Welcome to the ultimate wine resource
 

Welcome to our wines Archive. Have fun browsing!

 

Article #235: Wine Tasting - Understanding The Wines Of France

(Browse for more articles)

 
Wine Tasting - Understanding The Wines Of Muscat grape.
France Syrah grapes produce intense rich wines
Are you baffled by the huge variety of which are almost black in color and which
French wines and completely lost when it have an aroma that is spicy in nature.
comes to deciding which wine will best The Rhone Syrah grape forms the base for
suit your needs? many blended wines including the well
Each of the eight wine producing regions known Chateauneuf du Pape
of France specializes in producing wine The Muscat grape gives rise to intense,
of a particular type and flavor and this sweet wines with a strong and easily
simple overview will hopefully make recognized aroma. In addition, and
choosing French wines a little easier. unusual for a wine, wines from the Muscat
Burgundy really do taste of grapes.
Burgundy wines are produced from the Loire
black Pinot Noir and Gamay grapes and The grapes of the Loire include the black
from the white Chardonnay grape. Pinot Noir and the white Sauvignon Blanc
The Pinot Noir is probably one of the and Pinot Gris grapes.
world's oldest grape varieties and is The Sauvignon Blanc grape is grown all
notoriously difficult to grow. It does over the world today and it is very
however produce some of our best wines widely used for blending. In the case of
which are full-bodied and rich and at the the Loire however it is used to make a
same time can be light, soft and velvety. distinctive unblended dry white wine with
Pinot noir wines often have an aroma of a characteristic sharp and aggressive
cherries accompanied by a spiciness that smell.
is reminiscent of cinnamon or mint. Pinot Gris wines often display a slightly
The Chardonnay grape is a very popular floral and lightly lemon flavor and,
grape which produces light, delicate dry depending upon the ripeness of the grape
wines with a distinctive but often at harvesting, wines that are either
difficult to describe aroma conjuring up light and tangy or rich, round and full
a vision of apples, peaches or lemons. bodied. Pinot Gris makes one of the few
Bordeaux white wines that can be said to age well.
The wines of Bordeaux are based upon the Alsace
related black Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Although the grapes of the Alsace are
Sauvignon grapes, found particularly in similar to those used in the Loire,
the Medoc district of Bordeaux, and the growing conditions in this region tend to
black Merlot grape. produce wines which bear the
Cabernet Sauvignon wines improve greatly characteristics of many German rather
with age and are often amongst the that French wines.
world's truly great wines. With age the The wines in this region are similar to
distinctive blackcurrant aroma of wines Riesling and the sweeter German wines.
from this grape develops overtones of Some rosé wines are also produced in
cedar, violets and leather and the wines, Alsace.
which are characteristically deep in Champagne
flavor, often become smooth and soft. The main grapes of the Champagne region
Wines made from the Merlot grape are very are the black Pinot Noir and Pinot
similar to those produced from the Meunier and the white Chardonnay.
Cabernet Sauvignon grape but have a less The wines of the Champagne region can
distinctive aroma and flavor. best be described as thin and tart and
If it seems strange that white wines provide the perfect base for what many
should be produced from black grapes then believe to be the world's finest
bear in mind that grape juice, whether sparkling wine.
from black or white grapes, is Beaujolais
essentially colorless and it is the skin Beaujolais wines are made from the black
of the black grape that gives the wine Gamay and white Chardonnay grapes.
its color. The wines of this region are often light
Rhone in nature, fresh tasting and with a
The grape varieties most often seen in somewhat fruity flavor. Many Beaujolais
the Rhone valley are the black Cabernet wines are also slightly fizzy in nature.
Sauvignon and Syrah grapes and the white






1 - A - B - C - D - E - F - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 - 32 - 33 - 34 - 35 - 36 - 37 - 38 - 39 - 40 - 41 - 42 - 43 - 44 - 45 - 46 - 47 - 48 - 49 -