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French wine regions
AlsaceAlsace produces excellent dry and sweet white wines. They are so typical that the grape varieties used only grow in Alsace and nowhere else.
Other wines from Alsace are: Vendanges Tardives (late harvest), Edelzwicker, Muscat, Pinot Noir, etc. Alsacian vinegrowers have been producing wine since the Roman conquest. The production is very exclusive among French production. It is easy to understand it from the name of the grape-varieties used for the production of the wine, such as Riesling, Gewurztraminer or Sylvaner. BordeauxBordeaux is probably the most well-know wine region in France. Bordeaux counts for one third of the good quality french wine (AOC, crus bourgeois, crus classés). The wines are so good there that a Bordeaux ranking is needed to classify the best of the best. Some of them are universal: Margaux, Yquem, Pétrus, Cheval Blanc, Haut Brion and all the others. Bordeaux has about 7,000 chateaux!
The best known wine terroirs in Bordeaux are:Médoc wine region:Médoc - Haut Médoc - Margaux - Saint Estèphe - Pauillac - Saint Julien - Listrac - Moulis Graves wine region:Graves - Pessac Léognan - Sauternes - Barsac - Premières Côtes de Bordeaux Rivers wine region:Bordeaux aoc/Bordeaux supérieur - Entre deux mers Côtes wine region:Saint Emilion - Côtes de Castillon - Côtes de Francs - Pomerol - Fronsac - Côtes de Bourg Bordeaux is one of the most important wine producing regions in the world. One third of the good quality wine in France is coming from Bordeaux. It has 57 appellations, about 7,000 wine-producing châteaux, and 13,000 wine growers. The large diversity of Bordeaux suggests an equal diversity of soil. Most of the grapes grown in the Bordeaux region for red wine are Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc which give vigour, tannin and good keeping qualities, and Merlot which brings softness and suppleness. Merlot is the most planted grape in Bordeaux, covering 50% of the wine region (see chart below). White wines are elaborated mostly from Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, and sometimes also with Muscadelle. BurgundyA few of the most exciting wines in the world come from Burgundy. The region begins a hundred kilometers south from Paris and spreads itself down to Lyon. It stretches on 360 kilometers (225 miles). Burgundy is a region with various soils, divided in numerous districts: Chablis, Côte d'Or (divided in Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune), Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais and Beaujolais. Burgundy wines are of a velvety and subtle red or of a sensual and characteristic white.
The best known wine terroirs in Burgundy are:ChablisCôte de Nuits:Côte de Nuits - Gevrey Chambertin - Clos Vougeot - Vosne Romanée - Nuits Saint Georges Côte de Beaune:Côte de Beaune - Corton - Pommard - Volnay - Meursault - Chassagne Montrachet Côte Châlonnaise and Mâcon:Givry - Pouilly Fuissé - Rully All Burgundy region:Bourgogne aoc - Bourgogne Aligoté Burgundy wines are of a velvety and subtle red or of a sensual and characteristic white. The region produces two of the most popular wines in France: Beaujolais and Chablis. Burgundy is a region with various soils, divided in numerous districts: Chablis, Côte d'Or (divided in Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune), Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais and Beaujolais. The main grapes in Burgundy are Pinot Noir for red wine and Chardonnay for white wine. CorsicaCorsica island, off the French South coast, is affectionately called "L'île de beauté" (The beautiful island). Of course, the wines produced on the island are generally delicious. Corsica offers subtle rosé and dry white wines. These wines must be drunk young, fresh, as aperitif or to accompany a light meal.
Côtes du RhôneCôtes du Rhône is probably the most diverse wine region in France. From the very different full-body red wines of Côte Rôtie in the north and Châteauneuf du Pape in the south to the exquisite white wine of Condrieu and Château Grillet and the fruity red wines of Crozes Hermitage and of the southern Rhône region.
Wines of Côtes du Rhône can be separated into two geographic areas: North of Côtes du Rhône:Côte Rôtie - Condrieu - Château Grillet - Hermitage - Crozes Hermitage South of Côtes du Rhône:Gigondas - Châteauneuf du Pape - Côtes du Ventoux Côtes du Rhône aoc - Côtes du Rhône Villages Very diverse wines take most advantage of the weather and winemaking conditions of the Rhône valley. The climate in Côtes du Rhône is hot and sunny, more constant than in the other French wine producing regions. The soil is stony, mainly made of granite. The main grapes in Côtes du Rhône are Grenache, Syrah and Carignan for red wine, Clairette, Ugni Blanc and Grenache Blanc for white wine. Côtes du Rhône is also famous for the Viognier white wine made in the northern part of the region (Condrieu, Château Grillet) which is one of the most distinctive in France. Over 75% of Côtes du Rhône wines are red. They are generally thick, robust and their alcoholic content higher than that of most French wines. Languedoc RoussillonLanguedoc-Roussillon covers the area on the border of the Mediterranean sea between the west of the Rhône and Camargue to the border of Spain and the Pyrénées mountains. The vineyards of this sunny region are one of the largest expanses of vine growing region in the world. Long history of wine making and favorable natural and climatic conditions explain why wine is so important in Languedoc Roussillon. Dramatic have been made other the years to reduce the production and to improve the quality of the wine. Languedoc-Roussillon region produces mainly red wines, a good share is "Vin de Table" but most of it is "Vin de Pays". They are perfect as every day wines. AOC wines are very interesting to follow as the techniques, grape varieties and vineyards selected tend to improve the quality of the wine.
Languedoc-Roussillon region produces mainly red wines, a good share is "Vin de Table" but most of it is "Vin de Pays". They are perfect as every day wines. For the last few years significant efforts have been made to improve the quality of the wine. Today, Languedoc Roussillon has a lot to offer to any wine lovers in the world. The 5 appellations in Languedoc Roussillon:Corbières Coteaux du Languedoc Côtes du Roussillon Saint Chinian Costières de Nimes Languedoc-Roussillon is the largest vine growing area in the world. From the Rhône to Spain, the wine region is several times bigger than the Australian wine region or Bordeaux. The main grapes used in Languedoc Roussillon are:Red:Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have replaced other mediocre grape varieties such as Aramon and Alicante. White:Macabeu, Clairette, Roussanne, Marsanne, Ugni blanc, Bourboulenc. Viognier and Chardonnay have been introduced with success in Languedoc Roussillon. Chardonnay is now the most widely used grape in the region. Sweet white wine:Muscat blanc, Muscat romain or d'Alexandrie and Grenache At the beginning of the 70s, it became clear that the region was not ready for the changing wine market. The quantity exceeded the demand. The quality was mediocre. The price too expensive compare to Italian, Spain and now new wine countries. Languedoc Roussillon wine makers had to change or their wine region would die. They began to use new techniques such as aging the wine in oak barrel. They replaced poor quality grape varieties with noble grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Chardonnay and Viognier. They selected the best vineyards and decided to go for quality. Today, Languedoc Roussillon is one of the most successful wine regions in France. Loire ValleyThe Loire Valley is famous for its white wines. None of them use Chardonnay as a main grape variety. Chenin Blanc or Sauvignon are widely used. About 75% of the production is made of white wine. Although Loire is a land of white wine, some red wines are very interesting. They are fruity and pleasant. The Loire Valley is probably the most beautiful wine region in France and in the world.
The best known wines in the Loire Valley are:West side of the Loire Valley (around Nantes):Muscadet Anjou Saumur:Anjou - Coteaux du Layon - Saumur Touraine:Touraine - Bourgueil - Vouvray East side of the Loire Valley:Pouilly Fumé - Sancerre Wine making in the Loire Valley:The wines reflect the mood of the landscape. They are soft, pleasant, charming and light. About three quart of the production are white wines. The main grapes are Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon for white wine and Cabernet Franc for red wine. ProvenceProvence is one of the most beautiful region in France. Eventually the region is also one of the most popular and attracts many visitors and dwellers. Provence calls to mind sun, lavender, olive tree and rosé wine. Provence vineyard is very old. The Roman were the first to grow vines there not far way from Marseille port. Caesar wrote about it in his memories. Provence is very well known for its rosé wine. The region produces almost half of the rosé french production. However red and white wines from provence are improving and some of them can compete with the best in France
Provence is known for its fresh and fruity rosé wine. Outside of the generic Côtes de Provence appellation, rosé wines are also excellent in Coteaux d'Aix or in Coteaux Varois. Wine lovers can also discover the typical terroirs of Bandol, Palette, Bellet and Cassis to taste full body red wines and aromatic white wines. A large variety of grapes is used in Provence to elaborate wine. Among the red varieties we can count Carigan, Cinsault, Mourvèdre; among the white varieties Ugni, Clairette and Rolle. Rosé is the great speciality of this region. Its is gorgeous, fruity and with a glistening robe. White wine is rather dry, sometimes sparkling. It goes perfectly with sea food from the nearby Mediterranean. South WestBetween the Bordeaux region and the Pyrénées, the South-West is a traditional wine region, probably even oldest than its neighbor. Wines from the South-West have often been confused with Bordeaux wines. But one must not conclude that those wines are of a lower quality. Virgil and Horatius have praised wines from South West high and sometimes low! Nowadays wines from South West are of excellent quality for the value and should be recommended because of their unique personality based on local history and traditions.
Wines from South West of France are diverse. The most important are:Red wine:Bergerac - Cahors - Madiran Dry white wine:Bergerac - Jurançon Sweet white wine:Jurançon - Monbazillac South West Wine MakingSouth West of France is the most diverse wine region in France. It is also one of the oldest. Many grape varieties grow only in this region: Tannat, Manseng, Fer Servadou, Mérille and dozen of other varieties. Wines from the South-West have often been confused with Bordeaux wines, which caused a lot of problems at the beginning of the century when the area of Bordeaux production was delimited. The history and the diversity result in unfashionable wines with a lot of personality. Tannic full-body red wine in Madiran, sweet viscous of Monbazillac, intense red Cahors or aromatic dry Jurançon. The wines from South West of France have plenty of things to offer to any wine lovers. The main grapes in South West of France are Cabernet Sauvignon, Tannat, Merlot and Malbec for red wine. The main white grapes are Sémillon, Sauvignon, Ugni Blanc
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