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A
Quick guide to understanding, choosing and drinking Wine...
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...concentrating
on our local wines of the Loire Valley
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There
are four main classifications of wine:
Natural
still wines -
Alcoholic content 14% or less. Improve after bottling.
Sparkling - e.g. Champagne
Fortified -
Alcohol increased by adding brandy
Aromatized -
e.g. Vermouth. Alcoholic content 15 1/2 to 20%.
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How
to read a French Wine Label
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The
label of a bottle of wine is strictly controlled by the government
to guarantee a wine's origin and vintage, or in other words, its
flavor and quality.
As an example, look at the French Bordeaux label you see above:
1. Appellation Bordeaux Supérier Controlée -
The name of the A.O.C. (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) wine-growing
region, district, or village to which the wine is entitled according
to how it was produced. For example, a wine from the Saint-Èmilion
district would be labeled "Appellation Saint-Èmilion
Contrôlée."
2. 75 cl. - Volume of wine. 75 cl is
equal to 750 ml, which is the standard size of a wine bottle.
3. 11% vol. - Percentage of alcohol
by volume.
4. L. 69 B 30 - Lot number.
5. Mis en bouteille au château -
means that it is bottled on the chateau itself instead of: "mis
en bouteille
à la propriété" (bottled at the property), "mis
en bouteille dans la région de production" (bottled in
the region of production), or "mis en bouteille dans nos caves"
(bottled in our cellars).
6. France - Country of origin.
7. Château Beausoleil - The château
name. Either the regional appellation or a brand name will be used
if not a chateau wine.
8. 1990 - The year in which the grapes
were harvested (all of them must be from that year)
9. Grand Vin de Bordeaux - "Grand
Vin"
followed by the appellation, most often simply "Grand Vin de
Bordeaux."
If you're fortunate enough to be drinking one of these . I envy you.
10. Picture of the chateau |
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The
main wine grape growing areas in France are
Alsace (fine
white)
Loire (moderately priced reds
and whites)
Southern France (inexpensive
table wines)
Rhône (wines that match
strongly flavoured foods)
Bordeaux and Burgundy (arguably
the best wines in the world) |
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| La
Roche-Bernard is only a 30-minute drive from the westernmost vineyards
of the Loire Valley, and the locals tend to choose Muscadet, Sauvignon
Blanc and wines from Bordeaux in prefernence to those from other
regions. |
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Loire
Valley Wines
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The
sheer diversity of Loire wines comes as a surprise to many of our
visitors. The choice includes red, white and rosé,
dry, medium and sweet, and even pétillant and sparkling.
Muscadet
Made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape, this is a standard accompaniment
to a platter of fruits de mer. The better Muscadets are
from Sèvre-et-Maine, labelled sur
lie, meaning that the pressed juice is left throughout the winter
on the lees in the vat before bottling in the spring: this gives
a fuller flavour and adds zing to this light, straw-coloured and
acidic wine. From the same area, around Nantes, the Folle Blanche
grape is used to make the very acidic Gros
Plant white wine - equally delicious, but it needs to be drunk
at the right temperature!
Anjou and Saumur
Anjou is best known internationally for the mass-market sales of
its sweetish pink Anjou Rosé (
along with Mateus Rosé and Blue Nun, the curse of seventies
wine-and-cheese parties!) However there is a very much better product
from the same area - the dry white Savennières,
made just west of Angers from Chenin Blanc grapes, which are at their
best after a decade in the bottle.
Challenging Champagne in popularity are the sparkling Saumur brut (dry)
sparkling wines, some even owned by Champagne houses.
The Cabernet Franc grape is grown for light quaffable red wines,
such as Saumur Rouge and Saumur-Champigny,
often drunk chilled in summer.
Touraine
The Cabernet Franc seems to have more character and depth of flavour
further upstream around Chinon, Bourgeuil and St-Nicholas-de-Bourgeuil.
When allowed to mature, their complexity approaches that of fine
Burgundies.
Around Vouvray and Montlouis,
the Chenin Blanc grape is transformed into classy dry, demi-sec (medium-dry),
sweet and mousseux (sparkling) white wines. When it comes
to value for money, try the refreshing Sauvignon
de Touraine - one of our favourite tipples - a clean-tasting
white wine that is a particular pleasure to drink in summer.
Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé
Some of the best Sauvignon Blanc wines
in the world are produced here, in the eastern extremes of the Loire
vineyards, with their leafy freshness and elegant balance.
Other wines
Hidden away in the Layon Valley are the well-priced dessert wines
of the Coteaux-du-Layon. On the Loire,
the locals are fiercely proud of their unusual Jasnières (pronounced
Jannyair). Near Bourges, the Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris grapes
make Quincy, Reuilly and Menetou-Salon wines;
these dry white and light reds are less expensive than similar Sancerres. |
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French
Wine Dictionary
some
useful terms to know....
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acerbe/astringent:
tart
acrid: pronounced acidity
apéritif: appetizer
Appelation d'Origine or Appelation
Controle: label term signifying origin and legal right to
the name
assertive: upfront, bold
balanced: fruit, acid, wood flavors
in the right proportion
bouquet/nose: aroma; sève/palate--flavor
and body
buttery: flavor and mouth feel, usually
Chardonnay
chambrer: bringing reds to room temperature
(65-68) gradually
charnu/ full bodied, big, rich, fills
the mouth; léger/light: thin
chateau-bottled: usually Bordeaux,
bottled on estate where the grapes are grown
chewy: rich, heavy, tannic, full-bodied
coupé/blended: similar wines
married for uniform quality; cuvée--the
blend
corps/body--richness in alcohol, flavor
corsé: full bodied
crisp: fresh, young
cru: growth or vineyard
complex: all flavor components in
harmony
coulant/attractive: easy to drink
delicate: light- weight with nice
flavor
depth: subtle, complex, concentrated
layers of flavor; thin: lacks body
and depth
domaine: followed by a name indicates
ownership
elegant: grace, balance but not longevity
fading: losing colour, fruit or flavour
finish/aftertaste: taste remaining
after swallowing. Long, lingering finish indicates good quality;
short: not remaining on the palate
flat: low acidity or sparkling wine
that has lost its bubbles
fruity: body, richness with some sweetness--
apples, berries or herbs
goût: taste; bon
goût--good taste; goût
de bois-- woody taste; de bouchon--corky
( from diseased cork even in fine wines); d'évent--flat
from contact with air; de pierre à fusil:
flinty--found in Chablis; de pique--vinegary; de
terroir--earthy, usually reds
heady: smell of high alcohol content
legs: viscous droplets that form on
sides of the glass when wine is swirled
mou: flabby, lacking in character; mouillé:
watered
musty: mouldy, unpleasant smell
oxidized: stale, "off,"--too
much contact with air
pourriture noble/noble rot: over-ripe
grapes making very sweet Sauternes
robust: full-bodied, intense, vigorous
sediment: natural deposits. Decanting:
transferring to decanter for serving.
tannin: acid found especially in reds
necessary for aging (dry sensation)
tasting tip: go from light to fuller
bodied, whites before reds, dry to sweet
toasty/oaky: hint of wooden barrel,
usually dry whites
usé: passed its peak
velouté/velvety: rich flavour,
silky texture
verte/green: usually too young to
drink
vin/wine: naturally fermented juice
from pressed grapes. du pays: regional
wines drunk locally; de goutte: last
pressing, poor quality; de garde:
worth aging; cuit: concentrated, added
to improve other wines; doux: sweet; mousseux:
sparkling; ordinaire: table wine; sec:
dry
vintage wines: dated bottle, entirely
from one harvest only in the best years |
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Finally,
some advice on ordering wine in a restaurant |
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| Restaurant
wine lists can be very confusing, especially when they are presented
to you in a large, leather-bound tome containing dozens of pages!
Just remember that they are merely a list of all the drinks available
in that particular restaurant. After all, a wine list should not
be judged by its length.
A short list that has been carefully compiled is much better. |
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The
key to successfully negotiating a heavy wine list is to ask the
wine waiter for guidance. A knowledgeable sommelier will
be delighted to help you chose a wine that matches your tastes.
He or she may even suggest wines that go particularly well with
the food you have chosen.
A few general hints that will help you order the wine that is right
for you:
• Don't rush. Savour the experience.
• Get the wine waiter on your side and openly ask for
advice.
• There's no need to worry about what wine goes with what
food. Most wine menus follow the traditional sequence of listing
aperitifs first, main course wines next and digestifs (liqueurs)
last.
• If you're concerned about matching the right wine with
your chosen meal, use the following, very general guidelines. Cabernet
Sauvignons and Merlots are good, red all-rounders and Chardonnays
or the drier Sauvignon Blancs usually come up with reliable whites.
• If you're still in any doubt about which wine to plump
for, bear in mind that the house wines are probably a very good bet.
They can also be relied upon to provide good value for money. Restaurateurs
normally choose their house wines with great care and attention to
detail. They appreciate that these wines reflect significantly on
the general standards of their restaurants.
• The bottom line is: relax! Order only what you and your
guests enjoy and don't feel pressed to spend beyond your budget. |
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