All About French Wine What is AOC – Appellation D’Origine Controlee Means Controlled Designation Of Origin – French certification applied to regions of wine (also applies to other produce like cheese and butter). Based on the terroir of that region. The regions of control vastly differ in size across all wine regions of France. ∙ Identified by a seal ∙ Illegal to sell and manufacture goods in an AOC region without complying to the AOC regulations ∙ Cannot use the name of the town if falls outside of an AOC region ∙ 300 AOCs ∙ Personally sampled by an inspector straight from the barrel ∙ Dates back to 1930s Random Facts ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Wine and food pairing is very important Principal grape is Grenache + Syrah (adds strength to fruity Grenache) Mourvedre, Rhone Valley Chateau Neuf De Pape –Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre Red wines are aged in oaked barrels Claret Rose –light red wine, first produced in 1300s, means clear Romanee Conti , become benchmark for Pinot Noir in 1934 by Fortune Magazine. 1750s it cost 6x the price of neighboring Clos de Vougeot. Costs thousands. DRC Bordeaux
● ● ● ● ●
● ● ● ●
Medoc, Sauternes, Congac lots of styles from Bordeaux Largest growing region; 54 appellations Red, White, Sweet, Apartifs Left Bank and right bank Left Cabernet based blends medoc –once swampy , red wines –cabernet and merlot, warm waters, south eastern exposure, gravel soil, graves region –old history Thomas Jefferson loved wines from Graves + whites + saunterns. Noble rot dehydrates the grapes concentrating the sugar, sauv blanc, Semillon, muscatel Entre deux mers – mainstream red wines Right Merlot based blends; libournais region, romans cultivated, pomerol wines, cab franc + merlot, gravel and sand St. Emilion Bourg and Blaye –oldest regions, merlot + cab sauv+ cab franc + Malbec, sauv blanc
● ● ●
● ●
LaFite 1700’s Marquis Nicolas Alexandre de Segur improved French wines at Lafite Chateau. Become King Louis XV’s favorite and in Versailles + Thomas Jefferson 1855 Lafite became the first of 4 estates to gain a Premier Cru Classification Famous First Growth Houses of Bordeaux most expensive wines in the world made in 1855: Chateau LafiteRothschild (Pauillac Poo yak), Chateau Margaux (Margaux), Chateau Latour(Pauillac), Chateau HautBrion(PessacLeognan Leaongyo), Chateau Mouton Rothschild (Pauillac) + Chateau Ausone, Chateau Cheval Blanc (St.Emilion) + Chateau d’Yquem (Sauternes and Barsac) + Cheteau Angelus, Chateau Pavie + Chateau Petrus, Chateau Le Pin (Pomerol). Good vintages: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2005, 2003, 2000; Bad Vintages: 2012, 2007, 2002, 1997, 1994 look for higher alcohol, Bordeaux Superieur AOP label, Mis En Bouteille au Château” or “Mis En Bouteille a la Propriete”,
Bordeaux wine labels generally include: 1. The name of estate (Image example: Château L'Angelus) 2. The estate's classification (Image example: Grand Cru Classé) This can be in reference to the 1855 Bordeaux classification or one of the Cru Bourgeois. 3. The appellation (Image example: SaintÉmillion) Appellation d'origine contrôlée laws dictate that all grapes must be harvested from a particular appellation in order for that appellation to appear on the label. The appellation is a key indicator of the type of wine in the bottle. With the image example, Pauillac wines are always red, and usually Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape variety. 4. Whether or not the wine is bottled at the château (Image example: Mis en Bouteille au Château) or assembled by a Négociant. 5. The vintage (Image example: 1978) 6. Alcohol content (not shown on image) Champagne ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
From the region of Champagne cooler climate in the north part of France located around the center of Reims , 40$ for a good bottle 5 main regions with 12 sub regions Montagne De Reims (raunce) brut nature, vintage champagne, pinot noir, lots of houses Cotes Des Blanc brut nature, 100% chardonnay styles (Blanc de Blanc), vintage champagne, elegant and racy, chalk soil makes wine acidic Vallee de la Marne pinot meunier (fruity) Cote des Sazanne Chardonnay (aromatic and less acidic) The Abue Cote des Bar Pinot Noir, (aromatic less acidic) wine grapes chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot meunier (Blanc de Noirs) expensive to produce using traditional method
● ● ● ● ●
●
notes: citrus, peach, almost, toast, white cherry yeast called lees, aged longer causes a taste of toast/biscuit bubbles are fine, persistent and sharp, long lasting good to pair with shellfish, before a meal, crispy food, raw bar use barely ripe grapes to preserve acidity add sugar + yeast 2nd fermentation bottle aging (lees) riddling (rotating the less to the neck) disgorgement (freeze and remove lees) dosage in bottle (sugar adding/replacement of wine removed with lees) corkage fermented in closed environment so carbon dioxide has no where to go, becoming bubbling
Alsace ● ● ● ● ● ●
Border of France and Germany, capitol is Strasbourg, Rhine river Baden is the German side 2 Parts of different elevations: north BasRhin (ba reunt) and south HautRhin (best vineyards Alsace Grand Cru Vineyards) Dry Riesling and Gewurztraminer dominate Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Cremant D’Alsace floral and peach aromas, not oak aging, brilliant acidity, rich texture, moderate alcohol AOCs are ○ Alsace AOC 92% white wines, 74% 100% varietal required, blends labelled Edelzwicker, Gentil or name, sweet wines are Vendages Tardives (Late Harvest) or Selection de Grains Nobles (noble rot). Chaptalization is allowed. ○ Cremant D’Alsace AOC 22%, sparkling and rose, 100% pinot noir rose ○ Alsace Grand Cru AOC 4% 51 special vineyards, Noble Grapes of Alsace, rich, honey, age worthy, smoky note Provence
● ●
● ● ● ●
●
88% is rose located on the mediterranean coast, bordered by the Rhone River (west) and the Cote d’Azur (east), lots of sun, little rain with warmdays and cool evenings, mistral winds keep vineyards dry and free of pests, LOTS OF SUN 27003000 horus of sun; only 1400 needed for grapes diverse soil volcanic, granite, limestone lots of herbs old history, 2600 years of winemaking lots of varieties: ○ Whites: Rolle (aka Vermentino), Ugni Blanc (aka Trebbiano), Bourboulenc, Clairette, Marsanne, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc ○ Reds: Grenache Noir, Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan, Cinsault, Counoise, Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon Phocaeans in 6th BC started making rose, catholic monks made modern day system
●
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Cotes de Provence: 75% of wine production in Provence, Sub regions: SainteVictorie painters lived here, limestone/shelter; La Londe quartz, lower acidity, little rainfall, Cinsault/Grenache; Frejus easter, volcanic, Greek grapes (Tibouron), copper/salmon color rose, reds have to be aged for 6 months; Pierrefeu Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault Coteaux d’Aix en Provence: 2nd largest, mistral winds, old 600 BC, blended rose of Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Syrah, Counoise Coteaux Varois de Provence: l imestone, mini climates, higher altitudes, good acidity and structure, blended rose with above varietals + Syrah Les Bauz de Provence: hottest area, biodynamic/organic , red wines Cassis: white limestone, Marsanne citrus, peach, dried herbs, honey Bandol: sandy and limestone soils, Mourvedre, structured rose, oak aged reds Palette: small, hand harvests, Mourvedre, blended rose and unique varietals, 18 month oak aging for red, whites and rose are aged 8 months Bellet: unique varietals, chardonnay, rose petals Pierrevert: Syrah and Grenache, whites, rose, saigee method
Rhone Valley ● ● ● ●
● ● ●
●
ChateauneufduPape the new house of the pope for Pope Clement V when he moved his HQ to Avignon in 1309 Mountains from the Alps to the sea, Rivers of Vienne and Avignon south of Lyon, different from the North and South of Rhone North: 45% production, steep hillsides, birthplace of Syrah South: more like Provence, warmer climates, summers are long and hot, winters mild, little rain, mistral winds, Grenache is king here ChateauneufduPape most famous region: 14 varietals, stone soils from glaciers, grenache, mourvedre, cinsault, syrah, full and spicy wines with balanced acidity and minerality, good whites too (honeysuckle, melon, mineral) CotesduRhone AOC level 1 50%, entry level grenache/syrah based blends, strict regulations (11% alcohol min and only 21 sanctioned grapes can be used) CotesduRhone Village AOC level 2 , step up higher alcohol, lower yields, good to age CotesduRhone Named Villages AOC level 3: Cairanne, Visan, Puymeras, Séguret, SaintGervais, Valréas, Vinsobres, Roaix, Sablet, Rochegude, Chusclan, RoussetlesVignes, SaintPantaléonlesVignes, SaintMauricesurEygues, BagnolssurCeze, Laudun, Massif d’Uchaux, Plan de Dieu Crus: 18 regions, 20% production: Beaumes de Venise AOC, Gigondas AOC, ChâteauneufduPape AOC, Lirac AOC, Tavel AOC, Rasteau AOC (changed in 2009), Vacqueyras AOC, Cornas AOC, Condrieu AOC, ChâteauGrillet AOC, CôteRôtie AOC, CrozesHermitage AOC, Hermitage AOC, SaintJoseph AOC, Saint Péray AOC, Diois AOC
●
Chateau Fortia – Chateauneuf de Pape “wines with a sense of place”, Avignon started the modern French classification system by Baron Pierre Le Roy
Loire Valley ● ● ●
Sauvignon Blanc , Sancerre, Touraine, PouillyFume Muscadet Taste region of Loire, Melon de Bourgogne light bodied, dry, lean, salt, lime, quince, green mango, sea shell, brine, yeast good alternative to beer. Western Loire Chenin Blanc Vouvray, Anjou, Saumur, Savennieres, MontlouissurLoire, Coteaux de Layon, light bodied, white peach, honeysuckle, lime, lemon, chamomile, green pear, citrus blossoms, salted butter + sweet stylefull bodied, peach, apricot, ginger, honey