Chapter 5
France
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Objectives
• After reading this chapter, you should be able to
– discuss the grapes, regulations, and wine styles of the six major wine
regions of France.
– list the subdistricts (the appellations) of each major region in France and
describe the climate and topographic differences among regions.
– describe the concept of terroir and why it is crucial to comprehending
French wines.
– explain the French system of Appellation Contrôlée laws, as well as the
heritage, history, and philosophy behind the evolution of this system,
what it accomplishes, and how it may affect the future of French wines in
the international marketplace.
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Introduction
• Even though many other countries around
the world are producing excellent wines, and
even though some countries in Europe have
winemaking traditions that go back as far in
time as does France’s, no country can claim to
produce world-class wines in so many
categories.
• Only 3 percent of all wine consumed in
France is imported.
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Introduction (continued)
• In addition to producing great wines in every
category, France is also the original home to
most of the “noble varietals.”
– Of the 12 most important noble varietals,
8 are indigenous to France:
• Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chenin
Blanc for whites
• Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Syrah
for reds
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Introduction (continued)
• Another French important initiative was in
the creation of a system of laws to control
viticultural practices and winemaking.
– One of the goals of these laws is to protect the
geographic names of the places of origin of
specific wines.
– This is important as French wines are named for
the region where the grapes were grown.
– This geographic designation of origin is called
the appellation of the wine.
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French Wine—A Historical Perspective
• The history of wine production in France is
inextricably intertwined with the politics and
sociological development of the country.
– Grapes were established in the southern part of Gaul
(now called France) by Greeks as early as 600 BC.
– As the Romans colonized the country, the planting of
grapes and the production of wine spread north.
– Barbarians invaded Gaul and caused the collapse of the
Roman Empire by AD 400.
– During this time, it was the Christian monasteries that
kept winemaking alive.
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French Wine—A Historical Perspective
(continued)
• Charlemagne brought stability to Gaul during his
reign which began in AD 768.
– He introduced the first laws on wine production.
– In 1152 Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henri of Anjou.
An important trade alliance was established when Henri
ascended the English throne as King Henry II.
– English entrepreneurs came to France, especially to
Bordeaux, and played a crucial role in the building of the
wine trade.
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French Wine—A Historical Perspective
(continued)
• After the French Revolution (1789–1791) and
the rise of Napoleon, the church and the
aristocracy lost a great deal of their power.
– Land was taken by the government and given to
the farmers.
– The production and exporting of French wines,
especially Bordeaux, continued to increase until
the root louse phylloxera invaded French vineyards
in the late 1880s.
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French Wine—A Historical Perspective
(continued)
• Phylloxera spread rapidly through French
vineyards, and over the Pyrenees into the
Iberian Peninsula, and eventually across the
Alps into Northern Italian vineyards.
– The solution was to find phylloxera-resistant
rootstocks on which the classic varietals could be
grafted.
– Phylloxera-resistant rootstocks bred from native
American vines are now throughout Europe.
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Terroir
• The concept of terroir is critical to understanding the
very foundation of French wines.
– In the context of wines, the definition of terroir is the
unique and distinctive character a specific wine will
exhibit due to the fact that it was grown in a specific
vineyard.
– The term terroir encompasses the entire physical
environment in which the grapes were grown.
– What the French care about more than anything else in
their wine is that it reflect the terroir of its region, that it
be typical of that region, and that it be authentic.
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Appellation Contrôlée Laws
• As French wine production recovered after the
setback of phylloxera, a new, man-made problem
arose: fraud.
– As certain regions became popular, their wines became
more valuable.
– Once a price for a certain wine rose, some wine
merchants could not resist the temptation to increase the
supply through fraud.
– Unscrupulous producers would simply attach a region’s
name in order to get a higher price.
– Or producers within a famous region expanded
production by buying grapes grown elsewhere.
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Appellation Contrôlée Laws (continued)
• The need for government intervention to protect
the authenticity of geographic names of origin
became evident as early as the late 1890s.
– Fraud proceeded to become so widespread in France that
some place names on bottles became essentially
meaningless.
– The problem was particularly evident in the Champagne
region. It has been estimated that by 1911, the
Champagne houses were selling at least 11,000,000 more
bottles of wine than their region produced.
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Appellation Contrôlée Laws (continued)
• The grape growers rioted to protest the practice of
the large Champagne producers buying grapes
outside the region to expand production.
– The government immediately passed legislation defining
the boundaries of the Champagne region and decreed
that the valuable name “Champagne” on a label could be
used only if all grapes used in the production were grown
inside those boundaries.
– This was the first step towards a system that guarantees
the authenticity of specific geographic locations.
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Appellation Contrôlée Laws (continued)
• In the early 1900s there were similar protests by
growers in Burgundy and the Rhône Valley
– Finally, in 1935, the French government passed legislation
creating the Institut National des Appellations d’Origine des
Vins et des Eaux-de-Vie (INAO).
– The INAO, working with local growers, established
appellation boundaries and codification of grape-growing
and winemaking practices appropriate to each area.
– The system has continued to evolve and is continually
under review. It is not static.
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Appellation Contrôlée Laws (continued)
• All wine regions of France are classified into one of
four levels of quality.
• In ascending order of quality, the four levels are:
– vin de table (table wine)
– vin de pays (country wine)
– vin delimité de qualité supérieure or VDQS (quality
wines from a limited area)
– appellation d’origine contrôlée or AOC (higher-quality
wines from one of the better limited areas of production)
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Vin de Table or Vin Ordinaire
• These can be made from grapes grown
anywhere in France.
– There are no limits on yield and no specifications
on varietals.
– Wine that is fermented purely for the purpose of
being distilled into spirits fits into this category.
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Vin de Table or Vin Ordinaire
(continued)
• The European Commission is putting
pressure on France to decrease the amount
of acreage dedicated to this level of wine, as
the glut of bulk wine and wine grapes causes
prices to fall.
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Vins de Pays
• Higher yields and a higher percentage of
nonindigenous grapes are allowed at this
level.
– Since 1979, wines at this level have been
permitted to be labeled by varietal.
– Today approximately 25 percent of French wine
is designated as vin de pays.
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Vins de Pays (continued)
• Vin de pays regions can fall within three
different types:
1. Regional: These are three very large areas.
2. Departmental: This covers an entire
départment, the French equivalent of an
American state.
3. Zonal: This is the smallest, often just one
district or even one town. There are over
100 zonal vin de pays regions.
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Vin Delimité de Qualité Supérieure
• Begun in 1949, these wines are also produced
according to INAO guidelines, and producers
are supervised by the local bureau.
– Standards are not as strict nor as numerous as at
the AOC level.
– Producers in these regions often aspire to have
their area elevated to AOC status.
– At this time, only about 1 percent of French
wines are designated VDQS.
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Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée
• In order to label with an AOC region, a wine
must meet very specific criteria:
– The wine must be made 100 percent from grapes
approved for that appellation.
– The grapes must have all been grown within a
limited area of production.
• Some AOC wines are further rated by the authorities
as “Grand Cru” or “Premier Cru” or some comparable
term indicating high quality.
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Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée
(continued)
• To be an AOC wine:
– The grapes must be harvested above a minimal
level of ripeness specified for that appellation.
– The amount of grapes harvested must not
exceed a certain amount per hectare.
– The regulations of production methods are set
for the vineyard and winery.
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Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée
(continued)
• To be an AOC wine:
– The wine must be bottled in the same region as
the appellation.
– The wine must pass a tasting test by the local
branch of the INAO.
• Presently over one-third of the wine
produced in France is designated as
Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée.
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Appellation Contrôlée Laws
• The French system of wine laws is one of the most
comprehensive and strict in the world.
• These laws guarantee the authenticity of wine
names and thus protect the prestige of the finest
wine appellations.
• However, despite its strengths, the system does have
its weaknesses, the worst being that in some
applications, the system protects the grower and
producer more than it does the consumer.
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Appellation Contrôlée Laws (continued)
• The tasting and analysis of AOC and VDQS wines
should be done with an eye to quality, not just to
typicality.
• Yields: As the law now stands, if a grower exceeds
the allowable yield only the amount by which he
exceeds the limit is downgraded. Logically, the entire
crop should be downgraded.
• The requirements for the use of phrases like mise en
bouteille à propriété (estate bottled) need to be made
stricter so as not to mislead the consumer.
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Bordeaux
• Bordeaux is one of the world’s largest and most
diverse wine-producing regions.
– There are almost 304,000 acres under vine, and annual
production is over 660 million bottles of wine.
– Fully 22 percent of France’s total AOC production is
from Bordeaux.
– Bordeaux is a city and a wine region.
– The city of Bordeaux, eighth largest in France, is the
capital of the département of Gironde, the largest of
France’s 95 départements.
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Bordeaux (continued)
• The region has large, self-sufficient estates in which
the vineyards, the winemaking facilities, and often
the owner’s house are all located together in close
proximity.
– The late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries were
the period in which many of the great estates developed
as exports in wine increased.
– Production of wine in Bordeaux was set way back by the
infestation of phylloxera as well as downy mildew in the
late nineteenth century.
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Bordeaux (continued)
• The first half of the twentieth century saw an
unprecedented string of man-made disasters: The First
World War, the Great Depression, Prohibition in the
United States, and, of course, the Second World War.
• In the second half of the twentieth century, the
Bordeaux wine trade grew and strengthened.
• A rising standard of living throughout the Western
world and an increasing appreciation for wine in the
United States has widened the consumer base for
Bordeaux’s wines.
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The Soil and Climate of Bordeaux
• The département of Gironde is located on the
west coast of France, on the Atlantic Ocean.
• Exactly halfway between the North Pole and
the Equator, extending about 65 miles from
north to south and 80 miles from east to
west, the Gironde is spared any temperature
extremes.
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Bordeaux
• In Bordeaux, the grape varietals allowed by
AOC laws are as follows:
– Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet
Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Carmenère
– White: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and
Muscadelle
– For regional white wines, up to 30 percent of
lesser grapes such as Colombard, Merlot Blanc,
and Ugni Blanc is allowed.
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Bordeaux
• In Bordeaux, red varietals take up 89 percent of
total acreage, and Merlot is the most widely planted
red varietal with 162,000 acres as opposed to 70,000
acres for Cabernet Sauvignon and 32,110 for the
third most important grape, Cabernet Franc.
– The other red varietals can contribute characteristics to
the final blend: Carmenére adds deep color; Malbec adds
additional body; Petit Verdot tends to be higher in acidity.
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Bordeaux
• For the high-quality dry white grapes,
Sauvignon Blanc is the most important.
However, the most widely planted white
grape is Semillon (18,387 versus 11,367 acres
for Sauvignon Blanc). Muscadelle is third
with 2,341 acres.
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The Classifications of Bordeaux Estates
• The most famous rating was The Classification
of 1855 for the wine-producing estates of the
Haut-Médoc.
• There were already several informal rankings
of Bordeaux’s chateaux.
• Moreover, the market reflected the
comparative worth of different estates’ wines
by the price consumers were willing to pay.
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The Classifications of Bordeaux Estates
(continued)
• The merchants (also called brokers or
négoçiants) proceeded to formalize the ranking
that they, and the open market, had been
using for Bordeaux’s wines.
– The brokers were able to divide the top Médoc
estates into five tiers of quality.
– It remains the official ranking to this day, with
only one change.
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The Classifications of Bordeaux Estates
(continued)
• In the top tier, called first growth or premier cru, there
were only three Médoc estates, Lafite, Latour, and
Margaux, as well as one in the Graves region
Château Haut-Brion.
• In 1973, Château Mouton-Rothschild was elevated
from second growth to first growth.
– An additional 56 estates from the Médoc were rated at
deuxième cru or second growth, and on down to cinquième
cru or fifth growth.
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The Classifications of Bordeaux Estates
(continued)
• In 1855, brokers also classified the estates of
Bordeaux that produced the sweet white wines.
– They ranked these estates into two classes, based on
market demand, price, and quality. These estates are all
within the appellations of Sauternes and Barsac.
• The wine-producing estates of the Graves region
were not officially classified until 1953 for the red
wines and 1959 for the white wines.
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The Classifications of Bordeaux Estates
(continued)
• The estates of St. Émilion were first classified
officially in 1955.
– In an effort to ensure that their ranking be always
current there are periodic reassessments of the
classification.
• The estates of Pomerol have never been
officially classified. However, the best wines
from this region rank among the world’s best
red wines.
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The Regions of Bordeaux
• The five regions of Bordeaux that produce
champion wines are: the Haut-Médoc,
Graves, Sauternes/Barsac, St. Émilion, and
Pomerol.
– There are several other Appellation d’Origine
Contrôlée districts that produce admirable wines as
well.
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The Wine Regions of Bordeaux:
The Médoc
• The landscape is not particularly spectacular.
It is a bit flat, actually, and in the southern
portions, there are signs of urban sprawl.
– Some of the châteaux are really simple country
homes.
– Some are large, beautiful mansions (GruardLaRose).
– There are even former priories (Chateau
Meyney).
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The Wine Regions of Bordeaux:
The Haut-Médoc
• Most of the very best of Bordeaux’s wines come
from famous estates in the lower two-thirds of the
Médoc peninsula. This subregion is known as the
Haut-Médoc.
– Throughout the Haut-Médoc there is a good balance
between water stored in the soil and the depth of roots.
– Factors of soil content and microclimate are diverse
within the Haut-Médoc.
– Wines from the southern communes are softer, richer,
and more accessible than the more tannic and restrained
wines from further up the peninsula.
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The Wine Regions of Bordeaux:
The Haut-Médoc (continued)
• There are twenty-nine communes (towns or villages)
and a total of 25,000 acres of vineyards within the
Haut-Médoc.
• The greatest estates have been classified, that is,
officially rated as superior. Most of these classified
estates are located within the boundaries of four
villages: Margaux, St. Julien, Pauillac, and St.
Estèphe. Each of these towns is a separate
appellation.
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The Wine Regions of Bordeaux:
Graves
• Unlike the appellations Médoc and HautMédoc, which can be applied only to red
wine, the appellation Graves is applicable to
both reds and whites.
– This large area runs about 34 miles along the
southern edge of the Garonne River (one of the
two tributaries to the Gironde).
– Graves’ 8,255 acres of vineyards are 55 percent
red wine grapes, 45 percent white wine grapes.
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The Wine Regions of Bordeaux:
Graves (continued)
• The dry whites of Graves can be among the most
elegant, complex, and food-friendly wines based on
the Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grape.
• The best red wines of the Graves region are velvety
smooth and full of ripe berry flavors. The leading
estates plant anywhere from 25 to 40 percent Merlot
and 50 to 65 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, with the
balance being the three lesser varietals (Cabernet
Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot).
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The Wine Regions of Bordeaux:
Graves (continued)
• The soil of the Graves region is different than in
other parts of Bordeaux. The region gets its name
from the gravelly, pebble-strewn soil.
– This top level of gravel allows for excellent drainage, as
well as heat retention that helps the grapes to ripen fully.
The gravel sits on base soils of sand and clay.
– The finest vineyards in Graves are in the communes of
Pessac and Léognan, in the northern section that
produces both excellent reds and whites.
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The Wine Regions of Bordeaux:
Graves (continued)
• In the southern part of Graves, almost 45
percent of the wine produced is white.
– The predominant white grape here is the
Semillon, at some estates taking as much as 70
percent of the acreage.
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The Wine Regions of Bordeaux:
Sauternes
• The appellation of Sauternes is restricted to
sweet white wines. The appellation actually
encompasses five villages: Sauternes,
Bommes, Fargues, Preignac, and Barsac.
– The latter, Barsac, is an appellation in its own
right, and can be sold either as Barsac or as
Sauternes. The communes lie on the south bank
of the Garonne River, in the southern part of
Graves.
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The Wine Regions of Bordeaux:
Sauternes (continued)
• The wines from Sauternes and Barsac, which
by law must be botrytized, are widely
regarded as some of the best dessert wines in
the world.
– The appellations of Sauternes and Barsac contain
less than 5,500 acres of vines. The grapes planted
are Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle.
– The climate here is perfect for the botrytis
fungus, as the air is very damp.
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The Wine Regions of Bordeaux:
The Right Bank
• The soils on the Right Bank are quite
different from those in the Médoc, tending
more towards clay and limestone. In this soil
base, Merlot is the predominate grape.
• The second most widely planted varietal is
Cabernet Franc.
• Cabernet Sauvignon, which excels in the
gravelly soils of the Médoc, does not do well
in the clay/limestone combination.
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The Wine Regions of Bordeaux:
St. Émilion
• Wine was made in the village of St. Émilion during
Gallo-Roman times.
– There are few grand châteaux around St. Émilion. Rather
this is an area of small properties.
– St. Émilion is one of the most compact and densely
planted appellations in France with close to 13,000 acres
of vineyards.
– The vineyards are planted primarily to Merlot, which
ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon.
– The wines of St. Émilion are softer, more fruit-forward
than wines of the Médoc.
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The Wine Regions of Bordeaux:
Pomerol
• Pomerol is a much smaller grape-growing region
than its neighbor St. Émilion, having only 1,900
acres of vines.
– Fully three-quarters of the vineyards in Pomerol are
planted to Merlot.
– The soils are a mixture of sand, clay, and gravel over a
base of either sedimentary rock or iron.
– Even though the wines of Pomerol have never been
officially rated, their reputation is excellent.
– The star of Pomerol is Château Pétrus, considered one
of the best Merlot-based wines made anywhere.
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Burgundy
• Burgundy is much smaller than Bordeaux,
producing only half as much wine.
– In Bordeaux, the wine-producing estates grow their own
grapes, have the winemaking facility and aging caves on
the property, and market the wines under their own name.
– In Burgundy, each village will have its own appellation,
and the vineyards within that village may each have their
own individual appellations. Those vineyards, although
very small, may also have several owners.
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Burgundy (continued)
• In Burgundy, winemaking facilities are located in the
towns, away from the vineyards.
– The name under which a wine is marketed may be that of
a merchant or négoçiant, who is not connected to the
vineyards.
– The plethora of appellations and maze of ownership
along with négoçiant labels do indeed make Burgundy
difficult to comprehend.
– In the past few decades, moderately priced wines of good
quality are being produced in Burgundy.
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Burgundy (continued)
• The history of wine production in Burgundy
precedes the Roman Empire.
– There is clear evidence that viticulture was well
established here by the second century AD.
– Over the next thousand years, Burgundy evolved first
into an independent kingdom that lasted until the early
eighth century.
– The most important factor in the development of the
winemaking of the region was the Catholic Church.
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Burgundy (continued)
• During the Middle Ages, as its landholdings
increased, the Church played a crucial role in
perfecting techniques of viticulture and wine
making.
– The Cistercian order, in the northern part of Burgundy,
did extensive systematic research into the relationship
among grape varietal, soil and climate conditions, and the
wine that resulted.
– These monks were among the very first to investigate and
define the concept of terroir. From their meticulous work
evolved the idea of crus.
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Burgundy (continued)
• After the Napoleonic Wars came to an end in 1815,
economic and political conditions stabilized and
wine production in Burgundy expanded.
– With the rise of the bourgeoisie, France’s middle class, a
new market for Burgundy’s wines opened up.
– Attention to quality and authenticity was not always
maintained.
– Vintners and négoçiants could expand production by
blending in juice from grapes grown in inferior vineyards
outside of Burgundy.
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Burgundy (continued)
• The passage in 1935 of the Appellation d’Origine
Contrôlée laws eliminated the worst of the fraud and
gave protection to the place names within Burgundy.
• The AOC laws also established standards of
viticulture and winemaking, thus increasing the
overall quality.
• Furthermore, since the 1980s, there has been a trend
away from the pattern of small growers selling their
grapes to négoçiants, and instead the number of
proprietaire labels has increased.
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The Classification System of Burgundy
• When learning to decipher Burgundy’s classification
system, it is helpful to think in terms of concentric
circles. There are five levels.
– In the case of Burgundy, the outermost concentric circle is
the general appellation, Burgundy. The label will say simply
“Bourgogne Rouge” or “Bourgogne Blanc.”
– Grapes for this level of wine may be grown anywhere within
the region of Burgundy.
– Burgundy is a small region with 98,000 acres under vines, and
the grapes used have to be the approved varietals of Pinot
Noir for reds and Chardonnay for whites.
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The Classification System of Burgundy
(continued)
• The classifications continue in decreasing
order of size:
– Regional appellation. For these wines, the
grapes must all be grown within a specific
subregion of Burgundy.
– Commune appellation. A commune is a village
or town. All the grapes used in a wine labeled
with the name of a specific commune must come
from vineyards located within its boundaries.
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The Classification System of Burgundy
(continued)
• The classifications continue in decreasing
order of size:
– Premier cru appellation (“first growth
designation”). The label for premier cru wines will
show both the name of the vineyards and the
name of the commune in which it is located.
– The grand cru appellation (“great growth
designation”). The grand cru vineyards have been
rated by the authorities as the very best.
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The Wine Regions of Burgundy
• Burgundy is divided into six main regions.
• They are: Chablis, the Côte d’Or (Côte de Nuits
and Côte de Beaune), the Côte Chalonnaise, the
Mâconnais, and Beaujolais.
– Chablis lies geographically separate from the rest of
Burgundy, some 81 miles to the northwest.
– The remaining regions are spread in a contiguous line
from the city of Dijon in the north to the city of Lyon in
the south.
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The Wine Regions of Burgundy:
Chablis
• Chablis is an appellation restricted to dry
white wine.
– These are among the driest and most elegant
wines made from the Chardonnay grape.
– The climate here is cool enough that the grapes
maintain an excellent crisp acidity.
– Chablis is a fairly small region, with less than
7,000 acres under vines. The soil throughout
Chablis is uniform. It is a unique and unusual
mix of chalky limestone and clay.
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The Wine Regions of Burgundy:
Côte d’Or
• Burgundy’s Côte d’Or (Golden Slope) is
widely regarded as one of the world’s best
areas for growing cool-climate grapes.
– The area is only about 30 miles long and under
2.5 miles at its widest.
– Elevation is between 720 and 1,000 feet.
– The hills protect the vineyards from excessive
rain, and provide south and east facing slopes
that catch more sunlight.
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The Wine Regions of Burgundy:
Côte de Nuits
• The Côte de Nuits starts in the north with the
village of Marsannay, just south of the city of Dijon
and continues for 14 miles.
• There are small quantities of rosé and white wines
made here, but the Côte de Nuits is famous for its
world-class reds.
• The important communes of the Côte de Nuits,
going from north to south are Marsannay, GevreyChambertin, Morey-St.-Denis, ChambolleMusigny, Vougeot, Vosne-Romanée, and NuitsSt.-George.
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The Wine Regions of Burgundy:
Côte de Beaune
• The Côte de Beaune is famous for its whites, and all
the Grand Cru vineyards are white except one.
However, three-quarters of the production is red
wine.
– The Côte de Beaune is more than twice the size of the
Côte de Nuits, stretching some 71 miles from north to
south. The hills here have more gentle slopes and face
mostly southeast.
– Many villages also have their own appellation, but when
grapes from two or more are blended together, the only
appellation allowed is Côte de Beaune-Villages.
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The Wine Regions of Burgundy:
Côte de Beaune (continued)
• There are sixteen villages included in the
Côte de Beaune appellation, including:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Aloxe-Corton
Savigny-lès-Beaune
Beaune
Pommard
Volnay
St. Aubin
Santenay
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The Wine Regions of Burgundy:
Côte Chalonnaise
• The region is named for the town of Chalône on
the Saône River.
– The vineyards are planted on hillsides a little east of the
Côte de Beaune.
– The soil on these hills is similar to the soils of the
southern communes of the Côte de Beaune with a
mixture of gravel and limestone.
– The wines of the Chalonnaise lack the reputation of
those in the Côte d’Or, but they can be appealing and
have excellent value.
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The Wine Regions of Burgundy:
Côte Chalonnaise (continued)
• In the Côtes Chalonnaise, there are four
commune appellations of particular
importance. Moving from north to south
these villages are:
–
–
–
–
Rully
Mercurey
Givry
Montagny
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The Wine Regions of Burgundy:
Mâconnais
• The Mâconnais region, surrounding the small town
of Mâcon, marks the transition, climatically and
geologically, from northern France to its southern
sections.
– Although winters can be very cold and spring chilly
enough that frost can be a concern, the summers are
warm.
– The majority of Mâconnais wines are white. They are
primarily Chardonnay, but another grape, Aligoté, is also
allowed.
– Red wines, which represent only about 15 percent of
production, are made either from Pinot Noir or Gamay.
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The Wine Regions of Burgundy:
Mâconnais (continued)
• Grapes grown in any of 43 villages can be
blended together to make Mâcon-Villages. If
a wine is made exclusively from grapes grown
in one village, the label can show that village’s
name.
– The two most important villages are:
Fuissé and Saint Véran
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Pouilly-
The Wine Regions of Burgundy:
Beaujolais
• Beaujolais is a subdistrict of Burgundy; however, there
are many differences.
– The climate and soil are different; it is in a different départment
than the rest of Burgundy; the primary grape is Gamay
instead of Pinot Noir.
• Beaujolais is one of the most popular red wines in
many countries around the world. Beaujolais has
49,540 acres of vines.
• As much as 50 percent of a Beaujolais producer’s wine
is released as Beaujolais Nouveau, a very light, simple
wine that is released by mid-November.
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Côtes-du-Rhône
• The region along the Rhône River in southern
France is an ancient wine-producing area.
– The valley of the Rhône extends from the city of Lyon in
the north where it is joined by the River Saône, and
extends south for approximately 120 miles to the city of
Avignon.
– For much of the length of the river the valley is heavily
industrialized.
– Along the northern section lies rolling agricultural land,
and in southern sections, ascending the slopes (the
“côtes”) reveals rugged dry open spaces. This is where
the vineyards are located.
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Côtes-du-Rhône (continued)
• Although introduced by the Greeks, viticulture did
not take hold in the Rhône until the early Christian
period.
– After the decline of the Roman Empire, winemaking
essentially disappeared, until 1309, when Bertrand the
Goth was elected Pope Clement V.
– The new Pope established his papacy in Avignon and
planted grape vines. His successor, Pope John XXII,
continued to hold court in Avignon.
– Pope John’s large and beautiful new castle, that is, le
Chateauneuf-du-Pape, lent its name to the surrounding
vineyards and is one of the premier wine regions of the
Rhône.
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Côtes-du-Rhône (continued)
• The Rhône is separated into two regions, the
Northern Rhône and the Southern Rhône.
– The entire region is warm and dry. But the North is
definitely cooler, and the vineyards here cling to the stony
soil of steep hillsides.
– The narrow northern section extends from Lyon to the
village of Valence, a distance of about 45 miles.
– The southern section begins south of the town of
Montélimar and continues on south of Avignon.
– Here the climate is definitely Mediterranean, very warm
and sunny and dry.
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Côtes-du-Rhône (continued)
• The principal grape varietals of the Northern
Rhône is Syrah for reds and Viognier for
whites. The Syrah grape produces full-bodied
wines with fruity aromas.
– Tight and austere when young, Syrah-based reds
will open up to show accessible flavors when
mature.
– Viognier grapes have a deep yellow color and
possess an intriguing floral/fruity aroma.
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Côtes-du-Rhône (continued)
• The vineyards of the southern Rhône support a
much more complex array of grape varietals.
• Whereas the wines of the Northern Rhône, both
reds and whites, are mostly single-varietal, those of
the Southern Rhône are blends of several varietals.
• The principal red grape of the southern appellations
is the Grenache, a noble varietal that thrives in
warm, sunny climates.
• Other varietals used for blending include
Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Cinsaut, for reds, and
Marsanne and Rousanne for whites.
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Côtes-du-Rhône (continued)
• The southern section of the Rhône Valley is
much larger than the northern one.
– The total acreage for the entire appellation is
almost 150,000 acres.
– Of that, only 5,900 acres are in the nine
communes and crus of the Northern Rhône.
– The rest is in that very large, highly varied region
of the Southern Rhône.
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The Wine Regions of the Rhône
• The appellations of the Rhône fall into three
quality levels:
– Côtes du Rhône: Almost 98,000 acres, with
7,000,000 cases, mostly red, produced annually;
quality can vary widely.
– Côtes du Rhône-Villages: The standards are
higher; the vineyard yield per acre must be lower,
and the minimum alcohol content is higher.
• There are thirty villages within this appellation.
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The Wine Regions of the Rhône
(continued)
• Commune: The best wines carry the name
of the commune or village where the
vineyards are located.
– Twenty-five percent of the Rhône’s wines are
labeled by commune.
– Although there is no system for rating vineyards
as premier or grand cru, the very best vineyard sites
are well-known.
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The Northern Rhône
• Moving from north to south, the important
communes of the Northern Rhône are Côte
Rôtie, Condrieu, Chateau-Grillet,
St. Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage,
Cornas, and St. Peray.
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The Southern Côtes du Rhône
• Whereas the communes of the Northern Rhône are
compact and dense, the Southern Rhône’s
appellations spread out in a huge lopsided circle.
– In this enormous region of almost 100,000 acres of
vineyards, there is tremendous variation in terroir and in
styles of wine.
– Approximately 85 percent of the wine made here is red.
About 5 percent is dry white.
– There is also some very good rosé made, and very small
quantities of sweet fortified dessert wine.
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The Southern Côtes du Rhône
(continued)
• From north to south, the most important
appellations of the Southern Rhône are
Coteaux de Tricastan, Gigondas, Muscat
Beaumes de Venise, Vacqueyras,
Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Tavel, Côtes du
Ventoux, and Côtes du Lubéron.
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Champagne
• No appellation in the history of wine has
been more misused than the term Champagne.
• Champagne is not merely a type of wine.
It is a geographic region in France, and only
wine made in a specific method from
specified grape varietals grown inside the
boundaries of that region is technically
Champagne.
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Champagne (continued)
• Champagne started out in the time of the
Roman Empire as a producer of still white
wines most of which was consumed by
Roman legions.
– After the decline of the empire, the vineyards
were destroyed and winemaking disappeared.
– As Christianity moved into northern Europe,
winemaking re-emerged and the vineyards of
Champagne flourished; winemaking techniques
were perfected.
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Champagne (continued)
• It was monks who rescued the vineyards of
Champagne.
– A monk, Dom Perignon, although he did not invent
Champagne, he did use his skills in the vineyard and cellar
to help develop the techniques used to make Champagne.
– The sparkling wine of Champagne did not find
immediate favor, but once it was discovered by the royal
court in the late eighteenth century, Champagne soon
became the wine of celebration.
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Champagne (continued)
• Demand for Champagne increased at such a rate
that demand could not keep up.
– Some producers expanded production with inferior
grapes from outside Champagne. Fraud became so
widespread that growers revolted in 1911, demanding
protection.
– In 1927 the French government implemented laws
spelling out the boundaries of the region.
– With the 1935 national Appellation d’Origin Contrôlée laws,
the Champagne name received full protection.
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Viticulture in Champagne
• There are three grapes that are allowed in
Champagne: Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, and
Pinot Noir.
– The latter two are red grapes, but the juice of
these grapes is white.
– There are over 72,000 acres of vineyards, owned
by 19,000 individual growers.
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The Terroir of Champagne
• The most distinguishing characteristic of this
environment is the high concentration of
chalk in the soil.
– The poor nutritional content of the soil means
the vines have low vigor.
– This results in a open canopy, which reduces the
likelihood of mildew.
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The Terroir of Champagne (continued)
• Champagne is farther north than any other
important wine region, and the damp cold
weather barely allows grapes to ripen.
– Acidity levels stay high in such a cool climate,
which is desirable in any sparkling wine.
– However, a minimum sugar level must be
reached, and if the temperatures stay too cool,
the grapes have a difficult time reaching the
necessary ripeness.
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The Style of Champagne Producers
• There are approximately 110 houses (or, in
French, marques) that make Champagne.
– Because these companies own only 10 percent of
the vineyards in Champagne, they buy most of
their grapes from growers.
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The Style of Champagne Producers
(continued)
• The oldest, most established houses are called
grands marques.
– Exports of Champagne play a vital role in the
French economy, accounting for 25 percent of
wine and spirits exports.
– Each of the major Champagne houses has a
distinct style that it maintains year after year.
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The Style of Champagne Producers
(continued)
• Champagnes are bottled at different levels of
sweetness:
– Extra Brut: Dry; residual sugar is less than 0.6
percent per liter.
– Brut: This is the most common classification, and
forms the backbone of any house’s line. Residual
sugar is between 0.5 and 1.5 percent per liter.
– Extra Dry: These Champagnes are off-dry, with
residual sugar between 1.0 and 2 percent.
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The Style of Champagne Producers
(continued)
– Sec: Although sec means “dry,” these
Champagnes have noticeable sugar—between 2
and 3.5 percent.
– Demi-Sec: The literal translation is “off-dry,”
but these are quite sweet. The sugar is between
3.5 and 5 percent. These Champagnes are meant
to be served with dessert.
– Doux: The sweetest form of Champagne has a
minimum of 5.5 percent sugar, and in some cases
contains as much as 8 percent.
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The Style of Champagne Producers
(continued)
• There are other important terms that show up on
Champagne labels. Most of these types will be made
in a Brut style.
• Nonvintage: Grapes from several different years
are blended together to get consistency of quality,
even in years when weather patterns are less than
ideal.
• Vintage: If conditions are favorable, the winemaker can choose not to blend in wine reserved
from lesser vintages. The wine must contain at least
80 percent grapes from the declared year.
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The Style of Champagne Producers
(continued)
• Blanc de blancs: Literally, “white from white” is a
Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay
grapes.
• Blanc de noir: Literally, “white from black.” The
wine is made exclusively from the two allowed red
varietals.
• Rosé: If some red wine is added to a cuvée of
white wine, or if the juice of the red wines is given
some skin contact, the resulting Champagne will be
a rosé.
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The Style of Champagne Producers
(continued)
• Tête de cuvée: Most marques have a prestige label,
the top of the line. These bottlings are almost
always made from vintage brut. Each marque has a
name for their tête de cuvee.
– Each marque’s distinct house style guarantees consistency
of quality in every release.
– Among the factors that influence the style are the
proportion of Chardonnay to the red grapes; the
vineyards; the blending (assemblage); the time spent aging
on the lees.
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Alsace
• Two natural barriers define the small region of
Alsace. On the west the Vosges mountains separate
Alsace from France. On the east, the Rhine runs
between Alsace and Germany.
– Forced by conflicts between these two powerful nations
to change political affiliation many times over 1,000 years,
the people of Alsace have absorbed the influences of
each culture.
– The wines produced here (90 percent of which is white)
are named for the varietals, mostly of German origin,
from which they are made.
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The Terroir of Alsace
• Although Alsace lies quite far north (of French wine
regions, only Champagne is more northerly), it
enjoys a far milder climate.
– The warmer temperatures and lower rainfall are due
primarily to protection from the prevailing westerly winds
provided by the Vosges mountains.
– Winters can be quite cold, but spring is mild allowing for
good bud-set, summers are usually warm and sunny, and
very importantly, fall stays sunny, dry, and frost-free on
into October.
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The Varieties of Alsace
• The varietals of Alsace are Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot
Gris, Pinot Noir, Muscat, Pinot Blanc, Chasselas, and
Sylvaner.
– Riesling takes just over 20 percent of vineyard acreage, and that is
increasing as Sylvaner, a blending grape, is being removed, but still
accounts for 20 percent of acreage.
– Pinot Blanc is widely planted and accounts for another 20 percent
of acreage.
– Gewürztraminer can be a picky grape to work with, being slow to
ripen, but it accounts for 20 percent of the vineyards space.
– Pinot Noir, Alsace’s only red varietal, now covers about 5 percent
of acreage.
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Classifications of Alsace
• The great vineyards of Alsace have long been
recognized.
– For two decades after being awarded AOC status, the
vignerons of Alsace saw no need for a system of
classification of their vineyards.
– The grand cru appellation was created in 1983, and has been
creating controversy ever since.
– Of the 94 sites originally considered for designation as
grand cru, 25 were initially chosen in 1983.
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Classifications of Alsace (continued)
• By 1990 there were 50 grand cru vineyards.
Some producers feel standards have gotten
too lax.
– Furthermore, some of the classified vineyards are
very large, spreading over differing terroirs.
– Moreover, growers do not want to stop using
vineyard designations they have used for
generations.
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Wines of Alsace
• There are other styles of wine produced in Alsace in
addition to varietal table wines.
– Crémant d’Alsace: Based mostly on Pinot Blanc, with Pinot
Noir and Riesling sometimes blended in, Alsace’s sparkling
wine is made in the Champagne method. It now accounts for
about 10 percent of total production in the region.
– Vendage Tardive: The French term for these wines means
“late picked.” They are left on the vine to develop additional
sugars.
– Sélection de Grains Noble: Wines at this level almost
always contain some grapes infected with botrytis, the noble
rot.
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The Loire Valley
• There is a large, regional appellation of the
vin de pays level that encompasses all the Loire
Valley and some of its surrounding areas: Vin
de pays du jardin de France, “Wine from the
Garden of France.”
– The Loire is a very long river, the longest in
France. It starts in the south and flows north for
635 miles before spilling out into the Atlantic
Ocean.
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The Loire Valley (continued)
• The Loire and its tributaries drain a quarter of the
land mass of France. The jardin de France
is a huge area, where a variety of fruits and
vegetables is grown, livestock and dairy cows graze,
and a total of almost 440,000 acres of grapevines is
planted.
• However, the fine wines of the Loire AOC
appellation are found only in the final third of the
area.
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The Loire Valley (continued)
• Viticulture in the Loire Valley has been traced back
as far as the eighth century AD.
– Many of the aristocrats who built their châteaux along
the river during the next several hundred years also
planted grapevines. By the late eleventh century, the wines
of the Loire were highly regarded in France.
– Commerce in the fine wines of the Loire continued to
grow, and its reputation enhanced until the move by King
Henri IV to Paris. Loire wine production was cut back.
Most wine was consumed locally.
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The Upper Loire
• The majority of wine made here is made entirely
from the Sauvignon Blanc grapes.
• There is a little red wine made from the Pinot Noir.
• The appellations are the names of individual
communes.
– Pouilly-Fumé: The village of Pouilly-sur-Loire dates
from Roman times. Its wine is named Pouilly-Fumé
because of the grey-green color on the ripening
Sauvignon grapes.
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The Upper Loire (continued)
• Sancerre: Across the river from Pouilly, most of the 5,800
acres of vineyards are held by small growers.
• Menetou-Salon: Located just 18 miles southwest of
Sancerre, the village of Menetou-Salon was granted its own
appellation in 1959.
• Quincy: Twenty-five miles southwest of Menetou-Salon, the
average temperature is a little cooler.
• Reuilly: This is a small appellation, only 150 acres of vines,
very near to Quincy.
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Central Loire
• Touraine: Named for the city of Tours, this
region is home to a variety of wines—white, red,
rosé, and sparkling.
– Wine from approved varietals grown within the
Touraine region, but outside any of the commune
appellations, or a blend of grapes from two or more
communes, is given the generic appellation of
Touraine.
– Both white and red wines are produced in almost
equal quantities.
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Central Loire (continued)
• Anjou/Saumur: The large province of Anjou
contains 19 appellations at the AOC level,
including generic Anjou and generic Saumur.
– The vineyards of Anjou cover 35,600 acres. A variety of
wines is made here, including dry whites, reds, rosés,
sparkling wine, and sweet whites.
– Rosé d’Anjou is made in copious quantities from a lesser
grape. Much better are the dry and semisweet rosés made
from the Cabernet Franc varietal.
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Lower Loire
• The Nantes, or Atlantic region, of the Loire is home
to the bone-dry white wine, Muscadet.
– The grape called Muscadet is actually Melon de
Bourgogne.
– The grape is easy to grow, has high yields, and produces a
clean, fresh, uncomplicated wine that perfectly
complements the seafood diet of the region.
– Over three-quarters of Muscadet comes from vineyards
in the Sèvre et Maine district, named for the two rivers
that flow through it to join the Loire.
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The South of France
• The six major wine regions of France covered
so far account for only one-third of the AOC
production, and barely 15 percent of total wine
production, for the country.
– There are a great many other regions producing very nice
wine. Many of the best of the lesser-known appellation
d’origine contrôlée regions are found in the South of France.
– In the past the south was known for rugged, mostly red
wines, made from indigenous varietals like Mourvèdre,
Cinsault, and Carignan.
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The South of France (continued)
• In the past several decades, there have been
improvements in the quality of wines.
– Partially this is due to the planting of better
varieties.
– Another factor has been the modernization of
winemaking techniques.
– In the south of France, one can now find some
impressively elegant and balanced wines.
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Provence
• In southeastern France, Provence extends from the
delta of the Rhône River east to the border with
Italy.
• There are seven AOC appellations in Provence, two
of which, Bellet and Palette, are so small as to be
inconsequential. There is also a large section, the
Coteaux Varois, which is rated VDQS.
– Côtes de Provence: With 44,500 acres, most of them in
the easternmost section of Provence, this is the largest of
the three generic AOC appellations. Production is mostly
red wine.
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Provence (continued)
• Coteaux D’Aix-en-Provence and Coteaux D’Aix-enProvence-les-Baux are the other two generic AOC
appellations. They encompass 10,550 acres of vines in the
western section of Provence. The wines, mostly red, are
similar to those of Côtes de Provence.
• Bandol: Big, structured, and full reds based on Mourvèdre
(by law at least 50 percent) blended with Grenache and
Cinsault.
• Cassis: Not to be confused with the black currant liqueur
of the same name, Cassis is a small region unique in that it is
more famous for white wines than red or rosé.
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Languedoc-Roussillon
• The very sizable region of Languedoc-Roussillon,
also known as the Midi, is popular tourist
destination on the Mediterranean.
• The region is producing ever-improving wines as
investment in the area and awareness of its wines in
foreign markets have increased.
• This very large and varied region reaches from the
western side of the Rhône delta along the coast to
the border with Spain at the Pyrénees mountains.
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Languedoc-Roussillon (continued)
• Midi is still the source of much of France’s vin
ordinaire, as well as copious quantities of vin de pays.
Eighty percent of the country’s vin de pays is from
this area.
• Languedoc and Roussillon contain 40 percent of the
vineyards in the nation of France, yet account for
only 10 percent of AOC production.
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Languedoc-Roussillon (continued)
• The climate is Mediterranean with mild winters and
warm summers, perfect for a wide variety of
varietals, including Chardonnay, Viognier, Cabernet
Sauvignon, and Syrah.
• The soils are consistently limestone-based, with
enough variation in topsoils to allow discernible if
subtle differences in terroir among the regions.
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The Southwest
• The catchall term “the Southwest”
encompasses a huge part of France, including
all viticultural areas south of Bordeaux and
east of the Midi.
– In such a large area, there is obviously a huge
variety of terrains, microclimates, soil types, and
winemaking preferences.
– Of the 70,000 acres of vines in the Southwest,
only about half produce AOC wines.
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The Southwest (continued)
• Madiran: In the extreme Southwest, the most
important appellation is Madiran. The principal
grape is the Tannat, which is made into big heavy
complex wines, quite tannic.
• Bergerac: Just east of Bordeaux, Bergerac has
vineyards planted along the banks of the Dordogne
River. Source of a variety of wines—dry whites,
reds, rosé, sparkling and sweet whites.
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Corsica
• The island of Corsica, off the coast of southern
France, has always produced wines.
• By some accounts, Corsica is Europe’s oldest wineproducing region, dating from 570 BC when
Phoenicians first settled there.
• Corsica produces a wide variety of wines, red, white,
rosé, still, sparkling, and sweet. Most is vin de pays
and vin ordinaire. Very little Corsican wine, even the
miniscule amount that is AOC, is exported off the
island.
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Summary
• The task of becoming familiar with France’s
many different wines may seem daunting, but
it is worth the effort.
• The best of French wines will provide a
benchmark against which all other wines can
be measured.
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Summary (continued)
• Moreover, an understanding of France’s
Appellation d’Origin Contrôlée laws is helpful in
understanding the quality control laws of
other European wine-producing countries, as
most of them modeled their system on the
French system.
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