This presentation gives you important statistics and information about wines from different regions of France and also varieties of grapes used to produced these wines.

1. Food & Beverage Service
*Wines of France*
Presentation by:
Bristi Bhattacharya

2. Introduction
• Of all wine producing countries of the
world, France is undoubtedly the number
one.
• Wine is an essential part of life of the
French people. It is commonly available in
cafes in France, served in carafe or in
glass. It is used in variety of culinary
French preparations.
• Wines have been an important part of
France, nearly for 2000 years now.
• French wines are categorized into- Vin de
table, Vin de pays, VDQS (Vins Délimité
de Qualité Supérieure) and AC
(Appellation Contrôlée).

3. Terroir
• It is the single most important aspect that makes the French wines
very different from wines of other countries.
• This is a very vague term (which cannot be translated to English),
referring to geology of soil, micro & macro climate of the place
(vineyard).
• Factors such as amount of rainfall, amount of soil, heat retention,
drainage, topography, etc. are together termed as Terroir.
• With highest respect for land, French winemakers attribute every
character of a wine to the soil. Hence, most of the French wines are
named after the place instead of the grape, because the place is an
important aspect.
• Alsace is an exception, as it names its wines after the grape.

4. Few examples of Terroir

5. Grape Variety Region(s)
Cabernet Sauvignon Bordeaux; Southwest
France; Languedoc
Cabernet Franc Loire Valley; Bordeaux;
Southwest France
Carignan Rhône Valley; Southern
France
Cinsault Rhône Valley; Southern
France
Gamay Beaujolais
France’s Major Red Grape Varieties Grape Variety Region(s)
Grenache Rhône Valley;
Southern France
Merlot Bordeaux; Southwest
France; Languedoc
Malbec Southwest France;
Bordeaux
Mourvèdre Rhône Valley;
Southern France
Pinot Noir Burgundy;
Champagne
Syrah Rhône Valley;
Southern France
Varietals

7. Grape Variety Region(s)
Chardonnay Burgundy; Champagne;
Languedoc
Chenin Blanc Loire Valley
Sauvignon Blanc Bordeaux; Loire Valley;
southwestern France;
Languedoc
Gewürztraminer Alsace
Pinot Gris Alsace
France’s Major White Grape Varieties
Grape Variety Region(s)
Pinot Blanc Alsace
Muscadet Loire Valley
Riesling Alsace
Roussanne Rhône Valley
Sémillon Bordeaux; Southwest
France
Viognier Rhône Valley;
Languedoc

8. Regions

9. 1.Bordeaux
• It is the capital of ancient province of Aquitaine and lies on the bend of river
Garonne in south-west France.
• It produces about 70% AC quality wines of which 2
/3
rd
are red and the rest are
white. The reds produced here are known as claret.
• The wines of this region are named with the word château (estate).
• The main black grape varieties used are:
~Cabernet sauvignon ~Cabernet Franc ~Merlot ~Petit Verdot
(The blend of the Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot is called
Red Bordeaux Blend).
• The main white grape varieties used are:
~Sauvignon ~Sémillon ~Muscadelle

11. Wine producing districts of Bordeaux
• Medoc (Haut Medoc)
~Pauillac: Reds with superb bouquet. E.g. Château Lafite.
~Saint- Estephe: Fruity and full-bodied reds. E.g. Château Montrose.
~Saint- Julien: Wines of greatness & lovely fragrance. E.g. Château Ducru-
Beaucaillou.
~Margaux: Smooth, elegant and lighter wine with fine bouquet. E.g. Lascombes.
• Graves
~Sauternes: One of the greatest sweetest wines of the world. E.g. Château
d’Yquem.
• Libournais
~Saint- Emilion: Reds with superb bouquet. E.g. Château Lafite.
~Pomerol: Reds are full-bodied with good bouquet. E.g. Château Pétrus.
~Fronsac, Bourg and Blaye: Robust red and white wines. E.g. Château Ducru-
Beaucaillou.
• Entre-Deux-Mers
~Saint-Croix-du-Mont: Sweet wines. E.g. Château Montrose.

13. 2.Burgundy (Bourgogne)
• Burgundy comes from the long stretch of vineyards about 200 km located
between Dijon in the north and yon in the south.
• Burgundy being relatively in the north receives insufficient sunshine
resulting in less sugar in grapes which is inadequate to get respectable
alcohol level.
• To overcome low sugar conditions, the wine producers are allowed to ass
sugar during fermentation. This is known as chaptilisation.
• Most of the wines produced here are red, which are full- bodied and heavier
compared to claret.
• The main black grape varieties used are:
~Pinot Noir ~Gamay
• The main white grape varieties used are:
~Chardonnay ~Aligoté
• The well-known whites include:
~Chablis ~Meursault ~Pouilly- Fuissé

14. Wine producing districts of Burgundy
• Côte de Nuits
Fruity full-bodied red wines with good color, bouquet and fineness. These wines
have good keeping quality and develop smoothness as they mature. E.g. Clos de
Vougeot.
• Côte de Beaune
Whites are more popular from this region. Wines are fruity and mature faster. E.g.
Le Corton.
• Côte Chalonnaise
~Mercurey & Givry: Known for reds. E.g. Clos Charlé.
~Rully & Montagny: Known for whites. E.g. Les Millières.
(In Rully, sparkling wines are also produced which are sweeter and fuller- bodied
than the champagne. These sparkling wines are called Crémant de Bourgogne).
• The Mâcconaise
Light, dry white and inexpensive wines. E.g. Pouilly- Fuissé. (It is fuller with earthy
note and less flinty than Chablis).

15. • Beaujolais
~Saint- Amour: Early maturing wines. E.g. Les Thevenins.
~Chénas: Deep-colored red wines with mild flavor. E.g. Château Bonnet.
~Chiroubles: Full-bodied reds with fruity flavors. E.g. Chiroubles.
~Fleurie: Flowery and elegant wines. E.g. Aux Quatre Vents.
~Moulin-à-Vent: Greatest wines with deep color and full flavor and has good keeping quality.
E.g. Château Carquelins.
~Juliénas: Fruity and rich wines. E.g. Les Captains.
~Brouilly: (Largest cru) Soft and light wines. E.g. Château de la Chaize.
~Côte de Brouilly: Stronger wines. E.g. Château Thivin.
• Chablis
One of the best regions in the world for dry white wines.
Pale yellow in color with delicate flinty flavor. Ideal with shellfish & smoked fish
preparations.
E.g. Les Valery.

17. 3.Alsace
• It is a white wine area producing
fresh, dry, light, fine and aromatic
whites with light spiciness.
• Wines are named after the grape in
this region.
• This region lies in the northeast corner
of France and is separated from the
German border by the Rhine river.
• The noble grape varieties of this
region are:
~Riesling ~Gewürztraminer ~Pinot
Blanc ~Sylvaner ~Pinot Gris (Tokay
d’Alsace) ~Muscat

20. https://vimeo.com/11074844
0

21. 4.Champagne

24. 5.Rhone Valley
• This region spreads from Lyon in the north to Avignon in the south.
• The main black grape varieties used are:
~Carignan ~Cinsault ~Counoise ~Grenache ~Syrah ~Marselan
~Mourvèdre
~Muscardian ~Picpoul
• The main white grape varieties used are:
~Viognier ~Roussanne ~Marsenne ~Bourboulenc ~Clairette
• The reds are heavy, full-bodied, dark in color, and rich in flavor with high
alcohol content. The lighter, fruitier reds are best drunk young.
• The whites are dry and grapey with good fragrance.
• Rosé wines are dry with an orange rather than a pink tinge.

25. Communes of Northern Rhone
(north to south)
• Côte Rôtie: Fragrant red wines from Syrah.
• Condrieu: Dry white wine exclusively from Viognier having powerful bouquet of
flowers and
apricots.
• Château Grillet: Best aromatic whites exclusively from Viognier, matured in oak
at least for 2 years.
• Saint Joseph: Soft, fruity and spicy flavored reds from Syrah.
• Crozes- Hermitage: Red and whites from Syrah, Marsanne, and Roussanne.
• Hermitage: Intense, full-bodied reds with smoky and spicy aroma from Syrah
with maximum of 15% Marsanne and Roussanne permitted. Whites from
Marsanne and Roussanne have stone fruit and pear aroma.
• Cornas: Red wines exclusively from Syrah. Matured in 2 years in wooden
casks.
• St. Péray: White dry sparkling wines.
• Clairette de Die: Produces sparkling wines and is located along the Drome
River.

27. Communes of Southern Rhone
(north to south)
• Triscatin: Medium- bodied reds. Small quantities of whites and rosé are also
produced.
• Rasteau: Vin Doux Naturels from Grenache by adding spirit to stop the
fermentation before sugar is converted into alcohol. It results in a sweet wine of
higher alcoholic strength. Also produces reds, whites and rosé.
• Gigondas: Reds of higher alcoholic content having fruity flavor with dark plum
color.
• Beaumes-de-Venise: Sweet fortified wines known as Vin Doux Naturel from
Muscat. Made from late harvested grapes and is drunk young.
• Vacqueyras: Rustic reds.
• Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Reds with higher alcoholic content, made from mixture
of grapes having more portion of Grenache. 13 grape varieties are permitted in
its preparation.
• Lirac : Reds similar to Châteauneuf-du-Pape and also rosé. It is drunk young.
• Tavel: Rosé having higher alcoholic content and onion skin color (most famous
rosé of France).

29. 6. Loire Valley
• Loire is the longest river in France and joins the ocean at Nantes.
Most of the Loire benefits from soil types and the micro climate.

30. Wine producing districts of Loire
• Nantes
Native for Muscadet grapes.
Best wine is entitled to appellation Muscadet de Sèvre-et-Maine. Whites that does
not have much of acidity.
Relatively low alcohol content is regarded as quality wine.
Sur lie on the wine label means the wine has been stored on the lees in the barrel
which keeps the wine fresher and contributes extra bouquet.
• Anjou- Saumur
Anjou is well known for its flavorsome rosé from Cabernet and labeled as Cabernet
d’Anjou Rosé.
Savennière makes dry whites with good body from Chenin Blanc.
Côteaux du Lyon and Côteaux du L’Aubance produce sweet whites from Chenin
Blanc subjected to noble rot.
Saumur produces dry whites from Chenin Blanc and markets as Crémant de la
Loire. Also produces dry whites with slightly sweet aftertaste.

31. • Touraine
Dry whites from Sauvignon Blanc, rosé and medium red from Cabernet Franc or
Gamay, and sparkling from Chenin Blanc.
Chinon and Bourgueil are known for soft, light-bodied reds with a distinctive flavor,
and are made from Cabernet.
Vouvray produces light whites with honeyed character. Still and sparkling wine
styles are available. It has an attractive sparkle. The wines have an ability to
improve in the bottle up to 50years.
• Central Vineyard
Pouilly-sur-Loire wines are made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc and are bottled either
as Pouilly-Fume, Pouilly Blanc Fume, or Blanc Fume de Pouilly.
The wine made from Chasselas is labeled as Pouilly-sur-Loire.
Pouilly-Fume Saumur has delightful fragrance and distinctive tangy taste and smoky
flavor.
Sancerre produces lighter more delicate excellent dry whites from Sauvignon. It is
sometimes too sharp. It also produces less quantity of reds and rosé.
Quincy and Reuilly produce whites from Sauvignon.

32. Brands
• Moët & Chandon Champagne Imperial Brut
• Dom Pérignon Champagne Brut
• Veuve Clicquot Champagne Brut (Carte
Jaune)
• Château Mouton Rothschild Pauillac
• Bollinger
• Louis Roderer
• Laurent- Perrier
• Domaine Leroy Musigny
• Château Rayas
• Lac Cases
• Gayda
• Lamblin
• René Muré
• Vincent Morey & Sophie