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Countries index – Winemaking – Grapes
FRANCE: QUICK LINKS TO FRENCH REGIONS
There are thirteen wine regions in France and
over 300 appellations acknowledged by the INAO
(Institut National des Appellation d’Origine)
We shall examine twelve regions.
Image source: vineyards.com
| Alsace Beaujolais Bergerac – Cahors Bordeaux Burgundy Champagne Corse/Corsica | Jura Languedoc Loire Provence Rhone Savoie Minor areas |
[Alsa]
[Jura]
FRANCE REGION-BY-REGION
| Alsace [Strasbourg, NE France] Alsace has a heavy Germanic influence, and specialises mainly in white wines, which has been heavily influenced by its yoyoing between Germany and France. The WWII annexation delayed progress until the 1960s. Transportation along the river Rhine means that 25% of the production is exported. The Wine Route of Alsace is 170 kms long snaking through c70 communes.  Image source: Wikimedia Commons Alsace appellations: Alsace AOC [c80%], Alsace Grand Cru AOC [c5%] (from specified vineyards) and Crémant d’Alsace AOC [c15%] (sparkling) – by law AOC Alsace wines are always sold in a ‘Wine of the Rhine’ shaped bottle, called a Flute of Alsace. Since 1972, they have to be bottled in their production region. Thirteen communes have been given defined boundaries and are indicated on labels in addition to the AOC Alsace: Bergheim, Blienschwiller, Côtes de Barr, Côte de Rouffach, Coteaux du Haut-Koenigsbourg, Klevener de Heiligenstein, Ottrott, Rodern, Saint-Hippolyte, Scherwiller, Vallée Noble, Val Saint-Grégoire and Wolxheim. Grapes: Red: Pinot noir. White: Auxerrois blanc, Chardonnay, Chasselas, Gewürztraminer, Muscat, Pinot blanc, Pinot gris, Riesling, Savagnin, Sylvaner  Image source: vinsalsace.com | Jura [Arbois, E France] Tucked between Burgundy and the Swiss border. Jura has a cool climate, so that chaptalization (adding sugar) is sometimes a necessity to compensate for low sugar levels in under ripe vintages. Louis Pasteur was born and raised in the Jura region and owned a vineyard near Arbois.  Image source: decanter.com Jura appellations: Arbois, Château Chalon, L’Etoile, Côtes du Jura, Crémant du Jura, Macvin du Jura, Marc du Jura (Arbois and Côtes du Jura are the largest). Grapes: Red: Pinot Noir, Poulsard, Trousseau. White: Chardonnay (locally aka Gamay Blanc, Melon d’Arbois, Melon a Queue Rouge, Savagnin (aka Naturé).  Image source: winetravelmedia.com |
[Beau]
[Lang]
| Beaujolais [Villefranche-sur-Saône, N France] Some consider Beaujolais as a Burgundy, yet it is larger than any other Burgundy district. Some of it négociants are Burgunday-based. The first vine plantings in the Beaujolais were around Mount Brouilly, and up the Saône valley, by the Romans. Beaujolais developed markets along the Saône and Rhône, notably the town of Lyon. In the late 14th c, when the Duke of Burgundy decided to focus on planting the Pinot Noir grape variety, the Beaujolais in the south opted to plant only Gamay vines for its wine production. In the 1980s, Beaujolais hit a peak of popularity in the world’s wine market with its Beaujolais nouveau wine. Today, there appears to be a focus on Gamay grapes.  Image source: Beaujolais appellations: Beaujolais, Beaujolais-Villages, Brouilly, Côtes-de-Brouilly, Chénas, Choroubles, Fleurie, Juliénas, Morgon, Moulin-à-vent, Régnié and Saint-Amour. Plus Beaujolais-nouveau. Grapes: Red: Gamay, Gamay noir (a cross of Pinot noir and [white] Gouais) Pinot noir, Pinot Liébault White: Aligoté, Chardonnay, Melon de Bourgogne, Pinot Blanc, Pinot gris (aka Pinot Beurot)  Image source: chezbriarandmichel.com | Languedoc (aka Languedoc-Rouissillion) [Montpelier, S France] The largest worldwide vineyard – one in every ten bottles produced in the world during the 20th century originated from here! It produces more than a third of France’s total wine production. Languedoc wines can be traced back to the vineyards planted near Narbonne by Greeks in the fifth century BCE. The region of Languedoc has belonged to France since the thirteenth century, the Roussillon was acquired from Spain in the mid-seventeenth century. The two regions became one administrative region in the late 1980s.[  Image source: Wikimedia Commons Languedoc appellations: Banyuls, Blanquette de Limoux, Cabardès, Clairette de Bellegarde, Clairette du Languedoc, Collioure, Corbières, Costières-de-Nîmes, Côtes de la Maelpère, Côtes du Roussillon, Côtes du Roussillon Villages, Fitou, Limoux, Malepère, Maury, Minervois, Muscat de Lunel, Muscat de Frontignan, Muscat de Mireval, Muscat de Saint-Jean-de-Minervois, Picpoul de Pinet, Pic Saint-Loup, Rivesaltes, Terrasses du Larzac. Grapes: Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache Noir, Merlot, Mourvèdre, Syrah. White: Bourboulenc, Chardonnay, Chenin blanc, Clairette blanche, Grenache blanc, Grenache gris, Macabeo, Marsanne, Piquepoul blanc, Piquepoul gris, Rousanne, Sauvignon blanc, Vermentino, Viognier.  Image source: stonevine.co.uk |
[Berg]
[Loir]
| Bergerac–Cahors (South-West) [Bergerac and Cahors, SW France] Cahors was planted in 50 BCE by the Romans. In 1956, Cahors was hit by frosts that wiped out most of its vineyards , which thus needed to be replanted – Malbec became more dominant than it had been before. Cahors was awarded AOC status in 1971  Image source: thefiftybest.com Bergerac-Cahors appellations: Beregerac: Bergerac, Côtes-de-Bergerac, Côtes-de-Montravel, Haut-Montravel, Monbazillac, Montravel, Pécharmant, Rosette, Saussignac – and Cahors Grapes: Red: Auxerrois (aka Malbec), Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Côt (aka Malbec), Fer, Mérille, Negrette, Servadou – Malbec is often mixed with Merlot and Tannat. White: Chenin blanc, Mauzac, Muscadelle, Ondenc, Sauvignon blanc, Sémillon and Ugni blanc.  Image source: decanter.com | Loire: [Tours, C France] Romans planted the first vineyards in the Loire Valley during settlement of Gaul in the 1st c CE. The 965 kms stretch of the Loire River valley and its tributaries provides one of France’s top wine regions – often referred to as the ‘Garden of France’.  Image source: vineyards.com Loire appellations: Anjou-Saumur, Bourgueil, Châteaumelliant, Congac, Coteaux du Glaennois, Côtes d’Auvergne, Côtes du Forez, Côtes Roannaises, Menetou-Salon, Montlouis-sur-Loire, Muscadet, Orléanais, Pouilly-Fumé, Pouilly-sur-Loire, Quincy, Reuilly, Saint-Pourçain, Sancerre, Saumur, Saumur-Champigny, Savennières, Touraine, Valençay, Vouvray Grapes: Red: Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Grolleau, Négrette, Pineau d’Aunis, Pinot noir. White: Chasselas, Chenin blanc, Folle blanche, Grolleau gris, Madeleine Angevine, Melon de Bourgogne, Sauvignon blanc Notable wines: Chinon, Pouilly-Fumé, Sancerre. Vouvray.  Image source: foodandwine.com |
[Bord]
[Prov]
| Bordeaux [Bordeaux, SW France] Viticulture was introduced into the Bordeaux region by the Romans, in the mid-1st century CE – it has been producing wines ever since. During the 12th c, popularity of Bordeaux wines in England increased dramatically after the marriage in 1152 of Henry Plantagenet to Eleanor of Aquitaine, Eleanor’s lands included the Bordeaux region. As a result Bordeaux developed a long-lived export market for its wine in England. Graves had been the principal wine region then, and the main style was clairet – hence Brits use of ‘claret’.  Image source: wikimedia commons Bordeaux appellations: Médoc: Bas-Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Listrac-Médoc, Margaux, Médoc, Moulis, Pauillac, Saint-Estèphe, Saint-Julien. Rive-Droite: Canon-Fronsac, Côtes de Castillon, Côtes de Francs, Fronsac, Graves de Vayres, Lalande-de-Pomerol, Lussac, Lussac-Saint-Emilion, Montagne, Montagne-Saint-Emilion, Pomerol, Puisseguin-Saint-Emilion, Saint-Emilion, Saint-Georges, Saint-Georges-Saint-Emilion. Graves-Sauternes: Barsac, Cérons, Graves, Pessac-Léognan, Sauternes. Entre-deux-Mers: Bordeaux, Bordeaux-Haut-Benauge, Cadillac, Côtes de Blaye, Côtes-de-Bordeaux-Saint-Macaire, Côtes de Bourg, Entre-deux-Mers, Entre-deux-Mers-Haut-Benauge, Graves-de-Vayres, Loupiac, Passiac Léognan, Premières-Côtes-de-Bordeaux, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux. Grapes: Red: Arinarnoa, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Castets, Château-Clerc-Milon, Malbec, Marselan, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Touriga Nacional. White: Alvarinho, Colombard, Liliorila, Mauzac, Merlot blanc, Muscadelle, Ondenc, Petit Manseng, Sauvignon blanc, Sauvignon gris, Sémillon, Ugni blanc.  Image source: oliverstravels.com | Provence [Marseille, S France] Having produced wine for over 2,600 years, Provence is the oldest wine-producing region of France. The Phoenicians started it, the Greeks continued it, the Romans called the area provincia nostra (our province) – hence Provence. Provence sits along France’s Mediterranean coast, with the Rhône River to its west and the Côte d’Azur to its east. At the end of the 19th century, the phylloxera epidemic devastated the region’s viticulture. Some 88% of today’s Provence wine production is rosé.  Image source: winefolly.com Provence appellations: Bandol, Bellet, Cassis, Côte de Provence, Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence, Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence, Les Baux-en-Provence, Coteaux de Pierrevert, Coteaux Varois en Provence, Luberon, Pallette. Grapes: Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Cinsault, Counoise, Grenache Noir, Marsanne, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Tannat, Tiboouren. White: Bourboulenc, Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Rolle, Roussanne, Sauvignon blanc, Semillón, Ugni Blanc (aka Trebbiano), Vermentino. Notable wines Bandol’s reds and Cassis’s white.  Image source: Wikimedia Commons |
[Burg]
[Rhon]
| Burgundy/Bourgogne [Dijon, EC France] Evidence establishes viticulture in Burgundy as early as the 2nd c CE, although some suggest the Celts may have been growing vines in the region priorto the Roman conquest of Gaul in 51 BCE. There are c100 appellations in Burgundy classified into four quality categories Bourgogne, Village, Premier Cru, Grand Cru.  Image source: vineyards.com Burgundy/Bourgogne appellations: Bourgogne: Bourgogne aligoté, Bourgogne mousseux, Bourgogne passe-tout-grains, Coteaux-bourguignons, Crémant de Bourgogne. Côte Chalonnaise: Bouzeron, Givry, Mercurey, Montagny, Rully. Côte-de-Beaune: Aloxe-Corton, Auxey-Duresses, Beaune, Blagny, Chassagne-Montrachet, Chorey-lès-Beaune, Côte-de-Beaune, Ladoix, Maranges, Meursault, Monthélie, Pernand-Vergelesses, Pommard, Puligny-Montrachet, Saint-Aubin, Saint-Romain, Santenay, Savigny-lès-Beaune, Volnay. Côte de Nuits: Chambolle-Musigny, Fixin, Gevrey-Chambertin, Marsannay, Morey-Saint-Denis, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Vosnes-Romanée, Vougeot. Mâconnais: Pouilly-Fuissé, Pouilly-Loché, Pouilly-Vinzelles, Saint-Véran, Viré-Clessé. [Some consider Beaujolais to be Burgundian.] Grapes: Red: César, Gamay, Pinot noir White: Aligoté, Chardonnay, Melon, Pinot blanc, Pinot gris, Sacy, Sauvignon blanc  Image source: europeanwaterways.com | Rhone [Lyon, C France] The first vine planting here was around 600 BCE. Some suggested that the Greeks brought the Syrah grape from the Persian city of Shiraz. Others suggested the grape came from the Sicilian city of Syracuse, that in c280 CE the Romans brought it and the Viognier grape. DNA typing and viticultural research has established that Syrah originated in the Rhône region itself.  Image source: vineyards.com Rhone appellations: Beaumes-de-Venise, Cairanne, Château-Grillet, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Châtillon-en-Dios, Clairette de Ballegarde, Clairette de Die, Condrieu, Cornas, Costières-de-Nimes, Côte du Rhône-Villages, Côte-Rôtie, Côtes du Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Village, Côtes du Viverais, Coteaux du Tricastin, Crozes-Hermitage, Gigondas, Grignan-Les Adhemar, Hermitage, Laudun, Lirac, Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, Rasteau, Saint-Joseph, Saint-Péray, Tavel, Vacqueyras, Vinsobres AOC. Grapes: Red: Carignan, Cinsault, Gamay, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Picpoul, Syrah, Terret Noir. White: Aligoté, Bourboulenc, Chardonnay, Clairette blanche, Marsanne, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, Picardan, Piquepol blanc, Picquepol gris, Rousanne, Ugni blanc, Viognier.  Image source: pariswinecup.com |
[Cham]
[Savo]
| Champagne [Reims, N France] The Carolingian (751-987) reign saw periods of prosperity for the Champagne region, that began with Charlemagne’s encouragement for the area to start planting vines. The coronation of his son Louis the Pious at Reims, started a tradition of crowning kings at Reims, and this contributed to the reputation of the wines from this area. Pope Urban II (1088-99 CE), a native Champenois, declared that the wine of Aÿ in the Marne département was the best wine produced in the world. For a time Aÿ was used as the designation for wines from the Champagne region, similar to the Beaune being used for Burgundy.  Image source: vineyards.com Champagne appellations: Champagne AOC: Côte de l’Aube, Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne, Montagne de Reims, Vallée de l’Ardre, Vallée de la Marne, Vallée de la Vesle, Rosé des Riceys, Troyes. Grand Cru: Ambonnay, Avize, Aÿ, Beaumont-sur-Vesle, Bouzy, Chouilly, Cramant, Louvois, Mailly Champagne, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger, Oiry, Puisieulx, Sillery, Tours-sur-Marne, Verzenay, Verzy, Grapes: Red: Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir. White: Arbane, Chardonnay, Petit Meslier, Pinot blanc, Pinot gris.  Image source: blog.chwine.com | Savoie [Chambéry, E France] Savoie is more famous for its winter tourism than its vines. It is located just south of Lac Léman (Lake Geneva) and the border with Switzerland. Three-quarters of the region’s wines are white. This is because most red varieties would struggle to ripen properly in Savoie’s cooler climate.  Image source: Savoie appellations: Abymes (or Les Abymes), Apremont, Arbin, Ayze, Bugey, Chautagne, Chignin, Chignin-Bergeron, Crépy, Cruet, Frangy, Jongieux, Marignan, Marin, Montmélian, Ripaille, Roussette de Savoie Monterminod, Saint-jean-de-la-porte, Saint-jeoire-prieuré, Vin de Savoie. Grapes: Red: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Douce Noire, Gamay noir, Gringet, Joubertin, Merlot, Mondeuse, Mondeuse d’Arbin, Persan, Pinot noir, Poulsard. White: Aligoté, Altesse (aka Roussette), Chardonnay, Chasselas, Frühroter Veltliner, Jacquère, Molette, Mondeuse d’Arbin, Pinot gris, Pinot noir, Roussanne (locally aka Bergeron), Verdesse.  Image source: visitfrenchwine.com |
[Cors]
[Mino]
| Corse [Ajaccio , S France] Phoenicians began wine-making here in 570 BCE, in what is now the Aléria commune. During the 7th/8th c CE, the island came under Islamic rule, and alcohol was proscribed. In the Middle Ages, Corsica became ruled by Pisa, then Genoa. It is suggested that it was then that a clone of the Sangiovese grape was introduced to the island which became Nielluccio.  Image source: vineyards.com Corse appellations: Ajaccio, Coteaux du Cap Corse, Muscat du Cap Corse, Patrimonio, and Vin de Corse (Calvi, Figari, Porto Vecchio, Sartène). Grapes: Red: Aleatico, Barbarossa, Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Nielluccio, Sciacarello, Syrah, White: Muscat, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, Ugni blanc, Vermentino – and reintroduction of archaic Corsican Brustiano bianco, from Licronaxu found on Sardinia.  Image source: wine-searcher.com | Minor wine-growing areas: Lorraine: – often linked with Alsace. Appellations: Côtes de Meuse, Côtes de Moselle, Côtes de Toul, Moselle, Vin de Pays de la Meuse. Grapes: Red: Gamay, Pinot Meunier, Pinot noir. White: Aubin, Auxerrois, Chardonnay, Chenin blanc, Elbling, Gewurztraminer, Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris. – – – Madiran: [Gascony] Appellations: Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh, Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Sec Grapes: Red: Cabernet Franc (aka Bouchy), Cabernet Sauvignon, Fer (aka Pinenc), Tannat (60%) White: Arrufiac, Courbu, Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng, Sauvignon blanc, Sémillon. – – – |
Wines of France
Image source: winefolly.com
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