Burgandy, France -- Famous For Its Wines

The terroir is a group of vineyards or vines from the same area which have a common soil and climate.  And nowhere else, other than Burgundy in France, is it held so fondly.

Burgundy is a region situated in central east France, which experiences bitter cold winters matched with beautiful warm summers.  It is the home of 1.6 million inhabitants.

Burgundy (Bourgogne) is famous throughout the world for its wines.  Spanning over 31,500 square kilometers (over 12,000 square miles), with a 360 km (225 mi) strip stretching 100km (60 mi) south of Paris, down from south of Dijon to north of Rhoône, houses 99 different wine appellations.

Ranging from the vibrant red Pommard and Corton to the medium Beaune -- to the sparkling whites, the dry Chablis or Chassagne Montrachet, over 180 million bottles of some of the fines wines are made in this region.

As an aftermath of the French revolution the vineyards belonging to the monasteries were broken down to smaller plots -- which exist even today.

The finest quality wine, designated as “Premier Cru” -- is available from 600 of the vineyards in the region while 33 of them is credit to produce the even more classy “Grand Cru” wines.  Among these the most renowned are Montrachet, Chambertin and Clos Vougeot.

Made from the pinot noir grapes, the burgundy red wines taste best with Boeuf Bourguignon or pheasant.  On the other hand a Chablis or their sparkling white wines go best with anything from shrimps to goat cheese.

The famous white wine called Chablis derives its name from a village of the same name.  These are dry whites with an acidity that refreshes.  The special Chardonnay grapes thrive in limestone that has been made richer with remains of fossils.

As an accompaniment to lamb or grilled chicken, the best choice is the fruity-flavored, world famous Beaujolais made from the Gamay grape.  These grapes grow in granite limestone.

The ever-popular and delicious red is grown in Volnay for the last 8 centuries.  The grapes are Pinot Noir grown across 600 acres which is responsible in producing 1.3 million bottles of this amazing wine which has the flavors of raspberries and violets.

And then there is Meursault, located close by, famous for its Premier Cru labels of finest white wines.  2.5 million bottles of the finest wine, Chardonnay, aged anywhere between 3 to 15 years is grown in just over 1000 acres.  Fish in white sauce go extremely well with this fine wine with its almond and apple flavors.

But what still makes the headlines is the red Pommard with its tannic and manly flavor, staging a comeback after many years of decline.  From just 780 acres of Pinot Noir grown in limestone and red clay are produced 1.8 million bottles of this wine with the flavors of black cherry and black currant.  Goes excellent with game venison and roasted red meat with Livarot cheese, these can age from 5 to 15 years.

Whatever your taste buds need, there is very little chance of returning home disappointed with a Burgundy.

Wine Tasting -- Understanding The Wines Of France

Are you baffled by the huge variety of French wines and completely lost when it comes to deciding which wine will best suit your needs?

Each of the eight wine producing regions of France specializes in producing wine of a particular type and flavor and this simple overview will hopefully make choosing French wines a little easier.

Burgundy

Burgundy wines are produced from the black Pinot Noir and Gamay grapes and from the white Chardonnay grape.

The Pinot Noir is probably one of the world's oldest grape varieties and is notoriously difficult to grow.  It does however produce some of our best wines which are full-bodied and rich and at the same time can be light, soft and velvety.  Pinot noir wines often have an aroma of cherries accompanied by a spiciness that is reminiscent of cinnamon or mint.

The Chardonnay grape is a very popular grape which produces light, delicate dry wines with a distinctive but often difficult to describe aroma conjuring up a vision of apples, peaches or lemons.

Bordeaux

The wines of Bordeaux are based upon the related black Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, found particularly in the Medoc district of Bordeaux, and the black Merlot grape.

Cabernet Sauvignon wines improve greatly with age and are often amongst the world's truly great wines.  With age the distinctive blackcurrant aroma of wines from this grape develops overtones of cedar, violets and leather and the wines, which are characteristically deep in flavor, often become smooth and soft.

Wines made from the Merlot grape are very similar to those produced from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape but have a less distinctive aroma and flavor.

If it seems strange that white wines should be produced from black grapes then bear in mind that grape juice, whether from black or white grapes, is essentially colorless and it is the skin of the black grape that gives the wine its color.

Rhone

The grape varieties most often seen in the Rhone valley are the black Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah grapes and the white Muscat grape.

Syrah grapes produce intense rich wines which are almost black in color and which have an aroma that is spicy in nature.  The Rhone Syrah grape forms the base for many blended wines including the well known Chateauneuf du Pape

The Muscat grape gives rise to intense, sweet wines with a strong and easily recognized aroma.  In addition, and unusual for a wine, wines from the Muscat really do taste of grapes.

Loire

The grapes of the Loire include the black Pinot Noir and the white Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris grapes.

The Sauvignon Blanc grape is grown all over the world today and it is very widely used for blending.  In the case of the Loire however it is used to make a distinctive unblended dry white wine with a characteristic sharp and aggressive smell.

Pinot Gris wines often display a slightly floral and lightly lemon flavor and, depending upon the ripeness of the grape at harvesting, wines that are either light and tangy or rich, round and full bodied.  Pinot Gris makes one of the few white wines that can be said to age well.

Alsace

Although the grapes of the Alsace are similar to those used in the Loire, growing conditions in this region tend to produce wines which bear the characteristics of many German rather that French wines.

The wines in this region are similar to Riesling and the sweeter German wines.  Some rosé wines are also produced in Alsace.

Champagne

The main grapes of the Champagne region are the black Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and the white Chardonnay.

The wines of the Champagne region can best be described as thin and tart and provide the perfect base for what many believe to be the world's finest sparkling wine.

Beaujolais

Beaujolais wines are made from the black Gamay and white Chardonnay grapes.

The wines of this region are often light in nature, fresh tasting and with a somewhat fruity flavor.  Many Beaujolais wines are also slightly fizzy in nature.