Wines of France; and how the French gave American wine credibility

On May 24th, American wine lovers should raise a glass to celebrate the most momentous occasion ever for American wine. I’m referring to “The Judgement of Paris” where a gaggle of California wineries were pitted against the greatest French wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy in a blind tasting in the ‘City of Light.’ On that day, the all-French tasting panel awarded first place for both the red (1973 Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon) and white wine (1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay) to these California wineries. The results of that tasting conferred worldwide credibility to the nascent California wine industry.

I’ve often poked fun at the French for their superior attitude, especially when it concerns anything to do with wine. However, it’s important to acknowledge the tremendous contributions France has made in producing some of the greatest wines, and for their vineyard and cellar innovations over the past several centuries. Today, I’ll give you quick primer on the major wine -producing regions of France and tell you about the principal grape varieties that grow there.

There are several distinct wine appellations in France and hundreds of smaller sub-regions within those broader areas, but here are the most prominent ones.

Alsace – In the eastern part of the country,Alsace  is known for its full-bodied and food-centric white wines such as are pinot blanc, pinot gris, riesling, gewürztraminer, and sylvanner. The only red grape produced is there (and in very small quantities) is pinot noir.

Bordeaux – In this most famous of all wine regions, you’ll find the most famous of all red wines such as Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Chateau Petrus. The reds are usually blends of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, petit verdot and malbec. The white wines of the region, sauvignon blanc and semillon, are often blended.

Burgundy – When I first started drinking wine in the last century, most Americans thought Burgundy was a hearty red wine in a big green jug. Of course, Burgundy is a very renowned French wine region where some of the world’s greatest wine is produced. In northern Burgundy, red wine is made from pinot noir, and the white is principally chardonnay with lesser plantings of pinot blanc and aligoté. Beaujolais, in southern Burgundy, is made from the red grape gamay.

Champagne – Interestingly, two-thirds of the grapes that produce Champagne are reds pinot noir and pinot meunier. The white grape of the region is chardonnay that is blended with the two reds to make this world-famous sparkling wine.

Languedoc Roussillon – Located in south central France along the Mediterranean coast, this warm region produces surprisingly excellent wines at value prices. The reds are made from carignan, syrah, grenache and cabernet sauvignon while the main white grapes are chardonnay, chenin blanc, muscat and picpoul.

Loire – The Chateau country of the Loire Valley is a beautiful region where white wine is more prominent than red. The whites, chenin blanc and sauvignon blanc, are the dominate varietals. The most famous red wine in the Loire is called Chinon and is made from cabernet franc.

Provence – Directly to the east of Languedoc, much of Provence lies along the French Riviera. Rose is the most famous wine of the region and can be made from a variety of grapes, including grenache, syrah, and mourvedre. The whites are comprised of ugni blanc and clairette.

Rhone– The Rhone Valley begins just south of Lyon and extends to near the city of Avignon. The reds of the Rhone are comprised of syrah, grenache, mourvedre and carignan. The most famous wine of the Rhone is Chateauneuf Du Pape. The principal white grapes of this large region are clairette, grenache blanc, marsanne, rousanne and viognier.

The Southwest -The wines of the Southwest are comprised of the sub-regions Dordogne, Bergerac, Garone, Gascony, Bearn and the Basque country. The main varietals are reds such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc and whites made from sauvignon blanc and semillon.

John Brown is also a novelist. His latest book – Augie’s Wine –is now available to order online or at his website wordsbyjohnbrown.com. His first two books– Augie’s War and Augie’s World – are also available online and at bookstores around the state. You can find out more about his novels, and review all of his archived Vines & Vittles columns at wordsbyjohnbrown.com