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FRANCE
Bordeaux
Bordeaux. The word itself says 'French wine' to millions around the world. Many historians of the subject assure us that wine has been produced in Bordeaux since the first century AD. And given the known ability for the great Bordeaux to age gracefully, one can believe it.
Located in the south west of France around the city of Bordeaux, near the Atlantic coast, the region covers 10,725 square kilometers, containing 284,000 acres of vineyards. It is home to thousands of Châteaux, the vineyard and other facilities for winemaking.
Winters are short and the climate temperate with hot summers, long falls and high humidity thanks to its location near the estuary of three rivers the Gironde, Garonne and Dordogne.
The vineyards cover five distinct regions and 57 appellations. In France, the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC), refers to a specifically defined and regulated region, which controls how wines may be produced, labeled and sold.
In the Medoc region, a 50-mile strip between the Atlantic ocean and the Gironde estuary, vines grow on gravelly plateaus, called croupes, which sit atop heavy clay and limestone. Cabernet Sauvignon finds a home here. Some wines originating here contain as much as 40 percent Merlot. Its 10,500 acres produces on the order of 36 million bottles annually from 400 vineyards.
The Graves region gets its name from the pebbles in the soil, excellent for drainage and very healthy for the vines. It covers 12,844 acres west of the Garonne River and produces a stellar garnet-colored red, with slightly more Merlot than Cabernet. The whites produced there are dry, heavy on Semillon with a moderate amount of Sauvignon Blanc.
The best wines of the region are distinguished by the name Pessac-Leognan, north of the Graves, with other Châteaux sometimes referred to as crus bourgeois.
South of Graves lies the Sauternes (and the subset Barsac) region with a warmer, drier climate and limestone rich soil. The whites labeled Sauternes produced from Semillon are sweet, a quality derived from the infiltration of a fungus called Botrytis cinerea.
Famous for the sweet, dessert wines such as Yquem, Raymond-Lafon and Rieussec, over 4.5 million bottles are produced on 4,500 acres.
Saint-Emillon, the oldest area in Bordeaux, lies east of the Gironde, where the grapes are largely Merlot. The soil type ranges from limestone gravel to sandy, both providing excellent drainage. The 13,000 acres concentrate primarily on high-quality reds, to the tune of 36 million bottles. That soil, and loving production of its superior grapes produces the most robust, fast maturing reds.
Lastly, is Pomeral with a mere 1,900 acres producing scarce but superior reds from sandy soil atop a clay substrate infiltrated with iron. The vineyards grow Merlot and a type of Cabernet Franc called bouchet. Among other excellent products, here is produced the Château Pétrus, with 95% Merlot.
Many Bordeaux reds have an aging potential of 5-15 years, with some reaching to 20-50 years. But you will find a challenge to wait that long for one of these excellent wines!
Burgundy
Nowhere in France is the concept of terroir — that viticultural fingerprint of soils, climate and topography specific to a given locale, sometimes just a single block in a small vineyard - more dearly held than Burgundy.
A region covering 31,500 square kilometers, Burgundy (Bourgogne) stretches long and deep into winemaking history with grapes planted by the Romans, centuries before the Dukes of Burgundy were actually French. In this 360km strip stretching from Auxerre in the north to Lyon in the south can be found 99 different wine appellations. Burgundy has hot summers and cold winters with plentiful rainful.
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Here over 180 million bottles of some of the world's finest wines are made — from the full-bodied reds Pommard and Corton to the medium Beaune — to the world class whites, the dry Chablis or Chassagne Montrachet.
After the French revolution, the large vineyards maintained by the monasteries were confiscated, resulting in fragmentation into the system of small plots that prevails to this day.
Six hundred vineyards in Burgundy merit the appellation 'Premier Cru', which designates the finest quality wine. Only 33 can boast the even more exclusive 'Grand Cru' label, among them the supreme Montrachet, Chambertin and Clos Vougeot.
The greatest Burgundy reds are made from the pinot noir grape. Lesser varieties can include the region's Gamay. Chablis, the northern-most area of Burgundy, gives its name to one of the world's best known Chardonnays which, in this instance, is un-oaked, crisp and dry with prominent citrus and minerals. The Chardonnay grapes here grow in limestone rich with fossil remains.
South of Chablis is the Côte de Beaune where the Chardonnay is aged in oak barrels and known for its much fuller, rounder characteristics. The best known Premier Cru labels here include Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet.
Volnay, one of the smaller appellations covering fewer than 550 acres, sits at the edge of the Côte de Beaune, between Meursault and Pommard. With 30 Premier Cru labels, quality has been the hallmark here for over 800 years. These are Pinots that can age 8 to 12 years with flavors of raspberries, blackberries and violets.
But the 'pièce de resistance' is the red Pommard, with its earthy, tannic, robust flavor, making a comeback after some decades of decline. It has been said that Pommard is as muscular as Burgundy ever gets and therefore benefits from aging... 5 to 15 years.
Beaujolais, south of the Burgundy region but usually included in the appellation, is known for its light, fruity flavor from the Gamay grape, and is grown in granitic limestone. Nouveau Beaujolais is made using whole berry fermentation and therefore has very little tannins. It is released young to be drunk while fresh.
Champagne
Champagne is not just a sparkling wine, but the region from which the famous drink derives its name. The climate of the area is cooler than that of the southern French vineyards, making for a shorter growing season.
Almost a hundred miles (144km) northeast of Paris near the Belgian border, it's usually divided into three parts — the Côte des Blancs, the Vallée de la Marne and Montagne de Reims, though there are other zones.
Of the region's 75,000 acres of vineyards, the largest portion and the greatest vineyards are planted in the département of the Marne.
The vines there sit comfortably in chalky soils, providing excellent natural moisture regulation with good drainage. The chalk reflects ample sunshine and heat upward to the grape and within to the roots. The thin layer of arable topsoil receives the needed addition of fertilizer by the regions world-class vintners, some of whom only work the land part-time.
The annual temperature hovers slightly above the minimum required to ripen grapes (50°F/10°C), where the best vineyards reside high enough to be clear of frost (above 90m/295ft), but low enough (below 210m/689ft) to be sheltered from extreme heat.
One premium example is the vineyards of Montagne de Reims, a forested plateau south of Reims. Blessed with a deep bed of crustaceous chalk beneath a thin layer of topsoil, the highly ranked Grand and Premier Cru are found in these two areas, where grows primarily Pinot Noir.
Among the northernmost vineyards, the unique micro-climate in Montagne is well suited for producing this variety, which goes into producing some of the world's best champagne.
Along both banks of the River Marne lies the Vallée de la Marne, with predominantly south-facing, lower-lying vineyards, which produces largely Pinot Meunier. And just over 13 miles (21km) south of Epernay juts a ridge in Côte des Blancs where the chalk subsoil yields a glorious Chardonnay.
A newcomer to Champagne is Côte de Sézanne. Planted in the 1960's almost exclusively with Chardonnay, its southern location allows the grapes to ripen better than many of the other zones.
In Champagne's most southerly zone, we reach The Aube located about 70 miles (112km) south of Epernay, where the climate experiences greater temperature extremes. Less well-known, much of its output adds to numerous blends of the major champagne houses.
The theory of producing a great champagne is to blend together the best qualities from each of the best grapes grown in all these areas. The large houses store millions of gallons of wine from various vineyards for blending purposes. The blends are produced primarily from three varieties.
Pinot Meunier remains the dominant variety in Champagne, where it's exclusively grown (on nearly 40% of the total acreage) and makes up the base for all but the most exclusive champagnes. Pinot Noir comes in a close second at about 35% of the total acreage. It provides much of the longevity of champagne. Chardonnay accounts for the remaining 25% and adds lightness.
Rightly acclaimed as one of the most important historical regions, Champagne's quality remains undiminished in the modern world as well.
Côtes du Rhône
The Rhone Valley looks very much like a miniature Italy as it stretches 200km (125 mi) from south of Lyon to just south of Avignon. Along this course the climate varies from the Rhone's cold winters and warm summers to the classic Mediterranean where winters are mild and summers hot.
The relatively more constant sun combines with granitic soil in the north, limestone in the south to produce Grenache, Syrah and Carignan used in red wines, and Clairette, Ugni Blanc and Grenache Blanc for whites.
The Grenache dominates with 55 percent of the total red-making grape, the Clairette making up 35 percent of white. Combined 8-10 thousand winemakers, spread over an enormous 170,000 acres, produce 450 million bottles, 75 percent of which is devoted to the northern full-bodied of Côte Rôtie and the southern fruity reds of Châteauneuf du Pape.
One village in particular, Chartreuse de Valbonne, enjoys a very different climate from that of the surrounding Mediterranean. Enfolded by forest atop horseshoe-shaped hills, there are numberless terraces composed of stony chalk and limestone. Some barrels of the area date back to the 13th century. Here are made plump Grenache Noir, spicy Syrah and Viognier Plump with aromas of violet and acacia honey.
Considered among the best of the Côtes du Rhône villages are the distinctive Cairanne and Rasteau. Rasteau's tannic Domaine du Trapadis will be preferred by those seeking a more zesty wine, while Cairanne's softer Domaine Catherine Le Goeuil —made with techniques handed down from the Middle Ages— is appreciated by the easy-going.
From the 11,000 acres of the Côtes du Rhône villages clay and stony limestone earth rise Grenache and Syrah grapes that produce 19 million bottles of medium body fruity reds.
The history of Gigondas wine traces back to the Romans, where good advantage is taken of the Mediterranean weather and the red clay soil to produce an aromatic alternative to the more expensive Châteauneuf du Pape. On 3,000 acres vintners produce the Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre that go to make 5.5 million bottles.
For those whose tongue needs a little shock of pleasure seek out the Vignobles Darriaud's Grenache Syrah, a full-bodied red with earthy and plummy aromas. Chocolate tones combine with a peppery finish, especially after aging for 3-5 years.
Best for last, the slope of Châteauneuf du Pape, lying between Orange and Avignon, was once the summer home of many Popes. The wine is thick, powerful and a richly colored red made from Grenache, Syrah, Clairette and ten other varieties. On these 7,600 acres of quartz and sandy red clay grow the vines that produce 13 million bottles that can age up to 20 years with aromas of red fruits, cinnamon and vanilla.
But, who among us could wait that long?
Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon, the largest wine producing region in the world, lies on the border of the Mediterranean sea, between the Rhone delta and Spain.
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Fifty thousand vine growers (out of a population of 2.4 million) spread over an area of 27,400 square kilometers (10,500 square miles) swelter in the intense summers for the sake of producing over 2 billion bottles of wine.
The mild winters and hot summers cooperate with diverse soil types ranging from limestone and sandstone to granite pebbles to host Carignan, Grenache, Merlot and other reds. Not to be left behind the Roussane, Viognier, Chardonnay and other whites add to provide ample work for the 400 cooperatives and 2,800 private wineries in a region from Muscat in the east to Banyuls in the southwest.
Originally the work of Greeks who began cultivation around the 6th century BC, after the Roman conquest viticulture developed quickly, then continued under the Visigoths in the 5th century. As the monasteries of the 9th century grew, so did the hillside vineyards, where the valleys were reserved for grains. The 19th century saw the plains conversion to vineyards as well. Today, viticulture is concentrated in the plains of Aude, Herault and Gard. These three regions produce nearly one-half of France's total grape output.
For many years, the area saw the production of a great many mediocre wines, but a renaissance of sorts in the last few decades has led to the resurgence of extraordinary Syrah. Opaque, purple-colored, with aromas of sweet blackberry spiced by black pepper and cassis.
Over the past 10 years the Vin de Pays d'Oc has also been helping to improve the area's reputation, with its unique regional characteristics, such as the earthy Minervois and Corbières.
Unlike other winegrowing regions, where individual Châteaux dominate, most here are produced by cooperatives that purchase grapes from local growers. These include the delicious Vin Doux Naturel made from Muscat or Grenache. The process involves adding grape spirit which halts fermentation, preserving sweetness and raising alcohol levels to 15-16 percent. The Muscat de Frontignan or Banyuls make for delightful dessert wines that can compete with a Port for aging potential.
Whites too have been making a comeback with the Chardonnay and the Marsanne grown in Argelier, 30km (18.6 mi) west of Beziers. Here the grapes grown in chalky soil are harvested early, then allowed only a few hours skin contact prior to pressing. The result is a fresh, dry white with aromas of apple and oak.
For those who cannot be torn from red, there's the spicy and full-bodied Corbières made from Grenache and Carignan grown in limestone, marl and sandstone. With over 70 million bottles capable of aging 3-7 years there's little danger of running out.
Moving from the hills of Corbières to the Pyrenees one lands in Roussillon, the sunniest region of France. More similar to Spain than other areas, the Carignan dominates to produce reds that are spicy and medium body, with hints of licorice.
Look for new developments from this large and ancient area of French winemaking.
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