A wee guide to French wines

H i   e v e r y b o d y,
 

Today, I have decided to write about one of the most important key point of the French culture: the Wine. I am delighted to raise this subject because :

- It’s friday so... do you know a better way to start the week end than with a glass of good wine for the “apéritif”?

- I feel nostalgic about French wine, because even if in Glasgow you can find several wines in shops, in my opinion prices and quality are not as enjoyable as in France.

- Finally, I find that the wine topic is really interesting. Last year, with my university, I worked for the communication strategy of a vineyard estate. I loved discovering all subtleties of each wine.

I will try to offer you a wee guide about French wine, for anyone who wants to start leaning about wine in an unformal and friendly way! I hope it will help you to be more comfortable in the French section of your local wine shop.

Wine for beginners, have a look!

First thing to know: Wines in France are named for the region and/or subregion from which they come, rather than the varietal of grape used. You can find several regions for wines in France:

• Alsace : The region is known for its acidic, spicy whites with flavors of apples and citrus, made from traditional German winemaking grapes. The wines may be sweet dessert style wines or dry wines.

• Bordeaux : probably the most well-known of all France’s wine regions.

• Burgundy/Bourgogne : famous for Pinot Noir wines, deep purple wines with flavor of plums, tobacco, earth and dark fruit.

• Champagne : this region produces sparkling wines. Sparklers from Champagne offer flavors of vanilla, biscuits and citrus, bubbling up with a refreshing effervescence.

• Loire : Famous for its white wines, and has multiple subregions, including Sancerre and Muscadet

• Languedoc : This region produces many French table wines made from blends of red grapes such as Mourvèdre, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Grenache.

• Provence : This region offers dry, fruity reds and blush wines made from Syrah, Cinsault, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Tibouren. Most of them are consumed as table wines in France.

Some tricks to savoure your wine…

Concerning the glassware…

Each wine has something unique to offer to your senses. Most wine glasses are specifically shaped to accentuate their defining characteristics. Even if wine can be savored in any glass, a wine glass will help you to better experience its nuances. 

What about temperature ?

Reds and whites are consumed at quite different temperatures. I won’t give you detailed information about the exact wine services temperatures, because I guess not everyone has a thermometer on hand... A good rule to note is that white wines should be chilled before drinking and red wines should be have time to rise in temperature. 

More concretely?
 

Put your whites in the refrigerator for half an hour and take your reds out of the refrigerator for half an hour !

Dessert wines, sparkling wines and rosés are best enjoyed at a cooler temperature than whites.

Did you say preservation ?

When you have leftover wine in the bottle, preservation is key.

As wine comes into contact with air, it quickly spoils. To slow down the deterioration process, use a quick vacuum pump to suck out the excess air. The less air in the bottle, the longer the wine’s lifespan.
You don't have a vacuum pump ? No worries ! I assure you that there won’t be a lot of wine at the bottom of the bottle if you manage to choose a good one ;) 

 S t a y   t u n e d !