Book II
France: A Wine Superstar
In This Book . . .
Why did France become the most famous place in the world for wine? For one thing, the French have been doing it for a long time ā making wine, that is. Even before the Romans conquered Gaul and planted vineyards, the Greeks arrived with their vines.
Equally important is the magical combination of climate and soil that yields grapes that make breathtaking wines. And what grapes! France is the home of almost all the renowned varieties in the world: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Sauvignon Blanc, just to name a few.
The chapters in this book take you through the magnificent winemaking regions of this standard-setting nation, which (not coincidentally!) has the highest per capita wine consumption of any major country.
Here are the contents of Book II at a glance:
Chapter 1: French Wine Today
Chapter 2: Exploring Bordeauxās Range
Chapter 3: Burgundy, Queen of France
Chapter 4: Beaujolais, the Fun Red
Chapter 5: Robust RhƓne Reds and Unique Whites
Chapter 6: Champagne: The Worldās Greatest Sparkling Wine
Chapter 7: Other Wine Regions of France
Chapter 1
French Wine Today
In This Chapter
Examining Franceās lucky coincidence of climate and soil Recognizing the impact of terroir Sampling Franceās wine range Making sense of French wine laws Translating a French wine label Some people are just born with certain talents. Some countries are just born with certain gifts. In the case of France, the ability to grow wine grapes and make good wine is hard-wired into the land and the people who live there. Thatās why France is not only the greatest wine-producing country on Earth but also the greatest wine culture.
France has been the leader of the winemaking world for centuries. Itās number one in wine consumption and, in many years, wine production. In the quality department, the most critically acclaimed, most treasured red wines, white wines, sparkling wines, and sweet wines all come from France. The countryās renown is such that winemakers from all over the world find inspiration and motivation in French wines. This chapter helps you better understand the allure of French wines by exploring Franceās natural talents, the concept of terroir, the wide range of French wines, and the intricacies of French wine laws and labels.
Natural Talents: Climate and Soil
Franceās thousands of years of winemaking experience count for a lot. But the fact is, France had a couple other things going for her since Day One: climates extremely suitable for growing high-quality wine grapes and the right types of soils in the right climates.
France is large by European standards ā in fact, itās the largest country in western Europe ā but compared to countries such as the United States or Australia, it isnāt really such a big place. (All of France could fit easily into Texas, for example, with plenty of room to spare.) And yet, France has a strong diversity of soil types and climates. Each of Franceās major wine regions has different growing conditions for its grapes. (Figure 1-1 depicts Franceās wine regions.)
Figure 1-1: Franceās wine regions.
The following sections help you better understand the role that Franceās diversified climates and soils ā as well as her peopleās years of experience ā play in making the country such a key player in the worldās wine scene.
Climate ups and downs
Because French wines are so acclaimed, wine people tend to credit France with having an ideal location for grape-growing and winemaking. The 45th parallel, which runs through the regions of Bordeaux and the RhƓne Valley, has taken on mythical connotations as the It position for fine wine production.
In reality, though, a lot of seriously good wine comes from places that occupy a much more southerly position than France does ā such as all of Spain and Portugal, California, and most of Italy (not to mention, in the Southern Hemisphere, Chile, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa!). Furthermore, plenty of Franceās wine regions are even more northerly than Bordeaux; Champagne and Alsa...
