The character of any wine is influenced by the soil, the climate and the art of the viniculturist, but nothing will dictate its flavour more than the variety or varieties of the grape from which it is made. So our first table shows you the various varieties of grape used in viniculture, as it is necessary to understand that each variety can produce different flavours.

Red Grapes

White Grapes

Cabernet Franc- Red wines from the Loire (Anjou, Bourgueil, Saumur) and also in Bordeaux wines Cabernet Sauvignon - The great red Bodeaux grape, often blended with other varieties. Carigan The traditional grape variety of southern French regions such as Minervois, Corbiéres and in particular - Fitou Cinsault - One of the oldest south of France varieties Gamay - Red Beaujolais Grenache - Found in many Rhône Vally wines, usually blended Malbec - Once overlooked in its traditional heartland of Cahors, this spicy variety is now attracting attention elsewhere in France. Merlot - Bordeaux, St.Emilion, Pomerol and Bordeaux blends, Merlot is also blended with Syrah in some wines from the South Mourverde - Very well known in the Rhône Valley. It is one of the older grape-varieties present in France. Pinot Noir - Red Burgendy and blended into Champagne Syrah - Rhône and Languedoc wines, usually blended

Chardonnay - Classic grape for white burgendy and wines from the South of France Chenin Blanc - Sweeter wines from the Loire and excellent dry wines Clairette - A southern grape-variety. It is one of the oldest. It is used with others in white and rosé wines of Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence and Rhône Valley. Gewürztraminer - An Alsace grape that produces both dry and sweet wines and is easily recognisable by its unusually oily texture Gros Manseng - Best known for its usein the wines of Jurançon Marsanne - White Hermitage and Croze Hermitage from the Rhône Muscat - This variety gives a truly grapey-tasting wine Pinot Blanc - An Alscae variety that is like a less fruity Chadonnay Pinot Gris - Produces a peary, gently spicey wines of Alsace Sauvignon Blanc - Great white Loire wines (Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé) and some white bordeaux where it is often blended with Sémillon Semillon - A rich, peachy, honeyed grape that shines in sweet white Bordeaux Ugni Blanc - Under the name of "Saint-Emilion" it is the predominant in Cognac. Ugni Blanc grows also in Languedoc, Provence and Corsica where vinegrowers use it for its freshness. Viognier - An extraordinary floral, apricoty grape used in Condrieu and a growing number of country wines from southern France

Once you have chosen the grape variety you prefer, then it is a great advantage to be able to understand the words and abbreviations on the label. So the next list will make you aware of these terms:

AC - Appellation Contrôlée AOC - Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée Barrique - 225 litre oak cask Blanc de blanc - White wine from White grapes Blanc de Noirs - White Wine from Red Grapes Brut - Dry (Usually for sparkling wines)Cave - Cellar Cave - Cellar Cave cooperative - Cooperative Cellar Cépage - Grape Variety Chai - Warehouse for storing wine, usually in barrels, above ground Châteaux estate.: It may or may not have a manor house Château Cuvé - Property usually making/bottling its own Clos - Walled vineyard (walls may have been lost in time) Coteaux - Hillsides Côte - Slope of a hill Crémant - Sparkling Cuve - Wine Vat or Tank Cru Classé - Classification used for Médoc properties Cuve - Wine Vat or Tank Cuvée - Blend Cuve Close - A bulk method for producing sparkling wines Demi-Sec - Semi-dry Domaine - Property usually making/bottling its own wine Doux - Sweet Élevage - Maturation & pre bottling treatment Foudre - Large wooden vat Fût - Small oak cask Grand Cru - Château's main wine Grand Cru Classé - Greatgrowth, highest vinevard classification Grande marque - Champagne House Grand Vin - Great Wine (Marketing term) Marque - Brand Méthode champenoise - Champagne method of making sparkling wine Mis en bouteille - Bottled Moelluex - Fairly sweet Monopole - Exclusive brand name Négociant - Merchant Pétillant/Pétillance - A light Sparkle Premier Cru - First growth, Highest Médoc category specified in the classification of 1855 Récolte - Harvest or vintage Réserve - First growth, 2nd highest vineyard classification Sec - Dry Sous marque - Secondary brand Tete de Cuvée - Wine from 1st pressing Vendange - Harvest or vintage Vigneron - Wine grower Vin de Pays - Country Wine Vin de Table - Table wine

Now we move on to categories and in France there are four categories, as shown below.

Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC)– These wines are of higher quality

Appellation d'Origine Vin De Qualité Supérieure (AOVDQS)

- In the hierarchy of wines, these come between Vins de Pays and AOC wine. They are also strictly controlled by the "Institut National des Appellations d'Origine" (INAO). This is a dying category as many wines are progressing to the higher level (e.g. Minervois and Corbières) but some wines do stay at this level (e.g. Bugey), something that adds to the existing confusion. Possibly the best explanation of this ludicrous situation is that VDQS wines are not of sufficent interest to either the appellation controlée or the vins de pays authorities.

Vin de Pays

This is the next layer in the pyramid of categories, made up of 150 country wine appellations that were introduced in 1973 to promote regional wines. ese wines contain a 100% of a single grape-variety, approved of by a "Conseil Interprofessionnel" (joint committee of professionals) grown in a strictly limited zone. All these wines are tested to be accepted as "Vin de Pays".

This fast-evolving was not designed to cater for anything better than decent daily-drinking  fare, and the fact that the best vins de pays now realize better prices than some appellation controlée wines is something that many aficionados of the appellation controlée system find very hard to swallow.

Many producers have applied skill and care in the production of their vins de pays to match the better producers of appellation controlée wines. These producers now lobby to prevent any changes to other parts of the appellation system.




Vin de Table

This is our every day wine, it represents about 22% of our production, the most basic of quality designations. There are no rules as to how it is produced; the only stipulation being no grape variety or place of origin may be stated on the front label.

If you look at the label to the left you will see it flirts with illegality. According to the “crazy” rules, “Vin de Table” cannot carry a vintage, and there is no year mentioned here – but “Z002” might provide a clue!!

Alsace

This is a beautiful part of France, surrounded by the heavily forested Vosges Mountains and the German border on the river Rhine. If you would like to see fairytale villages, then head for Alsace, for here time appears to have stood still. The white wines of this region are very distinctive, with a rich aroma and full of ripe flavour. Some of the finest are Riesling, Muscat, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris. The only red grape grown in the region is Pinot Noir.

Beaujolais

This is the all-time party red that you cannot and should not take seriously. The French have a word for it “gouleyant” which means the wine just flows straight down. Beaujolais – bright, light, quaffable, easy-going red wine. Beaujolais Nouveau is the most famous type of Beaujolais wine, released in November each year. During the rest of the year bright fruity Beaujolais Villages is the best bet – always drink as young as possible. This is a wine made from the Gamay grapes.

Bordeaux

This is the world’s most famous wine region. But don’t think that all the wines are good: because you would be wrong. There are thousands of vineyards, some large, some small, although some are excellent others should think about some other means of making a living. One of the great joys of this region is the enormous number of opportunities for wine tasting. We could spend years in this region and never taste them all. Our idea of heaven! Drive down for a week in the summer – wander around the villages, visit a chateau or two, taste, buy and head home with a car full of excellent wine.

Reds

The area is most famous for its red wine. It used to call them claret, and the area around the Gironde estuary where the grapes grown used to be English from 1154 to 1453. The main grape varieties grown are Cabernet Suavignon and Merlot, the main areas are Medoc, Graves and St. Emilion, but many the best small properties sport the appalation "Bordeaux Superieur". When you taste them, expect something pretty dry, maybe earthy, but strangely appetising.

Whites

People don’t talk much of Bordeaux whites, but in fact the Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon make excellent light, tangy dry whites. But the most famous Bordeaux white is the intensely sweet Sauternes.

Burgundy

The area begins with Chablis a couple of hours drive south of Paris, and extends right down through Beaujolais to the city of Lyon. Both red and white Burgundies can be fabulous drinks, but the really good wines are made in minute quantities and are very expensive. Because the area isn’t warm, it’s difficult to ripen the grapes and only the best sites regularly manage it, particularly in reds.

Reds

Around Chablis in the north you will find a few pale red wines, but all the best reds are to be found around Beaune. The temperamental Pinot Noir is the grape, and the wines rarely have much colour, but they can have a lovely perfumed sweet fruit. The most well known are Nuits Saint Georges, Vosne-Romanée, Beaune and Volnay

Whites

These start with Chablis in the north. It’s cold area and the grapes have trouble ripening, but there again the Chardonnay, the white grape of Burgundy, makes fine white wines that are not too expensive. Further south around Beaune – around Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet you will find excellent nutty dry white wines. As you travel further south into Cote Chalonnais, you will find that the quality is a lot less – a very soft, less appetising wine.
If you like a sparkling wine – then try Crémant de Bourgogne is a really good glass of bubbles.

Cahors

One of our favourites, a great country wine of Southwest France made from Malbec, Merlot, Tannat and Jurancon Noir grapes. Dark and highly tannic, please remember to let it age in the bottle, that will allow it to soften.

Champagne

This is the nearest wine region to the ports of Calais and Dunkerque – it’s only a couple of hours drive to Reims, the main champagne town. Although this region is in the north France, it is only possible to make wine because the region has numerous river valleys and hillsides that are protected from the wind and rain. The most famous Champagnes are made by the big, widely advertised companies Moet et Chandon, Lanson or Mumm. There again lots of small companies also make good fizz. In more recent times, growers who previously sold their grapes to the big companies are now making the wine for themselves. When driving round the area you’ll see numerous signs pointing the way to these vineyards. No visit to this area would be complete without visiting at least one or two. Just drop in, taste the wines, and if you like them – buy them. You can save a lot of money if you buy your “fizz” in Champagne, plus you get to meet the men and women who make it.

Côtes du Rhone

This wine region starts south of Lyon and continues almost to the Mediterranean. In the north the river cuts through the edge of the Massif Central and the hillsides are extremely steep. At Cote Rotie and Hermitage the vineyards that cling to these rocky slopes date back to the time of the Roman invasion. The Syrah grape makes exquisite smoky red wines and the floral Viognier and honeysuckle– scented Marsanne and Roussanne make gorgeous whites.The most famous wine of this region is Chateauneuf du Pape – a rich, heady and spicy red (not for the feint-hearted).

Côtes de Jura

This wild wooded mountain area on the border with Switzerland produces some wines that can be a bit unusual, especially whites from the Savagnin, which when called Vin Jaune (yellow wine) taste and look rather like sherry. But the Chardonnay is pleasant as is the Pinot Noir red and “the bubbly” is pretty good as well.

Jurançon

On the slopes of the Pyrenees inland from Biarritz and south of Pau, this region can trace its wine making back to the time of the baptism of King Henri IV. The vine growers use traditional grapes such as Lauzet, Petit and Grand Mansengs and Courbu. Sweet Jurançon is a golden wine with exotic fruits and honey aromas. It can age for a very long time. Dry Jurançon has a colour drawing towards clear green. The Blanc de blanc (white from white) is a fresh and aromatic dry wine.

Languedoc – Roussillon

The vast wild untamed Midi region of Southern France is home to this enormous wine producing area. Stretching from Nîmes in the Rhone Valley almost to the Spanish border. It’s the most prolific wine region in the world, making 10% of the world’s wines and one third of France’s wines. Yet most people hardly know anything about it, the reason being because all those anonymous litres of rough house wine we used to bring back from holiday – they were all from the Midi. This is a very old wine producing area that dates back to Roman times, away from the flat lands by the Mediterranean, in the hills, you will find many high quality vineyards. Red wines are best, so look for names like Côteaux de Languedoc, Pic St Loup, Minervois and Corbières. Limoux is the best white area and there are lovely sweet wines like Muscat de Rivesaltes. If you’ve noticed lots of wines called by their grape name,

Chardonnay, Cabernet etc, with the title Vin de Pays d’Oc – these come from anywhere in the Languedoc.

Provence

Most Provençal wine seems to be drunk in the region, usually on the beach as far as we can tell. We feel that the producers could try a little bit harder a make some better wines, but with a captive market, most producers simply provide vast quantities of rose and some fair red and whites for the bars and restaurants of the Riviera. The only really good wine we have found from this region is Bandol that is produced near Toulon.

Savoie

This is an area that you have more than likely visited during the winter because this is the heart of the French Alps, and skiing is big business here. But when the snow clears these high Alpine meadows do shelter some beautiful vineyards that produce some delightful fresh whites and pleasant sparkling wines. When the summers have been hot there’s a rare but lovely spicy red called Mondeuse.