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Wine Expert Resources
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| France Made Simple 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% QWPSR: Vin Délimité de Qualité Superieure
(VDQS) - Less strict than AOC, not often used - 2% 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 Ausone Bordeaux wine labels generally include: 1. The name of estate -(example: Château Haut-Batailley)
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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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
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