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France
FRANCE
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ALSACE |
Alsace, a region in northeast France, is bordered by the Vosges Mountains on the West and separated
from Germany by the Rhine River on the East. The wine area is 70 miles long and about two miles wide.
The Vosges Mountains shield Alsace's vineyards and limit the rainfall. In an average year the wine
area enjoys about 50 additional days of sunshine
Alsace is unique among French wine regions in that it labels most of its wines with the name of the
grape variety used, rather than with a vineyard or village name. Some of the wines are further defined
by law as grand vin or grand cru. Many shippers also distinguish their finer lots of wine by adding
grande reserve or exceptionelle to the label.
Almost all the wines of Alsace are white. Among the most important are:
Riesling, the most elegant grape of Alsace. The Riesling is the same grape that is grown in Germany,
except here it makes a dry wine.
Gewurztraminer, the most distinctive of Alsace's wines. Gewurz means "spicy" in German. It is a fruity
wine with a pungent flavor and a perfumed and flowery bouquet. Sylvaner makes an agreeable, fresh,
fruity, dry wine.
Other grape varieties grown are Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Muscat. Cremant d'Alsace
is produced by the methode champenoise and is a dry fruity sparkling wine.
For further information contact Food & Wine From France
www.frenchwinesfood.com.
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BORDEAUX |
Bordeaux is one of the most important wine regions of the world, producing about one third of
the fine wines of France. Located near the Atlantic coast in southwest France, about 300 miles
from Paris, Bordeaux is a region dominated by its rivers, the Garonne and Dordogne which meet
to become the Gironde. The major grapes grown for Bordeaux red wines are Cabernet Sauvignon
and Cabernet Franc which give the wine vigor, tannin and long life, and Merlot which gives
softness and suppleness. Malbec and Petit Verdot are used in small quantities. White wines are
made from one or more of the following varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and occasionally Muscadelle.
Bordeaux wines are almost always a blend.
There are five basic categories under which Bordeaux wines are sold. The first is chateau-bottled wine,
wine made from grapes grown entirely on the vineyards of one estate, or chateau, and vinified, aged and
bottled on the same estate. The second category are those wines that are made at a chateau or vineyard
and then sold in a barrel to a Bordeaux shipper who bottles them. The third and largest category are
the regional or communal appellations, such as Graves, Saint-Emilion or simply Bordeaux. A fourth
category are Bordeaux wines that are sold under the name of the Grape variety from which they are
made. By law, these wines must be made of 100% of the designated varietal. A fifth category is the Monopole,
a white wine blended by a merchant-shipper and a given brand name.
The Red Wines of Bordeaux-Medoc - The wines of the Medoc appellation are all
red. Medoc, north of Bordeaux, is divided into two parts- the Haut-Medoc,
which is the southern part nearest to the city, and the northern half which
is usually called just the Medoc. The Haut Medoc is divided into six
communes. They are home to some of the most famous vineyards in the world.
From North to South they are: Saint-Estephe, Pauillac, home to 3 First
Growths-Chateaux Lafite Rothschild, Latour and Mouton-Rothschild .
Saint-Julien follows; then Moulis and Listrac. Margaux is home to the first
growth of the same name. The district of Graves, which begins outside the
city of Bordeaux, derives its name from its gravelly soil. Chateau
Haut-Brion is a first growth. The district of Saint-Emilion, about 20 miles
northeast of the city of Bordeaux is home to two first growths - Ausone and
Cheval Blanc . Pomerol is the smallest of the top wine districts of
Bordeaux. Its most famous wine is the first growth-Petrus. There are other
districts of Bordeaux that produce red wines. They include: Blaye, Premieres
Cotes de Blaye, Cotes de Bourg and Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux. These
districts, which account for half the production of red Bordeaux, make wines
that represents the basic Bordeaux taste.
The White Wines of Bordeaux-Bordeaux Blanc produces basic white wines that
are light and refreshing. Graves- About 2/3 of the wines of Graves are
white. Entre-Deux-Mers - One of Bordeaux's major areas for good, everyday
white wines. I is situated between the Dordogne and Garonne Rivers, hence
its name-between two rivers. Sauternes and Barsac are in the most Southern
reaches of Bordeaux. They are known for their luscious, golden sweet wines.
They are among the greatest dessert wines in the world. Its star is Chateau
d'Yquem.
For further information contact Food & Wine From France
www.bordeaux.com.
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BURGUNDY |
The wine region of Burgundy begins about 70 miles Southeast of Paris and
extends to Lyon, about 225 miles. All of the Cote d'Or, the heart of the
region and the home to its most remarkable wines, produces about 1/10th that
of Bordeaux. Geographically, Burgundy is separated into a number of
districts. From North to South- Chablis, the Cote d'Or (which is divided into
the Northern Cote de Nuits and Southern Cote de Beaune), Cote Chalonnaise,
the Maconnais and Beaujolais.
Burgundy's major white wines are made from the Chardonnay grape. The reds of
the Cote d'Or and the Chalonnais are made from the Pinot Noir, while the
reds of the Maconnais and Beaujolais are made from the Gamay. The system of
small ownership prevails in Burgundy. While the great vineyards remain
intact as appellations, they are divided among many proprietors. Because a
small proprietor may own only a few rows of a vineyard, they almost always
sell their wine to a shipper. The shipper, in turn, will blend it with other
wines of that appellation, and age and bottle it.
The wines of the Cote d'Or are classified as Grand Cru, Premier Cru and
village wines. Grand Crus are identified only by their vineyard
name, i.e., Chambertin. Premier Cru wines are labeled first with the village
name, then with either the vineyard name or the phrase Premier Cru, and
often with both. Village wines are named for the village - Pommard, for
instance. Many villages have added the name of their most famous vineyard to
their own; for example, Gevrey is now Gevrey-Chambertin.
The Red Wines of Burgundy- Beginning in the North with the Cote de Nuits
section of the Cote d'Or; just below the city of Dijon is Fixin. Then the
famous village of Gevrey-Chambertin, home to 8 Grand Cru vineyards,
including Chambertin and Chambertin-Clos de Beze. Next is Morey-Saint-Denis,
a village of 4 Grand Crus, including all of Clos de Tart. The Grand Crus of
Bonnes Mares and Musigny lie in Chambolle-Musigny. The village of Vougeot
contains the Grand Cru- Clos de Vougeot. The next village, Vosne-Romanee, is
the home of Romanee-Conti, La Tache and Richebourg Grand Crus.
Nuits-Saint-Georges is the largest vineyard area and Southernmost town of
the Cote de Nuits.A few miles South of Nuits-Saint-Georges, the Cote de
Beaune begins. The first important village is Aloxe-Corton, home to the only
Grand Cru red wine of the Cote de Beaune-Corton. Savigny is one of the
largest red wine areas of the Cote de Beaune. The city of Beaune is the wine
center of Burgundy. Here can be found the Hospice de Beaune, whose annual
wine auction sets the tone for Buegundy pricing. Pommard, to the South;
Volnay, its neighbor and Auxey-Duresses are other villages. The great fame
of Meursault and Chassagne-Montrachet lies in their white wines. Further
South is Santenay, the last wine village of importance in the Cote de
Beaune. The red wines of the Cote Chalonnaise include Givry and Mercurey.
The Macon district makes some red wines, but is noted for its whites.
Beaujolais, the last district of the Burgundy span produces one of the most
famous red wines in the world. They are light and fruity and should be
enjoyed slightly cooled and young. Beaujolais Nouveau is released the third
Thursday in November and should be consumed within a few months. Both as
made from the Gamay grape. There are 4 grades of Beaujolais; Beaujolais;
Beaujolais Superior, with one degree more alcohol; Beaujolais-Villages comes
from 39 designated villages. The most distinctive wine is Cru Beaujolais. It
comes from 10 villages and is labeled by the village name, i.e., Fleurie and Brouilly Moulin-A-Vent.
The White Wines of Burgundy- The village and commune of Chablis, separated
from the Cote d'Or by about 75 miles, produces one of the best-known still,
dry white wines of France. There are 4 categories of wine in Chablis. The
first is Petit Chablis. Chablis without any other qualification is the
regional appellation. Chablis Premier Cru may be labeled with the name of
the vineyard, or if a blend of many Premier Crus, simply the word-Premier
Cru. The 7 Grand Crus are labeled with their vineyard names, i.e., Les Clos,
Valmur and Vaudesir. While the Cote de Nuits is basically noted for its
reds, the Cote de Beaune's greatest fame is in its whites. The village of
Aloxe-Corton is home to the Grand Cru Corton-Charlemagne. Meursault is
almost exclusively white wines. Puligny-Montrachet makes only white wines It
is a village of 2 Grand Crus, Chevalier-Montrachet and
Bienvenue-Batard-Montrachet and parts of 2 other Grand Crus,
Batard-Montrachet and Montrachet, one of the best dry white wines of the
world. Close by is the town of Chassagne-Montrachet, home of Grand Cru
Criots-Batard-Montrachet and the rest of Batard-Montrachet and Montrachet.
In Southern Burgundy are the white wines of Mercurey and Cote Chalonnaise
including Montagny and Rully. The Maconnais produces large quantities of
white wines from the Chardonnay grape. Most are labeled as Macon,
Macon-Villages or Macon Chardonnay. The best known wine of the region is
Pouilly-Fuisse.
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CHAMPAGNE |
Located 90 miles East of Paris, the Appellation "Champagne" applies only to
the wines produced in the Champagne region of France, whose two main cities
are Reims and Epernay. Only three grape varieties are allowed in the
production of Champagne (See How Champagne Is Made): Chardonnay, Pinot Noir
and Pinot Meunier. There are also limits on yields, pruning, the height, the
spacing and the density of the vines, to ensure harvesting by hand. Recently
measures have been taken to lengthen the minimum aging time to 15 months for
Non-Vintage Champagnes and to 3 years for Vintage wines.
Pinot Noir, a black grape variety with white juice gives Champagne their
aromas of red fruits, as well as their strength and body. Pinot Meunier,
another black grape variety with white juice gives Champagne its roundness
and fragrance. Chardonnay, a white variety provides finesse and floral
overtones. A Champagne labeled Blanc de Blancs means only Chardonnay is used.
Brut Non Vintage is the wine most representative of a producers style. It is
usually a blend of wines from several years. Vintage Champagne is produced
exclusively from the wines of a single harvest. It is declared only in
exceptional years. Rose Champagnes are produced by macerating the black
grapes or by adding red wine to the blend. Special Cuvees, whether
vintage-dated or not, are made from the most subtle and distinctive wines.
Demi-Sec Champagnes differ from Bruts in their slightly sweeter taste...
Extra-Dry Champagnes, despite the name, are not as dry as Brut.
Excerpted from the Wines of Champagne. For further information, contact
www.champagnes.com.
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COTES DU RHONE |
The Cotes du Rhone is a long, narrow strip of wine country that begins
just below Lyon, the great gastronomic center, and ends 125 miles south at
Avignon. Over 90% of Rhone wines are red. With their long, intensely hot and
sunny growing season, the wines are generally big, robust and high in
alcohol. In the northern part of the valley the wines tend to be full-bodied
and long-lived. Most are made from the Syrah grape. Southern Rhone wines
tend to mature earlier and may be produced from more than a dozen different grape
varieties.
The Northern Vineyards include: Cote Rotie, or "roasted slope", that
are often called the best of the Rhone wines. They are hard in their youth and
can age for many years. Hermitage also are full bodied and age well.
The vineyards of Crozes-Hermitage, on the lower slopes, mature earlier.
Saint-Joseph matures more quickly than most northern Rhones. Cornas, less well known,
is often a good value. The finest of the white Cotes du Rhones is Condrieu,
near Cote Rotie. Chateau Grillet is the smallest appellation controlee in France.
Both are made from the Viognier grape variety.
The Southern Vineyards are responsible for about 80% of the production
of the Cotes du Rhone. Tavel, the best known rose of France is made
predominately of the Grenache grape. It is a dry and delicate wine. The most
celebrated of all Rhone wines is Chateauneuf-du-Pape. It can be made from a
combination of as many as 13 authorized grape varieties including Syrah and
Grenache, and matures earlier than Northern Rhone wines. Wines of the area
without the right to more specific appellations are bottled under the
appellation Cotes du Rhone.
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LOIRE VALLEY |
The Loire Valley is possibly the most beautiful wine region of France. This
is where medieval knights built fortresses, where the kings of the 15th and
16th centuries built fabulous pleasure castles. Many of them still stand
today.
About three quarters of the wines are white. Roses come primarily from the
district of Anjou. The Loire's lovely sparkling wines come mainly from
Touraine and Saumur. The valley, in west-central France takes its name from
the Loire River which flows across it, east to west, for about 350 miles
before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean.
The eastern part of the valley is called the Upper Loire and here, Sauvignon
Blanc, which also produces some of the great white wines of Bordeaux, is the
most successful grape. The first vineyards of the area produce Pouilly
Fume (not to be confused with Pouilly-Fuisse of Burgundy). Across the river
is Sancerre, also from the Sauvignon grape. It is one of the best known
wines of the Loire; dry, crisp and full-flavored.
Further to the west, in the center of the valley, is the large district of
Touraine. Here, the Chenin Blanc is the dominate white grape, and its most
famous wines is Vouvray which is generally soft, fresh and fruity, and best
drunk when young. Touraine is also home to the Loire's best red wines-
Chinon and Bourgueil, made from the Cabernet Franc grape.
The large district of Anjou-Saumur, Touraine's neighbor to the west, also
produces white wines from Chenin Blanc. The best is Saumur, often made into
a sparkling wine using the methode champenoise. About half of Anjou's
production is rose wines; they are fresh and fruity. Also produced in Anjou
is Coteaux du Layon which makes elegant sweet wines.
Muscadet, the "far west" of the Loire Valley, produces a white wine that is
light and dry. The grape variety, like the wine is called Muscadet.
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MISCELLANEOUS FRANCE |
SOUTH WEST
The region begins just South of Bordeaux and extends almost to
the Spanish border. Included are: Bergerac, just East of Bordeaux, which
produces red wines from the same varieties as Bordeaux. The white wines also
use the Bordeaux grape varieties(Cabernet, Merlot and Malbec for reds;
Semillon and Sauvignon for whites). Cahors produces only red wines. The main
grape variety is Malbec. These are powerful dark red wines. Gaillac is best
known for its white and sparkling wines. Jurancon is a sweet white wine.
Madiran is a full-bodied red wine.
PROVENCE
The wine-growing region of Provence is the oldest vineyard of
France. It begins where the Rhone ends, and runs along the Mediterranean Sea
toward Cannes. Cotes-de-Provence wines are the largest single appellation
controled in the region. Known principally for its rose wines, from
Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvedre & Syrah. Bandol wines must contain a high
percentage of the Mourvedre grape variety. Provence also produces red, white
and rose wines in the table wine category.
LANGUEDOC ROUSSILLON
Bordering on the Mediterranean, this is the largest
vineyard of France. It represents more than 1/3 of the total vineyard area
of France. It produces a large part of French Vins de Table. Languedoc
Roussillon produces mostly red wines. Cotes du Roussillon is France's most
southern district which is located on the Spanish border. They are red,
white and rose wines from Carignan, Grenache and Syrah. Fitou is made from
Grenache & Carignan, and is a full-bodied red wine. Corbieres produces
mostly red wines. Minervois is very similar to Corbieres, with mainly red
wines from Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan and some Syrah. Coteaux de Languedoc
appellation produces red and rose wines. Naturally sweet wines are also
produced in the Languedoc Roussillon region. They include: Banyuls, from the
black Grenaches, and Muscat de Frontignan.
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Material excerpted from the French Wine Correspondence Course.
For travel information contact the French Government Tourist Office
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