France
France is one of the oldest wine producing regions of Europe. It also produces the most wine by value in the world (although Italy rivals it by volume and Spain has more land under cultivation for wine grapes). Bordeaux wine, Bourgogne wine and Champagne are important agricultural products.
Except for some exports from Bordeaux, until about 1850 most wine in France was consumed locally. People in Paris drank wine from the local vineyards, people in Bordeaux drank Bordeaux, those in Bourgogne drank Bourgogne, and so on throughout the country. The spread of railroads and the improvement of roads reduced the cost of transportation, but even until after World War II, the typical French person drank local wine and, although proud of France`s reputation for making some of the world`s outstanding wines, knew relatively little about them.
The Appellation System
The increase in trade and export led to increases in wine fraud, whereby inferior wines were labeled as superior wines, or inferior wines were blended with the wines of well-known producers. A number of laws to fight cheating were passed in 1935. They established the Appellation d`Origine Contrôlée system, which is governed by a powerful oversight board (Institut National des Appellations d’Origine - INAO). Consequently, France has one of the oldest appellation systems for wine in the world, and strictest laws concerning winemaking and production. Many other European systems are modelled on it. With European Union wine laws being modelled on those of the French, this trend is likely to continue with further EU expansion.
French law divides wine into four categories, with two falling under the European Union`s Table Wine category and two falling under the EU`s Quality Wine Produced in a Specific Region (QWPSR) designation. The categories are:
Table wine:
* Vin de table - Carries with it only the producer and the designation that it`s from France.
* Vin de pays - Carries with it a specific region within France (ex. Vin de Pays d`Oc)
QWPSR:
* Appelation Contrôlée (AC) - A locale within a region (ex. Côte de Beaune)
* Appelation d`Origine Contrôlée (AOC) - Indicates a specific vineyard (ex. Château Margaux)
France`s best-known regional appellation system was developed in 1855, in preparation for the Great International Exposition in Paris. At the request of the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce, the Union of Brokers Attached to the Bordeaux Market identified the Grands Crus (Great Growths) du Medoc and organized them into five categories. The rankings were based entirely on recent prices.
White wines in Bordeaux were also ranked. One (present-day Château d`Yquem) was uniquely ranked above all others in its own category, that of Premier Cru Superieur (Superior First Growth). There were 11 First Growths and 12 Second Growth white wines. These, too, were established entirely on the basis of prices in 1855.
Within two years after the classification system was published, wine sales by the classified producers increased over 250 percent. With the passage of time, many of the châteaux acquired additional vineyards far away, some sold part of their vineyards, some let their vineyards deteriorate, and many other changes occurred.
Wine critic Robert M. Parker, Jr. argues that the classification has long created an injustice to consumers because it has caused mediocre wines to be sold for too much and good wine to be sold for too little. He says that the archaic rankings ``should be regarded by both the wine connoiseur and the novice as informational items of historical significance only.``
Bourgogne`s classification system was created in 1861 for the Paris World`s Fair in 1862. It has 110 appellations in an area only one-fifth the size of Bordeaux. Complicating the system is the fact that many villages have hyphenated their names to include that of their best vineyard. This promotes sales but tends to confuse consumers.
Trivia
- A common Bordelais saying is:``The best vintage is the vintage we have to sell.``
- The wine classification system of the Douro region of Portugal was developed nearly two hundred years before that of France.
- There are 450 different wine appellations in France, a fact that tends to confuse consumers.
- Only 15% of all French wines enjoy the marketing benefits of AOC designations.
- To replace any vines, growers in Saint-Emilion need to obtain approval from eight different agencies. Heavy bureaucracy tends to hamper innovation while increasing the cost of production and reducing competitiveness.
- The use of dried cow’s blood to clarify wine is no longer permitted.
This article is based entirely or in part on the
France wikipedia article
and is licenced under the terms of the
GNU Free Documentation Licence.
Contact
If we can be of any assistance please don't hesitate to contact us, or drop by the Rose & Crown during business hours:
email: roseandcrown@alderney.ws
phone: +44 (0) 1481 823414
fax: +44 (0) 1481 823615
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Alderney
UK Channel Islands
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In this categoryChâ:teau des Erles, Fitou 2003
[read on...]
Vintage: 2003 Color: Country: France Region: Languedoc Code: 66056
Chateau la Bastide Viognier 2004
The voignier grape is becoming more and more popular, and this wine is one of the best examples we came across - and very well priced. It has a classic fragrant floral exotic fruit. Peaches, nectarines, pineapple, with delicious crispness to make a fine well balanced wine. `Try it, you`ll like it!`. [read on...]
A B V: 13% Vintage: 2004 Color: Country: France Region: Languedoc Code: 60679
Château les Faures Futs de Eleve 2004
This claret is consistently good, vintage after vintage. Red fruit abound on the nose and in the mouth, which is persistant and warm. The oak adds signicantly to its texture and complexity and four years bottle age has allowed this wine to develope its early potential. [read on...]
A B V: 13% Vintage: 2004 Color: unspecifie Country: France Code: 72824
Chateau Les Faures Rouge 2005
The wine from this Château has become a very favourite with customers of ours. This is an excellent vintage producing a classic sincere claret style with fine balance and a very good complexity and flavour for such an inexpensively priced red Bordeaux [read on...]
A B V: 13.5% Vintage: 2005 Color: red Country: France Code: 67699
Chateau Mas Neuf Chardonnay-Viognier Blanc 2003
A fascinating wine matured for 8 months in Château y Quem barrels on the lees, giving a complex bouquet of oak blending with sweet vanilla exotic fruit which follows on to the palate. Excitingly different. [read on...]
A B V: 13% Vintage: 2003 Color: Country: France Region: Nimes Code: 60227
Chateau Mas Neuf Costieres de Nimes Blanc 2004
Perfumed floral bouquet. Lighter bodied than the traditional old style white Rhone wines. Nose follows onto the palate with fresh fruit, surprisingly harmonious and easy to drink. [read on...]
A B V: 13% Vintage: 2004 Color: Country: France Region: Nimes Code: 60835
Château Mayne Blanc Cuvèe Tradition 04
The 2004 vintage proved very welcome, producing wines of real character for early drinking. Cuvèe Tradition is the "second" wine of this fine Château with a good colour, and a complex flavour of prunes, stewed fruit and a hint of mushrooms and soft refined sipple elegant structure with very refined oak. [read on...]
A B V: 13% Vintage: 2004 Color: red Country: France Code: 72841
Château Mayne Blanc Cuvèe Tradition 05
Cuvée St Vincent is produced from grapes grown on 40 to 60 year vines and marured in the finest French oak barrels. Superrbe with an intense ruby colour with just a hint of bricj red around the glass rim, a complex nose of black fruits - blackberries and cassis which follow onto the palate with just a hint of spice, coffe, chocolate and vanilla. This fine St Emilion exudes sheer elegance. [read on...]
A B V: 13.5% Vintage: 2005 Color: red Country: France Code: 72850
Château Sainte Barbe 2006
Made up of 70% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, 9 to 12 months in French oak and three years bottle maturity this splendid Bordeaux Superieur produced by Antonie Touton whose family have a holiday home on Alderney has fulfilled its early promise. It has complexity with an aroma of blackberries, blackcurrants and vanilla (contributed from ageing in oak casks). [read on...]
A B V: 14% Vintage: 2006 Color: red Country: France Code: 72799
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