Intro to French Wines

I’m Bastille Day baby who has spent many Julys in France. When I’m not in France in July, you will find me squeezing in time throughout every day trying to watch every minute of Le Tour de France. So, I find it unbelievable that I have never given you all a primer on French Wines. Although the country of Georgia is considered the birthplace of wine, wine as we know it has French origins. The grape varietals that we are most familiar with were cultivated and perfected in France. Once you understand that wine varietals are basically regional specialties, and know a bit of French geography, it can be fairly easy to learn the basics. There are complex classification systems that indicate the quality of the wine, but I’ll leave those for a future newsletter. It is rare to find the name of the varietal on the labels, with few exceptions. If you see Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet, etc. on the label, then you likely have a bulk-produced wine for the U.S. market. Wine in France is usually characterized by the village (often also the appellation) where it is found. A map can be a handy tool in understanding French wine.
 
The Bubble Lover
Most of us know that only sparkling wine grown in the region of Champagne can be called Champagne, sparkling wine is grown throughout France. In other regions it carries the name Crèmant de [name of region]. A Crèmant de Bourgogne is from Burgundy. Burgundy is home to the same grapes that go into Champagne: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with the likely addition of a white grape, Aligotè. A Crèmant de Loire showcases Chenin Blanc, which is the signature grape region. Crèmant de Limoux might have those same grapes, but is from the foothills of the Pyrenees in the Languedoc in southwestern France. Crèmants de Alsace are lovely wines- and like those in Burgundy they are often made of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, likely with some Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Riesling or Gwurztraminer added in. There are many other Crèmants of the local region, but these are the most common. 
 
Cabernet All Day
The most famous French wine region is home to  Cabernet Sauvignons: Bordeaux. I could (and should) write a whole column on Bordeaux as it can be hard to understand. Bordeaux is in on the southwestern Atlantic coast, separated by the Gironde Estuary which splits into the Garonne and Dordogne Rivers. This is key because understanding wine here depends on knowing the Right (of the Dordogne) and Left (of the Garonne) Banks. The most famous Cabernets come from the Mèdoc on the Left Bank- we have wines named after their villages: Pauillac, Margaux, St-Estephe, St. Julian, Pessac-Lèognan. You will find these names along with the name of their Château (winery) on the label. You may also find the region name, Mèdoc, hyphenated with other names of smaller appellations/villages. These wines will all be blends of up to 5 wines: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, Malbec, with Cabernet Sauvignon being the primary grape in the blend. On the Right Bank, the primary grape is Merlot, the best of which come from the villages of Pomerol and St. Emillion. These are also blends, seeking out a bit more Cabernet Franc. Other villages that have good quality Right Bank Merlots are Côte de Blaye, Côte de Bourg, Fronsac, and Castillon. 
 
My Favorite Pinot Noir
Burgundy is to Pinot as Bordeaux is to Cabernet. The best Pinots in the world are found in Burgundy, in Eastern France surrounding the charming town of Beaune (a great homebase for exploring the region). Here the, Côte de Or is broken into 2 sections the Côte de Nuit and the Côte de Beaune. The best & most famous come from the Côte de Nuit. The village gives the wine the name here too, many are tiny doting the slope surrounded by vines. Look for names, such as Nuit St. George, Gevrey-Chambertin, Marsannay, Vosne-Romanèe, Vougeot, Chambolle-Musigny, Fixin and Morey-Saint-Denis. Côte de Beaune villages that are know for Pinot include: Aloxe-Corton, Beaune, Pommard, Volnay. Further south of the Côte de Or, the Côte Chalonnaise, makes excellent and more affordable Pinot, look for the villages of Rully & Mercurey. For all of these, you will find a village wine that will have one of these names on it, along with the Domaine (producer). Going up the quality chain, Premier Cru is next and Grand Cru is the highest quality. You will also wines simply labeled by the name of the village or as Bourgogne which will be a blend of wines from anywhere in the region. Don’t shy away from these, they are good values and are consistent from year to year- important in an area where weather makes paying attention to vintage year a thing you need to do. 
 
GSM Fan
We have come to understand and grow to love GSMs: Grenache, Syrah, & Mourvèdre. Maybe we have Paso Robles to thank for that? Southern France is the home to these gems- together and as separate varietals. Again, we turn to the geography of another river: The Rhone. The Northern Rhone is home to Syrahs- almost 100% Syrah, with some having a little bit of white thrown in. Again, we thank villages for the name of the wines. If you want a French Syrah, you’ll need to look for Hermitage, Côte Rotie (these 2 are the best), Croze Hermitage, St-Joseph, and Cronas. For the GSM blend, head to the Southern Rhone, where Grenache is usually the most prominent grape, with some Cinsault & Carginan often added. The king here is Châteauneuf de Pape (also a village), which is actually a blend of up to 13 varietals. Other villages to look for are Gigondas and Vacqueras, and the good news is that the basic Côte de Rhône wines are often great all on their own, no village needed. Further west, the Languedoc region also makes great GSMs- I like the ones from Minervios and Corbières. I would be remiss without noting that many Rosès are some form of GSMs and the best come from Southern France. 
 
Everybody Needs a White Sometime
Of course, there is white wine in France without bubbles and it is regionally determined as well. Chardonnayhere is different from the Chard you might be used to. If you like a stainless steel, minerally one, look to Chablis, the most northern appellation in Burgundy. The Chards from the Côte de Beaune are beautifully balanced and will make you change your mind about the oft-maligned varietal. The classics come from the villages of Chassagne-Montratchet, Meursault, and Puligny-Montrachet. Sauvignon Blanc comes from 2 regions: Bordeaux and the Loire. A white Bordeaux will be a lovely blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, it has a richness that many SBs exchange for acidity. Turn to the Loire’s Sancerre or Pouilly-Fuisse for more acid and minerality in your Sauvignon Blancs. Also in the Loire are lovely Chenin Blancs. The most common villages to look for on the label are Touraine & Vourvray. The northwestern region of Alsace is home to Rieslings, Pinot Gris (same grape as Pinot Grigio), Pinot Blanc, or Gwurztraminer and for once, the name of the grape will be on the label! 
 
This is just a primer on French wines- there are so many other places and wines, but I wanted to keep this somewhat shorter than a peer-reviewed journal article. Take this column to your local wine store and browse away. Choose a wine that piques your interest, is in your price point and get to know the varietals you already love, just made in the French style. As you sip away contemplate how the style may have evolved and then grab something to munch on- French wine is made for food! But that is a whole other column…