| You dont need a book to follow this method. | | | | acceptable these days than it was. |
| | | | |
| Appellation Controlee (AC or AOC) is the top | | | | Third Quality Rule: |
| grade of French. AC is a part of French law | | | | |
| that guarantees that a wine comes from where | | | | Has the wine ever won any awards ? You need |
| the label says it does, that it is made from | | | | to be looking for gold medals on the label. |
| specific grapes and that it is produced in a | | | | It seems trivial to non-French people, but if |
| certain way. | | | | the wine producer thinks well of his wine he |
| | | | will be competing for this kind of award, and |
| So, first we assume that you are choosing an | | | | will be proud to have the medal on his |
| AC (Appellation Controlee) wine. | | | | label. |
| | | | |
| You will probably have already chosen between | | | | Fourth Quality Rule. |
| red wine, white wine or Rose. | | | | |
| | | | Is the bottle numbered ? Here again if the |
| First Quality Rule: | | | | wine producer thinks well of his wine he may |
| | | | take the extra care to number his output and |
| Make sure the wine has sufficient alcohol | | | | put a serial number on his label. Quite what |
| content for its type. This means at least 13% | | | | you can use the numbers for (apart from this |
| for a Bordeaux, but only 11% for a Gros Plant | | | | wine quality test) is a subject for |
| from the mouth of the Loire. 12-13% for a | | | | speculation. |
| Tavel Rose from the Rhone Valley; 12% for | | | | |
| Anjou Rose from the Loire. Alcohol level is | | | | Fifth Quality Rule: |
| easier to achieve in these days of global | | | | |
| warming than it used to be so in some ways | | | | Is the cork sufficiently long for the wine ? |
| this is less of a guide. | | | | This really applies to wines that may be kept |
| | | | for a long time before drinking, as a long |
| Second Quality Rule: | | | | cork preserves the wine more surely. If a |
| | | | short cork was used then there is a question |
| Is it Chateau bottled or bottled by the | | | | mark against the wine the producer thought |
| proprietor ? It should be. If it is not then | | | | more about his costs than his wine. The only |
| it will probably be a blend from different | | | | snag about this rule by the way is that the |
| producers. Not necessarily bad, but not the | | | | cork is at least partly concealed by the |
| best. Bottling by a negociant is less | | | | capsul (the metal foil wrapper). |