France has long been considered the Queen of winemaking. It not only provides great wines of its own citizens, but also is the world’s leading exporter, exporting over its borders nearly 60 million hectoliters of wine. In Russia dearly love French wine and are more willing to buy than the products of other manufacturers, and the names of famous wine regions in France are known to most of Russians almost since childhood.
It is not only in the national character and gastronomic obsession of the French. It is also the geography. France is extremely successful from the point of view of winemaking. The climate there is Mediterranean rather than continental, it has no shortage of wine regions, located on the border of the ripening of the grapes, where it reaches the desired condition is a very slow and long.
France not only has good vineyards, it also gives them definition, klassificeret and controls them. An ordered list of the best vineyards sustained for 200 years. In the last 80 years or so, he systematized, gathering all the great detail, and becoming in all respects the character of the adopted country of the law. Consistency and stability of regulations, predictability of quality (within certain limits) has played a huge role in shaping the credibility of France as a great winemaking country.
The main wine regions of France
In the French system of control of origin and quality of wine are 12 major wine producing regions within which the law defines numerous appellations with its rules of growing grapes and making wine.
So, French wine represented the following areas:
The region of Bordeaux located in the South-West of the country, in the Department of Gironde. It produces red and dry white wine. Many of them are exported. About 10 thousand hectoliters buys Russia occupies in this parameter in 15th place in the world.
Ardent passion for Bordeaux wines makes kinomanov to go on a very serious waste, to fulfill your wine collection a bottle of the legendary drink. In 2001, at Christie’s auction in London a bottle of Chateau Lafite 1787 was sold for 105,000 pounds.
Interestingly, the love for the “bourgeois” wines of Bordeaux and fed the founders of Marxism. Once the question: “What, in Your opinion, happiness?” Friedrich Engels said: “This Chateau Margaux 1848”.
Burgundy is the second of the world famous wine region of France, gave the world a constellation of outstanding white wines — Chablis, Nuits-Saint-Georges, which was particularly fond of Charles de Gaulle, Chambertin, beloved by Napoleon, Meursault, Corton-Charlemagne, Montrachet. On the latest Alexander Dumas said that it should be drunk, kneeling and taking off his hat.
Burgundy — the birthplace of one of the most popular nowadays dry white wines — Pouilly-Fuisse. Also they made red and pink wines such as Volnay and Pommard.
A separate comment is required by the area of Beaujolais. Formally, it refers to the Burgundy, but these wines are so distinctive that the winemakers and vinoman perceive this area as an independent region. There is a bravura saying the local wine: “First God created heaven, followed by the Beaujolais”.
Wines of Beaujolais are soft, fresh and quench your thirst. The most glorious of them is the “Beaujolais Nouveau”, a wine with a fruity aroma. If you choose it, keep in mind one important fact. “Beaujolais Nouveau” only drink young, within a few months after manufacture. Count the months just. Each year, the wine goes on sale the third Thursday of November (this day is celebrated as “Beaujolais festival”, not only in France). Getting “Beaujolais Nouveau”, keep count of the third November Thursday.
The valley of the Rhone is known for its blended wines. For example, the famous Chateauneuf-du-Pape is made with 13 varieties of grapes.
Château-Grillet (went from wine of the same name) is located in the crater of an extinct volcano, and the farm “the Hermitage” on a graded hill, whose terraces are so narrow that each of them have enough space for just two or three vines.
In addition to red and white wines in the Rhone valley produce and pink. The first of these was produced the wine Tavel, which was highly prized by kings Philippe IV the fair, and Louis XIV. The popularity of rosé wines is small, but in recent years the interest in them is increasing — perhaps due to the efforts of film star Gerard Depardieu: taking up winemaking, he pays a lot of attention to rose wines, of which mention should be made of very high quality semi-dry Rose D’anjou (“rose de Anjou).
Provence is famous for its pink and red wines, reaching maturity after 4-5 years of aging. Here are produced white wines of high quality. Foodies often opt for Marche Blanc de Blanc Clos Mireille 1999. This wine is well known that it is better suited to black caviar. He has a rich taste with hints of honey. In addition, it contains some gases that create a mild tingling sensation on the tongue, which resembles an Italian frizzante wine class.
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean sea. Nearly 2,000 hectares of its area occupied by vineyards. The main label (i.e. the mass of the appellation) Vin de Corse. The best wine of the island is considered a “Patrimonio”.
Wine region of Jura gave the world two quite unique in terms of technology wines. The first of them — the so-called “yellow wine”. It is aged in oak barrels for at least six years and three months, while allowing contact of the beverage with air. The wine acquires a yellowish tint, and then it is poured into special bottles in which it is able to maintain its quality for almost a century.
“Straw” wine is made from grapes previously dried are spread out on straw. This drink is also very stable: bottled, it can be stored for up to fifty years.
The valley of the Loire river, if you look at it from a bird’s flight, throughout its length (over 300 km) is covered with vineyards. It produces red, white and rose wines. Red Loire wine is appreciated for the freshness of a young and elegance.
White wines of the Loire — delicate, original, with good sugar content, are often capable of long aging. Of these wines in our wine shops and boutiques, you can meet easy Muscadet, full-bodied Pouilly-fumé, Vouvray noble.
One of the local rose wines mentioned is the rose de Anjou, on which the vines are from the vineyard of Gerard Depardieu.
Alsacehistorically owned by either France or Germany, absorbed the winemaking traditions of both countries. It produces mostly white wines. The most famous wines from different varieties of Riesling and Gewurztraminer, which were valued by Marlene Dietrich.
These Alsatian wines are easily distinguished from the other “dress for success”: they are bottled in special bottles green glass with elongated neck, the so-called “Alsace flutes”.