To make wine, the juice of grapes is introduced to yeast (a living organism) which feeds off the sugars in the fruit converting them into alcohol and carbon dioxide. When all the sugars have been converted a wine is described as ‘dry’. When residual sugars remain, the wine is sweeter. With so few ingredients you might be forgiven for thinking that all wines will have a similar taste. Nothing could be further from the truth! In France, wines have a regional identity with each region producing wines with unique aromas tastes and textures.
Finding your way through the complexities of the French White Wine market is not an easy task because French wines are named after the vineyard or region where they originate from and not after the variety of grape used. The system which was introduced as a means of quality control is called Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) The exception to this are wines from the Alsace region which are named after the many grape varietals grown there.
French wines are graded into four group, starting with Vin de Table (table wine ) moving up a classification to Vin de Pays, on to Vin Delimite de Qualite Superieure (VDQS) and finishing with the highest quality Appellation (d’Origine) Controlee – AOC or AC for short. If you see the words Appellation controlee on a wine label it is telling you that this wine is of a specific quality and has come from a specific region from specific grape varieties grown under controlled conditions. Some argue that the controls imposed on the ‘higher quality’ wines are too concerned with style and not concerned enough with quality. This means that these days some vin de pays have much better taste than some more expensive AOC’s.
Another problem with this system is that is assumes the consumer is familiar with the various appellations or regions and will be aware of the types of grapes grown there as well as the geographical characteristics of the ‘terrior’. Also, an appellation or region can refer to a single vineyard or a whole district so it is easy to see where inconsistencies can occur. If you are serious about getting to grips with your French Whites you need to know something about the main ingredient: the grape! The variety of grape in wine influences the alcohol content, the acidity and the colour as well as the flavour. Everyone knows that there are different coloured grapes but a lesser known fact is that all grape juice is practically colourless or very light golden. The colour of wine comes the amount of surface contact with the skin during fermentation. Most white wine comes from white grapes but white wine can come from black grapes. Some Champagne and white Zinfandel for example are made from black grapes. Pink champagne is made from a blend of black and white varieties.
Certain varieties of grape do better in certain regions and once you get your head around that you are able to begin to understand what to expect from a wine. Knowing what grape type does best in what region will help you to understand what it produces in terms of taste.
There are about seven main wine growing regions in France. Burgandy and Bordeaux still rank amongst the most renowned of these. The others are The Champagne Wine Region, The Rhone Valley, Alsace, The Loire Valley and Provence. The following are just some of the most popular grape varieties grown across France and some of the regions they thrive in.
Chardonnay is one of Burgandy’s most popular varietals. Best whites from Bordeaux tend to be sweet made from Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscadelle. The Champagne region, which is in Northern France, is renowned for producing the world’s best sparkling wines. Champagne is made from three varietals-The Pinot Noir which is a black grape, The Chardonnay which is white or The Pinot Meunier which is another black grape.
Chenin Blanc is commonly grown in The Loire Valley and produces a range of wine from very dry to very sweet to sparkling. Some well known AOCs from Sauvignon Blanc grapes from the The Loire Valley are Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé but it is a huge region and as such produces a varied range of wines.
There are many grape varietals grown in The Alsace Region including the pink tinted Gewürztraminer grape, Pinot Gris, Muscat and Reisling.
French White wine can be enjoyed as an aperitif, with a meal or simply because the mood takes you. It is at its best when served between 4 degrees Celsius and 10 degrees Celsius – any colder and you risk losing some of the subtlety of the flavours. Enjoy!
