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French Wine
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Though it is second to Italy in terms of volume, no country other than France can say that it has had a bigger influence on the wine regions of the world by way of viticultural practices, winemaking techniques, and grape varieties.
It is a well known fact that certain French wines have become nothing less than mythic in status. In many parts of the world, the names of these wines have become so synonymous with the perfection of a style, that local winemakers have simply appropriated them as their own. This is evidence enough that the model of French wine has been the benchmark against which greatness elsewhere must be judged. But France is more than a region of mythic, and too often copied wines; it is the center of the winemaking world.
French Wine Regulations/Appellation SystemThe regulation system in France reflects the distinctly French concept of terroir: the idea that the defining characteristics of a wine are determined in large part by the combination of climate and terrain from which it originates. The system, known as the Appellation d'Origine Controllee (AOC) was devised to honor this concept in the 1930's. Based on the concept of local, honest, consistent winemaking practices AOC wines are produced on the most prestigious terroirs. A set of quality regulations also governs these wines; designated production areas, low maximum yields, varieties used, minimum alcohol content, cultivation techniques, tasting criteria and sometimes even specific aging conditions are aspects of winemaking that come under AOC scrutiny. In addition, certain regions can be designated to produce only a single type of wine, as in the case of Pomerol where winemakers may only choose the proportions of locally grown Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc that they use in their blends. In Burgundy most winemakers not making simple generics have even fewer options, Chardonnay for white, or Pinot Noir for red. France has approximately 400 AOC wine appellations, all of which undergo analysis and tasting to be officially approved. All in all, they make up about 40% of total French wine production today.
One clear advantage to this system is that in France regional prestige can be preserved through the standardizing of winemaking practices. It has also helped to protect the individuality of France's best known wines and thus encourage the proliferation of French wine grape varieties outside of France. But it is not without its drawbacks. The stringency of these regulations has more or less halted progressive winemaking in its tracks. And in areas where clearly inferior grape varieties should be substituted for better ones, regulations will not allow it.
French Wine RegionsFrance does not have the monopoly on fine wine production, but its geographical position is exceptionally favored for growing a wide range of different styles of grapes with an exceptional balance of sugar and acidity. Geographically and climatically, it is divided into three distinct regions. Southern France can be described as having a Mediterranean climate, and as such grape growers there have no problem achieving ripeness in their fruit. The ample days of sunshine make these wines full and powerful, as characterized by those of the iconic region Cheateauneuf du Pape. The bulk of French wines as a whole actually originates in the south of the country—mostly in the form of the so-called “country wines” made in the Languedoc and Roussillon regions. Two-hundred year old Bordeaux Chateaux be damned, these wines at their finest present some of the best wine values not only in France, but in the world.
The major wine growing regions on the Atlantic coast, Bordeaux and the western Loire Valley, have a maritime climate. There the alternating hot and cool weather patterns account for some of the worlds most rare and sought after wines. The sweet wine of Sauternes, for example, is made possible by the muggy summers of Bordeaux, which create the perfect conditions for a beneficial mold to set on the ripening grapes. This mold dehydrates the grapes and effectively concentrates their flavors, resulting in what is the worldwide standard for dessert wine. In the north, where there is a continental climate of often severe winters and cooler, sometimes rainy falls, slower ripening grapes such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are used to produce the fine French wines of Champagne and Burgundy. And in Alsace, a range of varieties is found—from dry, fragrant Riesling, perfumed Gewürztraminer, to full bodied Pinot Gris.
Key Features of French WinemakingOne of the widely adopted practices that the French first perfected is vital to the success of their wines: assemblage. It is a concept that encompasses the entire crucial operation in the production of fine wines of deciding which lots will be mixed together to make up the final blend. Of almost ritual significance in the creation of red Bordeaux, the elite Chateaux select and blend only the very best lots for their marquee wine, or Grand Vin. Rejected lots are often then blended into a second, much more inexpensive wine, or sold off in bulk to another winemaker carrying a generic appellation. In Champagne, the extent of this technique is taken to the extreme, as some of the blends are assembled from several hundred different wines. There, perhaps more so than any other region, the complementary nature of each component is of great importance in creating a successful wine.
The selection process for the final blend typically takes place between the third and sixth month after the harvest. It is at this time when the skill of the winemaker must meet the will of the proprietor, who must bear a considerable financial sacrifice for exclusions from the Grand Vin. Ultimately, it is the selectiveness of the the Grand Vin that makes it three or four more times the price of the associated second wine. The procedure is as simple as tasting samples from each cuvee or fermentation vessel and then simply deciding whether it meets the standard of the different wines. But not quite as simply, the winemaker must then foresee how the wines will develop together over time, as a single blend. Tremendous skill in this practice, along with a will to release only the finest of products, is among the top requirements of an elite Chateau.
French wine glossary Blanc – White Brut
– Refers to the amount of sugar in French Sparkling
wines. It indicates that the shipping dosage contains very little sugar, only
between 6 and 15 grams per bottle, which is just enough to temper the
acidity of the wine. “Brut zero” is the term used when no sugar
is added. The dosage is made of ccane sugar dissolved in wine and is added just before the final corking of the
bottles. Methode
Champenoise – The
technique for producing sparkling wine that is the same as used
for making champagne. The process is used in many
appellations, and is sometimes referred to in French as the méthode
traditionnelle.
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