
of Emperor Napoleon III
for the Exposition Universelle
de Paris. This came to be
known as The Bordeaux Wine
Official Classification
of 1855, which ranked the
wines into five categories
according to price. The
first growth red wines (four
from Médoc and one,
Château Haut-Brion,
from Graves), are among
the most expensive wines
in the world.
The
first growths are:
Château
Lafite-Rothschild
Château Margaux
Château Latour
Château Haut-Brion
Château Mouton Rothschild
In 1955, St. Émilion
AOC were classified, adding
an additional two Premier
Crus (Class A):
Château
Ausone
Château Cheval Blanc
There is no official classification
applied to Pomerol. However
some Pomerol wines, notably
Château Pétrus
and Château Le Pin,
are unofficially rated as
being equivalent to the
first growths, and often
sell for even higher prices.
Bordeaux
wine labels generally include:
1.
The name of estate -(example:
Château Haut-Batailley)
2. The estate's classification
-(example: Grand Cru Classé
en 1855) This can be in
reference to the 1855 Bordeaux
classification or one of
the Cru Bourgeois.
3. The appellation -(example:
Pauillac) Appellation d'origine
contrôlée laws
dictate that all grapes
must be harvested from a
particular appellation in
order for that appellation
to appear on the label.
The appellation is a key
indicator of the type of
wine in the bottle. With
the image example, Pauillac
wines are always red, and
usually Cabernet Sauvignon
is the dominant grape.
4. Whether or not the wine
is bottled at the chateau
(example: Mis en Bouteille
au Chateau) or assembled
by a Négociant.
5. The vintage -(example:
2000)
6. Alcohol content - (example:
13% vol)
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Bourgogne
or Burgundy including
Chablis, Cote d'Or (which
contains Cote de Nuits and
Cote de Beaune) and Maconnais
- Burgundy wine (in French,
"Bourgogne") is
wine made in the Burgundy
AOC region of France. Most
wine produced here is either
red wine made from Pinot
Noir grapes or white wine
made from Chardonnay grapes,
although red and white wines
are also made from other
grape varieties, such as
Gamay and Aligoté
respectively. Small amounts
of rose and sparkling wine
are also produced. Map
of Burgundy.
The
Burgundy region runs from
Auxerre in the north down
to Mâcon in the south,
or down to Lyon if the Beaujolais
area is included as part
of Burgundy. Chablis, a
white wine made from Chardonnay
grapes, is produced in the
area around Auxerre. Other
smaller appellations near
to Chablis include the Irancy
AOC, which produces red
wines.
Some
way south of Chablis is
the Côte d'Or, where
Burgundy's most famous and
most expensive wines are
found. The Côte d'Or
itself is split into two
parts: the Côte de
Nuits which starts just
south of Dijon and runs
till Corgoloin, a few kilometers
south of the town of Nuits-Saint-Georges,
and the Côte de Beaune
which starts at Ladoix and
ends at Dezize-les-Maranges.
The wine-growing part of
this area in the heart of
Burgundy is just 40km long,
and in most places less
than 2km wide. The area
is made up of tiny villages
surrounded by a combination
of flat and sloped vineyards.
The best wines - "Grand
Cru" - from this region
are usually grown from the
middle and higher part of
the slopes, where the vineyards
have the most exposure to
sunshine and the best drainage,
while the "Premier
Cru" come from a little
less favourably exposed
slopes. The relatively ordinary
"Village" wines
are produced from the flat
territory nearer the villages.
The Côte de Nuits
contains 24 out of the 25
red Grand Cru appellations
in Burgundy, while all of
the region's white Grand
Crus are located in the
Côte de Beaune.
Further
south is the Côte
Chalonnaise, where again
a mix of mostly red and
white wines are produced,
although the appellations
found here such as Mercurey,
Rully and Givry are less
well known than their counterparts
in the Côte d'Or.
Below
the Côte Chalonnaise
is the Mâconnais region,
known for producing large
quantities of easy-drinking
and more affordable white
wine. Further south again
is the Beaujolais region,
famous for fruity red wines
made from Gamay.
Burgundy
experiences a continental
climate characterized by
very cold winters and hot
summers. The weather is
very unpredictable with
rains, hail, and frost all
possible around harvest
time. Because of this climate,
there is a lot of variation
between vintages from Burgundy.
Burgundy
is in some ways the most
terroir-oriented region
in France; immense attention
is paid to the area of origin,
and in which of the region's
400 types of soil a wine's
grapes are grown. As opposed
to Bordeaux, where classifications
are producer-driven and
awarded to individual chateaux,
Burgundy classifications
are geographically-focused.
A specific vineyard or region
will bear a given classification,
regardless of the wine's
producer. This focus is
reflected on the wine's
labels where appellations
are most prominent and producer's
names often appear at the
bottom in much smaller text.
The
main Burgundy classifications,
in descending order of quality,
are: Grand crus, Premier
crus, Commune or Village,
and finally generic Bourgogne.
Grand
Cru refers to wines produced
from the small number of
the best vineyard sites
in the Cote d'Or. Grand
Cru wines make up 2% of
the production at 35 hectoliters/hectare.
These wines need to be aged
a minimum of 5-7 years and
the best examples can be
kept for more than 15 years.
Very few Chardonnays or
Pinot Noirs in the world
can be aged and continue
to improve as well as these
wines. Grand Cru wines will
only list the name of the
vineyard as the appellation
- such as Corton or Montrachet
- on the wine label.
Premier Cru wines are produced
from specific vineyard sites
that are still considered
to be of high quality, but
not as well regarded as
the Grand Cru sites. Premier
Cru wines make up 12% of
production at 45 hectoliters/hectare.
These wines need to be aged
3-5 years, and again the
best wines can keep for
much longer. Premier Cru
wines will usually list
both the name of the village
of origin - together with
the status of the vineyard
- eg "Volnay 1er Cru"
as the appellation, and
then the name of the individual
vineyard (eg "Les Caillerets")
on the wine label.
Village wines can be a blend
of wines from supposedly
lesser vineyard sites within
the boundaries of an individual
village, or from one individual
but non-classified vineyard.
Wines from each different
village are considered to
have their own specific
qualities and characteristics.
Village wines make up 36%
of production at 50 hectoliters/hectare.
These wines can be consumed
2-4 years after the release
date, although again some
examples will keep for longer.
Village wines will show
the village name on the
wine label, eg "Pommard",
and sometimes - if applicable
- the name of the single
vineyard where it was sourced.
Several villages in Burgundy
have appended the names
of their Grand Cru vineyards
to the original village
name - hence "Puligny-Montrachet"
and "Aloxe-Corton".
The AOC Bourgogne classification
refers to wines that can
be sourced or blended from
anywhere in the Burgundy
region. These wines make
up the rest of production
at 55 hectoliters/hectare.
These wines can be consumed
up to 3 years after the
vintage date. Appellations
between generic "Bourgogne"
and individual Village wines
are also found, such as
"Macon-Villages"
or "Cote de Beaune-Villages",
where the wines can come
from a wide but defined
area which will include
several individual villages.
Other Burgundy AOCs that
are not as often seen are
Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains
AOC (which can contain up
to two thirds Gamay (the
grape of Beaujolais) in
addition to Pinot noir),
Bourgogne Aligoté
(which is primarily made
with the Aligoté
grape), and Bourgogne Grand
Ordinaire. The latter is
the lowest AOC, and Grand
is intended to refer to
the size of the area eligible
to produce it, not its quality.
There are certain regions
that are allowed to put
other grapes in miscellaneous
AOCs, but for the most part
these rules hold. These
regulations are even confusing
to the majority of French
adults, according to research
(Franson). Sparkling wine
is also produced, as Crémant
de Bourgogne. Chablis wines
are labeled using a similar
hierarchy of Grand Cru,
Premier Cru and Village
wines, whereas wines from
Beaujolais are treated differently
again.
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Champagne
- The Champagne wine region
(archaic English: Champany)
is a historic province within
the Champagne administrative
province in the northeast
of France. The area is best
known for the production
of the sparkling white wine
that bears the region's
name. The region is about
100 miles (160 km) east
of Paris. The viticultural
boundaries of Champagne
are legally defined and
split into five wine producing
districts within the administrative
province-the Aube, Côte
des Blancs, Côte de
Sézanne Montagne
de Reims, and Vallée
de la Marne. The towns of
Reims and Épernay
are the commercial centers
of the area.
Located
at the northern edges of
the wine growing world,
the history of the Champagne
wine region has had a significant
role in the development
of this unique terroir.
The area's close proximity
to Paris promoted the regions
economic success in its
wine trade but also put
the villages and vineyards
in the path of marching
armies on their way to the
French capital. Despite
the frequency of these military
conflict, the regions developed
a reputation for quality
wine production in the early
Middle Ages and was able
to continue that reputation
as the region's producers
began making sparkling wine
with the advent of the great
Champagne houses in the
17th & 18th century.
The
principal grapes grown in
the region include Chardonnay,
Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.
Pinot Noir is the most widely
planted grape in the Aube
region and grows very well
in Montagne de Reims. Pinot
Meunier is the dominant
grape in the Vallée
de la Marne region. The
Côte des Blancs is
dedicated almost exclusively
to Chardonnay.
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Jura
- Jura wine, is wine produced
in the Jura département
of France.
The
Jura wines are very distinctive
and unusual wines, the most
famous being vin jaune,
which is made by a similar
process to sherry, developing
under a flor of yeast. This
is made from the local Savagnin
grape variety. Other grape
varieties include Poulsard,
Trousseau, and Chardonnay.
Loire Valley,
including Muscadet, Vouvray
and Sancerre - A Loire Valley
wine is any wine produced
in the Loire Valley region
of France. The region produces
significant quantities of
wine under various AOC designations,
officially the Vignoble
du Val-de-Loire. The region
produces the second largest
amount of Vin de Pays wine
of any region in France
under the designation Vin
de Pays du Jardin de France
and other more specific
designations. In total the
region produces approximately
2.8 million hectoliters
(740 million gallons) of
wine annually from 50,433
hectares (124,618 acres)
of vineyards under cultivation.
Some
of the better known AOC
wines from this region include
the four Muscadet appellations,
Pouilly-Fumé, Sancerre,
and Vouvray. White wines
from Savennières
in the region are less well
known outside of France
but also highly regarded
by wine critics[citation
needed]. Although the majority
of wine produced in the
region is white wine, the
red wines of Chinon are
relatively well-regarded.
There are 63 total AOC designations
in the region.
The
principal grape varieties
used for Loire Valley white
wines include Sauvignon
Blanc, Chenin blanc, and
Melon de Bourgogne, with
the addition of Chardonnay
in the region's sparkling
wines. More rarely used
white wine grapes in the
region include Grolleau
gris, Folle Blanche and
Pinot blanc et Arbois. The
principal red grade variety
of the region is Cabernet
Franc, although small amounts
of Côt (Malbec), Gamay,
Pinot Noir, Pineau d’Aunis
and Abouriou are also grown.
The
Loire Valley is France's
largest producer of sparkling
wines outside of the Champagne
region. The majority of
these Crémant du
Loire wines are produced
around the city of Saumur
and are typically a blend
of the Chardonnay, Chenin
blanc and Cabernet franc.
AOC laws do allow cuvees
with other grapes, including
Sauvignon blanc, Cabernet
Sauvignon, Pinot noir, Gamay,
Côt, Pineau d'aunis
and Grolleau but those grapes
are rarely used in a significant
amount.
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Rhone
Valley including
Cotes du Rhone, Rochefort-du-Gard,
Châteauneuf-du-Pape,
Signargues, Côte Rôtie
and Crozes-Hermitage AOC
- The Rhône wine region
in Southern France is situated
in the Rhône river
valley and produces numerous
wines under various AOC
designations. The region
is generally divided into
two sub-regions with distinct
vinicultural traditions,
the Northern Rhône
and the Southern Rhône.
The northern sub-region
produces red wines from
the syrah grape, sometimes
blended with white wine
grapes, and white wines
from viognier grapes. The
southern sub-region produces
a variety of both red and
white wines, often blends
of several grapes such as
in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
The
first cultivated vines in
the region were likely planted
in 600 BC; however, the
orgins of the two most important
grape varieties in the northern
Rhone (Syrah and Viognier)
are unknown.
The
northern Rhône is
characterized by a continental
climate with harsh winters
but warm summers.
Syrah
is the only red grape variety
permitted in red AOC wines
from this sub-region. The
grape is also widely known
as Shiraz, its name in Australia,
and has recently become
very popular with consumers
around the world. Syrah
is used exclusively for
wines bearing the Cornas
AOC designation, whereas
other reds from the northern
Rhône sub-region may
be blended with the white
wine grapes viognier, marsanne,
and roussanne.
Viognier
by itself is used for white
wines from Condrieu and
Château-Grillet. Marsanne
and roussanne are in turn
used for the whites from
Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage,
Saint Joseph, and Saint
Péray.
Northern
Rhône reds are often
identified by their signature
green olive and smoky bacon
aromas. Well-known Côte-Rôtie
wines include Marcel Guigal's
three "LaLa's":
La Landonne, La Mouline
and La Turque. Two of the
more renowned wines from
Hermitage are J. L. Chave's
Cuvee Catelin and Paul Jaboulet
Aine's La Chappelle. These
and other top class reds
from Northern Rhône
command consistently high
prices, but can age effortlessly
for decades.
Some
well-regarded producers
from the area include: Vidal-Fleury,
Rene Rostaing, Delas Freres,
Chateau Grillet, Chapoutier,
Guigal, Chave, and Jaboulet.
The
southern Rhône sub-region
has a more Mediterranean
climate with milder winters
and hot summers. Drought
can be a problem in the
area, but limited irrigation
is permitted.
The
southern Rhône's most
famous red wine is Châteauneuf-du-Pape,
a blend containing up to
13 varieties of wine grapes,
both red and white, as permitted
by the Châteauneuf-du-Pape
AOC rules. Other nearby
AOC regions including Coteaux
du Tricastin AOC, Côtes
du Ventoux AOC, Côtes
du Vivarais AOC, Lirac AOC,
Tavel AOC and Vacqueyras
AOC may contain even more
varieties in the blend.
Gigondas AOC, on the other
hand, is predominantly made
from Grenache Noir has a
more restricted set of permitted
grapes. Depending on the
specific AOC rules, grapes
blended into southern Rhône
reds may include Grenache,
Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan
and Cinsaut.
White
wines from the southern
Rhône sub-region,
such as in Châteauneuf-du-Pape
whites, are also typically
blends of several wine grapes.
These may include Ugni Blanc,
Roussanne, Bourboulenc,
Picpoul, and Clairette.
Fortified
wines (vin doux naturel)
are made in the Muscat de
Beaumes-de-Venise AOC and
Rasteau AOCs.
Some
well-regarded producers
from the southern Rhône
include Paul Jaboulet Aine,
E. Guigal, Château
de Beaucastel, Domaine du
Vieux Telegraphe, Chapoutier,
Mordoree, Grand Veneur and
Château La Nerthe
Côtes
du Rhône AOC is an
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
that covers both the northern
and southern sections of
the valley. Typically it
is only used if the wine
does not qualify for an
appellation that can command
a higher price. Produce
from vineyards surrounding
certain villages Cairanne,
Rasteau and others may be
labeled Côtes du Rhône-Villages
AOC.
Other
appellations falling outside
the main Rhône area
in terms of wine styles
but administratively within
it are Clairette de Die
AOC, Coteaux de Pierrevert
AOC, and Côtes du
Luberon AOC. These are more
similar to Provence wines.
Costières de Nîmes
AOC has recently been added
to the Rhône department
in the official sense. Its
wines largely parallel the
wines of Southern Rhône
proper.
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Languedoc-Roussillon
region including Minervois,
Corbières, Faugères
and Cabardès - Languedoc
wine, including the vin
de pays labeled Vin de Pays
d'Oc, is produced in southern
France. While "Languedoc"
can refer to a specific
historic region of France
and Northern Catalonia,
usage since the 20th century
(especially in the context
of wine) has primarily referred
to the northern part of
the Languedoc-Roussillon
région of France,
an area which spans the
Mediterranean coastline
from the French border with
Spain to the region of Provence.
The area has around 700,000
acres (2,800 km²) under
vines and is the single
biggest wine-producing region
in the world, being responsible
for more than a third of
France's total wine production.
As recently as 2001, the
region produced more wine
than the entire United States.
The
Languedoc-Roussillon area
is home to numerous grape
varieties, including many
international varieties
like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon,
Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.
The traditional Rhône
grapes of Mourvedre, Grenache,
Syrah and Viognier are also
prominent.
Chardonnay
is a major white grape,
used in the Vin de Pays
d'Oc and the sparkling Crémant
de Limoux. Others include
Chenin Blanc and Mauzac,
which is also the principal
grape in the sparkling Blanquette
de Limoux. The sweet fortified
wines of the Muscat de Frontignan
and Muscat de St-Jean Minervois
regions are made with the
Muscat Blanc à Petits
Grains grapes. In the Muscat
de Rivesaltes AOC, fortified
wines are made from Muscat
of Alexandria grapes.
Among
the reds, Cinsault and Mourvedre
are major grapes of the
Corbières, Faugères,
Fitou, and Minervois AOCs.
Cinsult is also commonly
used in rosé production
along with Lladoner Pelut,
Picpoul Noir, Terret Noir
and Grenache. Grenache is
also the main grape used
in the fortified wines of
the Banyuls region. Some
of the oldest vines in France
are Carignan grapes. Winemakers
often use carbonic maceration
to soften the tannins.
Other
varieties that can be found
include Roussanne, Marsanne,
Vermentino, Bourboulenc,
Clairette, Grenache Blanc,
Picpoul, Maccabéo
and Rolle.
Wines
from the Languedoc can carry
an enormous number of names,
ranging from broad regional
designations like Vin de
Pays d'Oc to very specific
geographical classifications
with restrictions on grape
variety, like Corbières
and Minervois. Since the
1990s, the INAO has been
creating smaller AOC classifications
which take into account
the intricate microclimates
and soil variations in the
Languedoc-Roussillon. Younger
appellations like the Cabardes
and subregions like Minervois
la Livinière are
much smaller in scope. While
these new appellations have
been praised for consistently
improving their product,
others have criticized the
additions for further complicating
an already esoteric system
of classification.
The
majority of wine produced
in the Languedoc are labeled
vin ordinaire. There is
also sizable production
of Vins Doux Naturels.
The introduction of the
vins de pays classification
and its more lax AOC regulations
have opened up the Languedoc
wine industry to the labeling
of varietal wines and the
blending of international
varieties like Cabernet
Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah
and Chardonnay. Winemakers
such as Guy Anderson, Thierry
Boudinaud and E. & J.
Gallo Winery capitalized
on this new horizon, producing
wines like FAT bastard and
Red Bicyclette.
Vins
Doux Naturels are "naturally
sweet" wines that have
been fortified with brandy
to stop fermentation, leaving
residual sugar to add sweetness
to the wine. The majority
of Languedoc sweet white
wines are made with a variety
of Muscat grapes. The red
fortified wines of the Banyuls
are made from Grenache grapes,
normally have an alcohol
level between 16 to 17%
and carry residual sugars
in the 8 to 12% range.
In
Banyuls, winemakers use
various methods to "bake"
their wines to encourage
deep raisin colors. Some
winemakers utilize a solera
system of transporting the
wine among different size
barrels of various ages
that are left out in the
sun to warm. Others will
put the wine in large glass
jars to expose it to direct
sunlight. In addition to
the dark color, the resulting
wines often have a nutty,
rancid taste called rancio.
In the Banyuls Grand Cru
AOC the wine is required
to be aged in wood barrels
for two and a half years.
The
crémant produced
in the Languedoc is made
according to the Méthode
champenoise in the small
villages around the town
of Limoux. The wines are
normally composed of 70%
Mauzac and a 30% combination
of Chardonnay and Chenin
Blanc. AOC regulations require
a year of aging on the lees.
The Blanquette de Limoux,
when labelled méthode
ancestrale, is composed
entirely of Mauzac and aged
approximately three months
less on the lees, the actual
date being determined by
the moon's cycle.
Cool
External Links to Learn
More about French Wine
The
official French wines home
page
Portal
of Burgundy wines
The
official Vouvray wines home
page
Official
Website of Côtes du
Rhône
Official
Site of Bordeaux Wine
Official
Site of Medoc Wine
Official
Site of Alsace Wine
Official
Site of Champagne Wine
French
Wine Regions Map
French
Wine Tasting in Paris
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