France, home of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne, is arguably the world's largest wine-producing country. For centuries, it has produced more wine - and apparently better quality - than any other country. Wine is embedded in French culture at almost every level of society; it is the drink of the elite and the common people, and a key symbol of Roman Catholicism, the majority religion in France.
However, the lasting appeal of French wine is not necessarily its Volume or prestige, but rather the variety of styles available.
Consumer preferences have Evolved over the centuries, encouraging the development of New wine styles based on the Terroir and Grape varieties available to French winemakers. Red, white, rosé, Sweet, Dry, sparkling, opulent, austere, mineral, fruity - French vineyards have produced wines that fit each of these descriptors.
The diversity of French wines is due, in part, to the country's wide variety of climates. Champagne, its northernmost region, has one of the coolest climates in the wine world, in stark contrast to the hot, dry Rhone Valley, 560 km to the Southeast.
Bordeaux, in the southwest, has a maritime climate strongly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and by the various rivers that weave their way through its vineyards. Far from any oceanic influence, eastern regions such as Burgundy and Alsace have a continental climate, with hot, dry summers and cold winters. In the deep south of France, Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon have a definite Mediterranean climate, characterized by hot summers and relatively mild winters.
Geology and topography play an equally important role in the diversity of French wines.
Pinot noir is an important red grape variety in Burgundy and Champagne, and its reputation is well known! Great wines such as the Domaine de la Romanée Conti elaborate their wines from this famous grape variety, and make it a great variety. When properly vinified, pinot noit produces red wines of great finesse, with a wide range of aromas depending on its advancement (fruit, undergrowth, leather). it is also the only red grape variety authorized in Alsace. Pinot Noir is not easily cultivated beyond our borders, although it has enjoyed some success in Oregon, the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
sparkling wines from the region of France go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) or shellfish such as recipes of quick beef bourguignon, cod brandade or mussels with beer.
On the nose in the region of France often reveals types of flavors of vanilla, guava or white pepper and sometimes also flavors of raisin, mint or fig. In the mouth in the region of France is a powerful with a nice vivacity and a fine and pleasant bubble.
Clotilde Davenne, from the eponymous estate, mentions the cherry as a main characteristic of the Irancy appellation. She tells us about the Pinot Noir variety which reveals, in its northern location of Bourgogne, lots of freshness and fruitiness that gives the appellation a very special place among the wines of the region. This video is taken from the “Rendez-vous avec les vins de Bourgogne” program (June 2020). Our social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BourgogneWines Twitter: https: ...
Sequence from the video « At the heart of the Mâcon terroir » which offer a stroll at the heart of the Mâcon terroir. It offers a focus on Mâcon-Milly-Lamartine, one of the 27 geographical denominations of the Mâcon appellation. Travel through the terroirs of the Mâcon appellation by watching the full video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF20y1aBZh8 Both are available in French and English. Our social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BourgogneWines Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bour ...
The Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) invites you to enjoy this video in which Jean-Pierre Renard, Expert Instructor at the Ecole des Vins de Bourgogne, explains the topographical and geological characteristics of the Saint-Véran appellation.The exercice is particularly complex as there are so many variables that make up the terroir throughout its geographical area. This video is taken from the “Rendez-vous avec les vins de Bourgogne” program broadcasted in June 2021. Retrouvez-nous sur les réseaux so ...
