French Wine Regions - Essay Example

 French Wine 10. Describe some of the most famous wine regions in France and explain why France has been considered as the most important wine producing country in the world for many centuries. In the heart of French winemaking, there lies the concept of terroir, which is the set of such characteristic features of a particular place as geology, geography, and climate. Terroir defines the grape varieties that can be used in the production of the traditional wines of France. Such relationship between terroir and grape varieties can be exemplified by the relationship between Burgundy and Pinot Noir, Champagne and Chardonnay etc. Overall, there are ten major regions of wine growing in France and a number of smaller areas scattered across the entire territory of the country. In fact, almost every region of France can boast of commercial wine production, and only five regions on the north coast of the country are not engaged in wine production. Among the most famous regions of wine growing in France are the following ones: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, the Rhone Valley, the Loire Valley, Alsace etc. The Bordeaux region of Aquitaine is among the most famous regions of wine production not only in France but in the entire world as well. The center of the region is the Atlantic port city of Bordeaux. This region is regarded as the heart of red wine production in the country: more than 60 appellations are grown on its territory. Basically, such grapes as Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon are used in the production of red wine. In addition to this, white wine, both dry and sweet, is also produced in the region (Marnie Old and Old Wines LLC, 2005). In Bordeaux, there are two sub-regions of red wine production; they are referred to as “Right Bank” and “Left Bank”. The right bank has soil that perfectly suits the early-ripening Merlot grape because of the high content of clay in it. The left bank’s soil rich in gravel is more suitable for Cabernet Sauvignon. One of the main rules of wine production in the region of Bordeaux is varieties blending. Originally, varieties were blended to avoid bad harvests. Today, winemakers also balance flavors of different grapes in one appellation (Marnie Old and Old Wines LLC, 2005). The Burgundy region is situated in the eastern part of France. This region is famous for its both red and white wines. The major grape varieties grown on the territory of Burgundy are Chardonnay (for white Burgundy wines), Pinot Noir (for red Burgundy wines), and Gamay (for Beaujolais). Unlike Bordeaux, Burgundy wines are not the product of varieties blending. Some of the districts of the region, such as Chablis and Cote d’Or, produce the most well-known and expensive wines in the world, which are aged for about twenty or thirty years in oak (Marnie Old and Old Wines LLC, 2005). At the same time, the region is also famous for Beaujolais, young wine which is not aged in oak but is kept in stainless steel and is drunk just after several weeks of maturing. The Champagne region is situated in the northern part of France and characterized by the coldest climate for growing grapes in the world. This region is known for the production of the finest sparkling wines in the world. The secret of purity and taste of original sparkling wine lies in the chalky soils where the same grapes used by winemakers from Burgundy, namely Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, are grown. Like wine produced in the region of Bordeaux, sparkling wine is also blended from multiples years to avoid crop failure caused by cold weather. The process of sparkling wine making differs from that one of wine. It is naturally carbonated during the process of fermentation (Marnie Old and Old Wines LLC, 2005). It is a well-known fact that France was not the first country where people started producing wine. Despite this fact, it is France that is widely regarded as the heartland of wine production and fine wines all over the world. None of the countries where winemaking started can claim they hold leadership in both quality and amount of sales due to the fact that the first position is firmly held by France. In accordance with the Wine Institute, France is the largest producer of wine in the world as it produces almost 50 million hectoliters per year (2011). Apart from the bare statistical data, it is the long history and quality of French wine that make France one of the most important wine producing countries all over the world. Wine making started on the northern coast of the Mediterranean Sea where grapes ripened quickly under the scorching sun. It was Romans who were the first to bring grapes and cultivate them in the forests of France. The climate of France was colder and less hospitable for grapes and did not let grapes ripen quickly. Even though the harvests were poor, they gave grapes with more intense flavor than those ones in the south. With the time passing, such challenging conditions resulted in improvement and perfection of flavor of French wine. With the further development of the sphere, the French wine and winemakers received recognition of more and more consumers at first in Medieval Europe and then all over the world (Marnie Old and Old Wines LLC, 2005). In other words, the importance of France as of one of the most important wine producing countries originates both from the country’s geographical position and history. Nowadays, French wines are models and icons of wine production in the entire world. Due to the qualities of French wine, winemakers all over the world adopt the production technology, French grape varieties, and even containers for maturation and storage of wine. Today, just like centuries before, this countries produces wine in greater quantity and quality than any other country. French wine attracts not only by its excellent gustatory quality and prestige but also by the variety of its types. References: Marnie Old and Old Wines LLC. (2005). Wine regions of France. Retrieved from www.marnieold.com/learn/downloads/france.doc The Wine Institute. (2011). World wine production by country 2008-2011. Retrieved from http://www.wineinstitute.org/files/World_Production_by_Country_2011.pdf Read More