Posts Tagged ‘french wine regions’

The Rhone. As French wine regions go, it is hardly the most dramatic or awe inspiring. In fact, up until a few years ago most wine drinkers would have told you that Rhone wines were simply working class wines meant for common French citizens.

Situated in south western France the Rhone produces wines which are largely different then any other wine produced in France. Given better overall sunlight and a longer growing season mean that red wine is almost exclusively grown here and that wine is typically much more fruit flavored and intense then wine from any other region of France.

The region is named for the river which runs from the Swiss Alps and passes through the valley on the way to the Mediterranean Sea. The region has been split for all intensive purposes into two halves, which is much the norm in France.

The northern Rhone is a smaller, more prestigious, less well known outside of France that only produces one wine: a red wine grape named Syrah. This is the only red wine grape allowed to be grown in the Rhone and for good reason, it creates some of the most wild and untamed wines in the world when grown in the steep hillsides that follow the river across the entire valley.

The southern Rhone is a much larger, better known region that begins about fifty miles south of where the northern Rhone ends. In effect the two regions have nothing in common but the river which gives them their name. Although hotter then many wine growing regions in the entire world, the southern Rhone is a challenging wine growing regions. Severe winds blow down from the Swiss Alps and grow stronger as they pass over the land, these winds are given credit for increasing sugar and acidity in the wines while also possessing the power to rip the vines apart if it grows too strong.

One of the other significant differences between the Rhone regions is that while red wine in the north is only Syrah, red wine in south is always a combination of multiple varietals. In many ways blending is essential in the south because a grape like Syrah will lose its trademark intensity in such warm growing conditions. Many grapes suffer this same fate so blending of different varietals is a way to combine specific qualities of grapes and create a sum which is truly better then its original parts.

Lastly, I should note that the most common grape in the south is Grenache which is of Spanish decent and more highly adapted to the harsh warm growing conditions found in the southern Rhone.

Author: Mark A Aselstine
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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French wine can be described as a broad term which encompasses many different kinds of wine, distinguished on the basis of the region from which they are cultivated. The regions are Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Corsica, Ctes du Rhone, Languedoc-Roussillon, Loire Valley, Provence and South West. As each region differs from the other in terms of the kind of cultivation, the vineyards, the grapes used, the geographical location as well as the climatic condition, the wine from each area will have a different taste as compared to the wines from other areas.

Each area has its own specialty. Alsace wine is a sweet dry white wine. The Alsace wines include Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot blanc, Tokay pinot gris, Sylvaner and Crmant d’alsace. Bordeaux is the most important wine region, not only in France but all over the world. It has more than seven thousand chateaux. Some of its famous wines are Moulis, Listrac, Pomerol and Fronsac. Burgundy is famous for Chablis, Pommard, Corton, Volnay and Montrachet. The region of Corsica is known for Ajaccio and Patrimonio, which are subtle rose and dry white wines. Ctes du Rhone is known as the most diverse region of wine in France. Some of its famous wines are cte rtie, condrieu, hermitage, chteauneuf du pape, ctes du ventoux. The wine for which the area of Languedoc-Roussillin is famous for are Corbires, Coteaux du Languedoc, Ctes du Roussillon, Saint Chinian and Costires de Nimes.

Loire Valley is known for its white wines, in particular Muscadet, Anjou, Coteaux du Layon, Saumur, Touraine, Bourguel, Vouvray Pouilly Fum and Sancerre. Provence is known for its Bandol, Bellet and dry and fruity rose wine. The South West region of France is a traditional wine region. The wines from this region are Cahors, Juranon, Madiran, Bergerac and Monbazillac. A connoisseur knows that each wine has its own unique taste, aroma and flavor.

Author: Jimmy Sturo
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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