FRANCE France is the beating heart of the world’s wine industry, producing more fine wine than anywhere else on the planet. No other country has had a more profound influence on the global history of viticulture; French wine is the benchmark against which wines everywhere are judged.
BORDEAUX The largest fine wine region in the world, Bordeaux produces some 700 million bottles of wine annually. It is divided into multiple sub-regions and possesses an incredibly complex classification system. Though renowned for its top few estates, the vast majority of Bordeaux is neither famous nor expensive. Eighty per cent of Bordeaux is red and only five grape varieties are permitted by law: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. White Bordeaux is mainly made from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. These varieties are also used to make Sauternes, Bordeaux’s unctuous dessert wine made from grapes affected by Botrytis cinerea, or noble rot.
BURGUNDY Burgundy is wine’s ultimate crapshoot: the best Burgundies are amongst the world’s most famous and sought-after, the worst are mediocre – sometimes even bad. Red Burgundy is made almost exclusively from Pinot Noir, a notoriously difficult grape to grow. Coupled with Burgundy’s temperamental climate, this results in very inconsistent quality. The best Burgundies are so good, however, that enthusiasts are drawn back despite the risk (and the price). White Burgundy is almost always made from Chardonnay. Beaujolais, the most southerly sub-region, produces very fruity red wines mainly from Gamay – a very different style than the rest of Burgundy.
CHAMPAGNE The quintessential celebratory wine, true Champagne only comes from the Champagne region of France, the most northerly French wine region. Champagne is made through a complex process in which its secondary fermentation (which makes it bubbly) occurs in the bottle. Only three grapes may be used to make Champagne: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier; it can be white or pink (rosé).
France Wine Regions Loire Valley
Champagne
Alsace
Burgundy
Bordeaux
Rhône Valley
Languedoc - Rousillon Provence Edmonton 2014 Wine Guide
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