WINES OF FRANCE

Content of the topic
Introduction
French Wine classification
French Wine Regions

Introduction

source- WSET course: France wine map

France is the most influential wine-producing counties in world. It is one of the largest producers and exports to most wine consuming countries. Certain French wines are amongst the most prestigious in the world.

While the nation of the France is not the world’s largest wine producer, it is perhaps the most important. The statement can be supported by the fact that France leads in the verity of wines produced and has more wines of international reputation than the other region. The wine regions of the France which produce really great wines not only enjoy ideal climate but also have a pure stony soil which all wines seen to love. French wine imposed a very strict quality control on their wines.

No other country in the world can rival France in the diversity of the wines. France has wide range of the climate & soil suitable for the production of the vines. However, it is an unavoidable fact that quality of wines can only be made in the limited amounts.

France was the 1st country to set up a system for controlling wines & quality of its wines. In 1935, an Institute National des Appellations d’ Origine (INAO) was established. Basically, French wines are classified in to 4 categories

French wine classification

a) Appellation d’Origin Contrôlée (AOC or AC)

The best French wines are almost all AOC. The label indicates where the wines come from & appellation law regulates the grape varieties used, viticulture method, harvest, and yield restrictions, minimum alcohol content, wine making techniques & the quality of the product approved by an official testing panel.

b) Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (VDQS)

VDQS wines are subject to control similar to those with AOC status, but the yields may be higher, the wine can be lower in strength & the overall standard is not required to be as high although it may be argued in certain cases that the quality is easily comparable.

c) Vin De Pays (VDP)

This category was introduced to help stem the large flow of inferior wines. The term wine de’ pays describes what are often known as “French country wines”. There are three categories of VDP, each with its own controls. These are –

d) Vin De Table (VDT)

These are the inexpensive wines for everyday drinking & not intended for the keeping. This is the largest category in terms of volume produced & yearly all is consumed within the country. The label must not specify the origin & both the strength & quality may vary.

Wine Producing Regions of France

Wine is produced in all the France except in the most northern part. The following regions stand out to be the major wine producing regions because of the amount & the quality of wine produced.

1) Bordeaux

2) Burgundy

3) Alsace

4) Loire Valley

5) Rhone Valley

6) Champagne

7) Languedoc Roussillon

8) Provence

1) Bordeaux

From the classic reds of the Medoc, Graves, St. Emilion & Pomerol to the great sweet whites of Sauternes & Barsac, Bordeaux is the largest source of quality wines in the world. It occupies an almost perfect viticultural situation. However, without the lush vineyards & great châteaux, there would a little to thrill the travelers. It is the largest department in the France & generates more revenue & more controversy in the world than any other region. The reputation of this region has been built upon the quality of less than one per cent of total number of chateaux & just 3 % of vast volume of wines produced which is classified as Grand Cru.

Bordeaux Region Produces

Tannic red wines needing time to mature.

Lighter red wines made for early drinking.

Very fine sweet white wines.

Dry white wines, mostly, though not always, for drinking young.

Location Bordeaux lies on the banks of river Garonne. This region is situates in the southwest region of France

Climate Mild & humid climate. Winters are temperate. Summers are long & warm.

Soil In general, gravel, clay or sand over a subsoil of limestone.

Wine Producing Regions of Bordeaux

a) Médoc

b) Graves

c) St. Emilion

d) Pomerol

e) Sauternes

f) Barsac

a) Médoc
The wine growing area of this region is in the northwest. It is a long strip of white wines. It is southern part, which produces higher quality wines, is called the Haute- Médoc. These wines are all red and are usually they are sold under the name of Châteaux where the grapes are grown. The term “Château” (Plural-Châteaux) refers to single individually owned property. Few examples of Medoc wines-

Château Haut Brion

Château La Fite

Château La Tour

Château Margaux

Château Mouton Rothschild

b) Graves
Graves means gravel & soil has given its name to the district. this area produces both white wines & red wines. much wines of this region are sold simply as graves, without any château name. the region lies just below the médoc. the finest red wines are produced in the north of graves. very good red & improving dry white are produced in the center. the southern part produces great sweet white wines.

c) St.Emilion
This region lies in east of the Bordeaux on the right bank of the river Dordogne. The two parts of St. Emilion are- St. Emilion Côté & St. Emilion Graves
Both of these produces very fine red wines with fully body rich aroma, spicy with fruitcake flavour. Château Ausone & Château Cheval Blanc are world famous wines from this region.

d) Pomerol
This is a small commune on a plateau adjoining St. Emilion. It produces very fine red wines, which are full bodied, rich & aromatic. A good wine from Pomerol takes 6-7 years to mature in a good vintage. Château Pétrus, which is entirely made from Merlot grape, is the most famous wine from Pomerol.

e) Sauternes
This region is situated at southeast of Bordeaux & is surrounded by Graves. Sauternes produces best sweet wines from grapes affected by noble rot. These grapes yield a small amount of very concentrated juice with high sugar content.

f) Barsac

Location Central France

Climate Hot summers but severe winters, with frost being major hazard (continental climate).

Soil Vary from clay & limestone to granite. Granite soil is good for red wine grapes.

Grapes -

RED

Gamay

Pinot noir

WHITE

Chardonnay

Aligoté

Gamey & Pinot Noir for Red wines. Gamey of Beaujolais produces wine with little tannin & firm acidity. Pinot Noir makes wines of medium colour & high acidity.

Chardonnay & Aligoté for white wines. Chardonnay produces wines, which age well, with a fine bouquet & depth of flavour. Aligoté produces wine with high acidity.

Wine producing regions of Burgundy

a) Chablis

b) Beaujolais

c) Yonne

d) Côte de Nuits

e) Côte de beaune

f) Mâconnais

g) Chalonnaise

The Burgundy region, which stretches from Champagne to the Rhône, produces the greatest Chardonnay & Pinot Noir wines in the world, and the only Gamey wines ever to achieve classic status.

Burgundy was probably the first of the French regions to establish a reputation outside its own frontiers. Burgundy produces both red & white wines. The total wine production of this region is almost 1/10th that of Bordeaux.

The tradition of Burgundy is that the growers pick up grapes & ferment the wine. It is then sold in bulk to merchants. The merchants then age wine in casks & sell it. The role of merchants is important, as he is the one who is capable of assembling large quantities of wines to enable serious marketing. He also blends the wines to Appellation standards.

Burgundy region produces wines such as

a) Chablis

The Chardonnay grape dominates this classic white wine area. This area is

situated in North West of Burgundy. The wines are bone dry & almost flinty. Most Chablis is made & matured in stainless steel, but a few wineries still use wood. Chablis is part of Yonne department.

b) Beaujolais

This huge district, which is situated in the southernmost part of Burgundy region, is famous for producing the only Gamay wine to gain the classic status. A purple coloured, fresh, light wine that accounts for no less than 6 out of every 10 bottles of Burgundy produced every year. The most of Beaujolais wines are drunk young.

c) Côte de nuits

Côte de nuits is the northern section of Côte d’or firmness & weights are the keywords here. Production is essentially red from Pinot Noir. This small area is home to such wines as Gevrey- Chambertin, Nuits-St-Georges & Chambolle- Musigny.

d) Côte de beaune

Côte de beaune is the southern section of Côte d’or. Softness & fineness are the main characteristics of these wines. Although this region has some fine red wines, its production is predominantly white from Chardonnay grapes. The famous reds from the region are: Volnay, Pommard & Beaune, Meursault & Puligny- Montrachet are famous white.

e) Mâconnais

The Mâconnais produces 3 times more white wine than the rest of Burgundy put together. Although it does not produce quantity wines, they are best value pure Chardonnay wine in the world. Pouilly- Fuissé is the best-known white wine of the region.

f) Chalonnaise

This region is also known as Région de Mercury. The wines are similar in style to those of the Côte d’or but are generally lighter & less long-lived, as well as less expensive. Both red & white wines are produced here.

3) ALSACE

Alsace is one of the loveliest parts of France. Once a part of Germany, this region produces 95% dry white wines from a collection of essentially French or

German grape varieties.

Alsace Region Produces - With 1 or 2 exceptions, all wines are white & dry.

Location - Alsace lies in North East France on the border with Germany.

Climate - Continental climate.

Soil - No predominant soil type.

Grapes -

White: Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Sylvaner. Only 6% of total Alsace production is red & the grape used is Pinot Noir.

4) LOIRE VALLEY

The Loire is the longest river in France. The Loire valley is famous for crisp white wines; though it produces all styles of wine, dry medium & sweet white wines, sparkling wines, rosé & red wines.

Climate - Mild, damp climate towards sea whereas continental climate in inland parts.

Soil - Variation of soils- Chalky & clay being most prominent.

Grapes - Muscadet, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc for white wines. Cabernet Franc for red wines.

5) RHÔNE VALLEY

Primarily famous for its full, fiery & spicy-rich red wines, the Rhône Valley also produces a small amount of rosé, a tiny amount of white & some sparkling & fortified wines. It is one of the oldest regions of wine producing

Location South East France

Climate

Northern Rhône: Continental climate

Southern Rhône: Mild winters & hot summers & autumn.

Low rainfall. (Mediterranean climate)

Soil

Northern Rhône: Granite with some sandstone.

Southern Rhône: Limestone sub-soil with covering of sand & large stones.

Grapes

Northern Rhône: Syrah

Southern Rhône: Grenache

Wine producing regions of Rhône Valley

Northern Rhône: Côte Rôtie, Hermitage.

Southern Rhône: Tavel, Chateau neuf de pape.

6) CHAMPAGNE

There are many sparkling wines made by the same method as Champagne and sometimes from the same grape varieties. But, there is however only one true Champagne.

Location - Northern France. (Between latitudes 15-50 N

Climate Continental Climate

Soil Chalky soil covered by a thin layer of rich topsoil

Grape Varieties - Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay

Wine Producing Regions of Champagne
Montage de Reims (Mon-tain-the-Rim),

Côte des Blancs,

Vallée de la Marne (Marn),

Aube (UB) Vineyards, and

Côte de Sézanne(Say-zan)

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Wines of France

Beverages Service
Paperback
January 2020 Edition
Author:
Dr. Deepa Prasad Venkatraman
Ulhas Chaudhari

Food & Beverage Services Practical & Techniques
Paperback
January 2020 Edition
Author:
Dr. Deepa Prasad Venkatraman
Ulhas Chaudhari