Wines of France
Without France the wine world would never be where I it is today. Fortunately for us, since 500 B.C. France has
continued to perfect grape-growing and wine-making tech-I niques. It not only produces most of the important wine
types in the world but also many of the greatest examples
of each.
French wine production is governed by a system of appellation laws which go beyond guaranteeing that the wine in a French bottle comes from the region indicated on the label to specify which types of grapes may be grown in a region and how the wine may be made. The result is that certain wine styles are associated with certain regions. The red wines of Bordeaux, for example, share similar characteristics because they are made only in a certain manner from certain grapes.
There are several famed wine districts in France that produce very different wines. The most notable are presented in the following section.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is actually a city in southwest France surrounded by regions of vineyards. It is mainly known for its red wines, but their dry and sweet white wines are among the finest made. Within Bordeaux are several sub-districts that use similar grape varieties yet produce wines of different character. The primary grape varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. Red wines that are medium to full bodied, fragrant, and complex in flavor come from these regions: St. Estephe, Pauillac, St. Julien, Medoc, Margaux, and Graves. Some thicker-textured, softer red wines come from St. Emilion and Pomerol.
There are over three thousand individual chateaux or estates in Bordeaux, the best of which bottle wine from their own vineyards. Bordeaux lasts and improves in the bottle for a decade or more.
Red Bordeaux are vintage-dated and much is made of the wines from the very best years (harvests). But wines from these years may take years to be at their best. There is often more enjoyment to be had from a mature wine from a good but not great year than from an immature "great" wine. Wines from good years are lighter but not necessarily inferior to wines from great years.
Red Bordeaux Vintage Chart
Great Years: For drinking now, 1961, '70. For drinking or keeping, 1975. For keeping until 1990, 1982.
Good Years: For drinking now, 1966, '71, '76. For drinking or keeping, 1978, '79, '81. For keeping until 1990, 1983, '85.
The Graves district also produces austere dry whites from the grape varieties Sauvignon Blanc and Semillion. Other white wine areas are Sauternes and Barsac. Both use the same grape varieties as the white Graves but the grapes are harvested overripe. These sweet wines are golden in color with the rich flavor of ripe pears and apricots. Sauternes can last for decades.
White Bordeaux (Sauternes) Vintage Chart:
Great Years: For drinking now, 1967, '71. For drinking or keeping, 1975, '83.
Good Years:    For drinking now, 1970, '76, '79, '80, '81.
Burgundy
Located in eastern France, Burgundy is much smaller than Bordeaux and is divided into five main districts. The wines are made either by the vineyard owner or by negotiants who buy wines from the various growers, blend them together, and sell the final product from their particular firm. In purchasing a bottle of Burgundy, it is just as important to know the reputation of the producer or negotiant as it is to know the reputation of the vineyard. The five main districts of Burgundy are:
Chablis—Producing excellent austere white wines from the Chardonnay grape. These crisp, dry wines have an almost mineral tang and are best matched with delicate seafoods and shellfish.
Maconnais—Producing popular, light dry wines primarily from Chardonnay grapes. The most well-known wines are Macon-Villages, Pouilly-Fuisse, and St.-Vedran.
Chalonnais—Producing light dry reds and dry whites.
Beaujolais—Producing light fruity red wines from the Ga-may grape variety, intended to be enjoyed young.
Cote d'Or—Within this region are two sub-regions—the Cote de Nuits (north ) and the Cote de Beaune (south). The Cote de Nuits is responsible for the greatest red Burgundies, such as Chambertin, Vosne-Romanee, Vou-geot, Musigny, and Nuits St.-Georges. These wines are made from Pinot Noir grapes and in character are generally medium-full bodied, fragrant, and wonderfully complex.
The Cote de Beaune is responsible for the greatest white Burgundies, such as Meursault, Chassagne-Montrachet, Puligny Montrachet, and Le Montrachet. The wines are made from the Chardonnay grape varietal and in character are generally medium-full bodied, rich, and buttery.
Burgundy Vintage Chart:
GreatYears:    For drinking now, 1969,'71,'76. For drinking or keeping, 1978. For keeping until 1988, 1983.
Good Years:    For drinking now, 1972, '79, '80.
Champagne
Thanks to the discoveries of the seventheenth-century monk Dom Perignon, sparkling wines are enjoyed the world over. Champagne is made by a costly time-consuming process called methode champenoise. Essentially, this is the process by which still wine is made sparkling by allowing it to ferment a second time in the bottle, thus producing the characteristic bubbles in champagne. There are other ways to make a wine sparkling, but this produces the finest results and is the only process allowed in the Champagne region.
The still base wine or cuvee must be near flawless. For the base, Chardonnay or Pinot Noir grape varieties are used singularly or in a blend. If the label says "Blanc de Noir," the wine is made entirely from the clear juice of the Pinot Noir. If the term "Blanc de Blanc" is used, the wine is 100 percent Chardonnay. Most wines are a blend of both varieties.
Each Champagne House, or firm, produces a standard nonvintage bottling that is a blend of several vintages, and in the best years, a vintage-dated wine made solely from that harvest. Champagne, at best, is a versatile elegant beverage with toasty, lemony flavors. Each wine is labeled according to its sweetness level. Brut is the dryest; Extra Dry is slightly sweeter; Demi-Sec is fairly sweet.
Rhone
The vineyards of the Rhone valley are located in southern France on steep, sun-drenched granite cliffs. This area produces red and white wines that are deep in color, very hearty, and big. Most of the finer Rhone wines are pressed from one kind of grape, sometimes two or three—with the exception of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, in which up to thirteen