“Give me books, French
wine, fruit, fine weather and a little music played out of doors by somebody I
do not know.” - John Keats
We’ve talked over the past few months
about Cabernet Sauvignons, Chardonnays and many other varietal types of wine.
The good majority of my blogs have focused on California wineries and
vineyards. Today – I’d like to expand your knowledge or wines and wine labeling
by discussing French wines.
You may wonder what makes wines from
France that much different than those from California or Oregon or even New
York state. Many parts of the US, Chile, Span and other countries produce
exceptional wines. Besides the legend of French wines, you will notice a
difference in the labeling.
French wines are labeled by the region that they are
produced in. Some of the most noteworthy are Champagne, The Rhône and Bordeaux.
Two-thirds of the wines produced in France are reds.
France has a set of complex wine laws
designed to protect the integrity of the industry. In 1935 the INAO was created
to set up a system of ratings and controls referred to as the AOC (Appellation
d’origine contrôlée).
PositiveVines
‘HelpfulTip: AOC translates into controlled designation of origin. It is used
to regulate production and sales of not only wine in France but, also of
cheeses, butters and other agricultural products.
AOC labeling is complex so today I’ll
give you the highlights contained on each label –
- The Area of Production (for example Haut-Médoc in Bordeux),
- Grape variety (each area has a limit on the types of grapes that can be grown) and
- The Name of the Winery.
What is important to remember is that you
need to read the labels carefully in order to determine the grape varietals
included in each bottle. In most cases wine stores stock these wines by the
country and whether a bottle is a white or red. They are not identified as
Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, or other varietal types.
During the next 3 months, I’ll write
blogs that feature reasonably priced wines from each of the major wine
producing regions of France. I will also further explore the complex wine
labeling system to help you identify French wines that you may want to try. My
goal is to target bottles that cost less than $25 and with excellent quality.
While many of the best French wines are considerably more expensive, my goal is
to keep things Positively affordable!
Remember to drink what it
is that makes you truly happy and always think positively!
Drink Responsibly!
