{"id":43,"date":"2018-12-04T14:53:01","date_gmt":"2018-12-04T19:53:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.wtso.com\/blog\/index.php\/2016\/09\/01\/2016-8-29-france-101\/"},"modified":"2020-08-12T11:41:17","modified_gmt":"2020-08-12T15:41:17","slug":"french-wines-101","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/french-wines-101\/","title":{"rendered":"French Wines: 101"},"content":{"rendered":"

When considering many of the classic grape varieties and styles of European wines, French grapes are the standard against which all others are compared. The identities of both large and small regions are tied to specific grapes, and the country\u2019s Appellation Contr\u00f4l\u00e9e system was designed to protect the reputations of specific geographical areas, by regulating the production of agriculture – including wine. The Institut National de l\u2019Origine et de la Qualit\u00e9, or INAO, is the organization that controls this system. Here are some of the major wine regions, along with their most abundant grape varieties.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Alsace<\/strong>\u00a0– \u00a0Straddling the German border to the east of Champagne, Alsace has been claimed and reclaimed by both France and Germany throughout history, but remains a French region today. The most prominent grape varieties grown in Alsace are white, including Riesling, Gew\u00fcrztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Muscat. Wines can be made in dry, off-dry, or sweet styles, and often display pronounced aromas and spicy flavors.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Bordeau<\/strong>x<\/strong> – Located in southwestern France, Bordeaux is the home of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The \u201cLeft Bank\u201d includes the famous appellations of Margaux and Pauillac, where prominent ch\u00e2teaus like Lafite-Rothschild produce age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon blends with premium prices. The \u201cRight Bank\u201d encompasses the Merlot-dominant appellations of Saint-\u00c9milion and Pomerol, whose finest wines can be cellared for many years.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Burgundy<\/strong>\u00a0– Located north of Rh\u00f4ne, Burgundy is known for two grapes: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Burgundian winemakers believe that their wines express the plots of land from which they come, and the best examples command some of the most premium prices in the world. All wine appellations in Burgundy can be categorized within one of four levels: Regional, Village, Premier Cru, or Grand Cru.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Champagne – <\/strong>The greatest sparkling wines in the world come from the Champagne region of France. There are 3 main grapes used here: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. Since the weather in Champagne can vary significantly from year to year, most producers make a Non-Vintage (NV) wine that consistently reflects their \u201chouse style,\u201d by blending grapes from multiple years. However, Vintage Champagnes are also produced from the very best single years. Luxury bottlings like Dom P\u00e9rignon and Louis Roederer\u2019s Cristal are vintage Champagnes.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Loire<\/strong>\u00a0– <\/span>Beginning on the northwest Atlantic coast of France and traveling eastward, the Loire region is best known for white wines produced from Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc grapes. The Chenin Blanc wines of the Vouvray appellation may come in a range of styles, from dry to richly sweet. White wines from the neighboring appellations of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fum\u00e9 are made of Sauvignon Blanc grapes. They are usually crisp and bright in style, with fresh citrus, herbal, and mineral characteristics.<\/p>\n

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Rh\u00f4ne<\/strong> – Syrah and Grenache are the two most prominent grapes found in France\u2019s southeastern Rh\u00f4ne region. Domaines in northern Rh\u00f4ne produce red wines from Syrah, though a small portion of white grapes may be used in certain appellations. The southern part of the region utilizes Grenache, often in blends with other red grapes. This area is also contains the highly-regarded Ch\u00e2teauneuf-du-Pape appellation.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The wines of France offer a versatile selection of styles within all price ranges. The special history, traditions, customs, and cuisines found throughout the country add to the enjoyment of these wines, making them some of most popular and collectible in the world. <\/span><\/h3>\n

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When considering many of the classic grape varieties and styles of European wines, French grapes are the standard against which all others are compared. The identities of both large and small regions are tied to specific grapes, and the country\u2019s Appellation Contr\u00f4l\u00e9e system was designed to protect the reputations of specific geographical areas, by regulating […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2076,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[337],"tags":[26,27],"class_list":["post-43","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wine-geography","tag-france","tag-french-wine"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3786,"href":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43\/revisions\/3786"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2076"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wtso.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}