2. France - History
•600 BC colonization by Greek settlers
•Romans spread Christianity and viticulture
•1789-1899 French revolution
•Mildew and phylloxera last half of the 1800’s
•Two World Wars
3. France
Current Wine Statistics
Per Capita Annual Consumption
• Wine 50 liters (OIV 2008)
• Beer 35 liters
• Bottled Water 135 liters
US Americans drink 9 liters and Brits 20 liters
per capita annually, but France has far less
binge drinking and alcohol abuse problems.
4. France
Current Wine Statistics
Production
• Total area 858,000 ha (OIV 2008)
• 43 million hl (OIV 2008)
• 17% world export volume (OIV 2008)
• More than 300 Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée
(AOC)
6. Example France – new laws as of Aug. 2010
Old classification New classification
Vin de Table Vignobles de France
(variety, vintage, modern
techniques)
Vin de Pays IGP (Indication Geogra-
phique Protegée)
AOC AOP (Appellation
d‘Origine Protegée
AOP is a protection granted at the European level to a wide range of
consumable products; it reforms some of the barriers formerly
imposed by AOC, without replacing it. A producer who is unable to
get an AOP will lose its AOC, but it is possible to be both AOC and
AOP
7. Quality pyramid I Table wines (since 2010)
AOP resp. AOC or VDQS
Quality wine
IGP/VdP de zone
e.g. Cathare
Table wine
IGP/VdP de départemant
e.g. l‘Aude
IGP/VdP de région
e.g. Oc
Vin de Table francais
7
8. Quality pyramid II Quality wines (since 2010)
AOP/AOC Grand Cru
In Burgundy, e.g.Corton
Quality wine
AOP/AOC Communale / 1er Cru
e.g. Pauillac, Aloxe-Corton / Aloxe-
Corton „Les Chaillots“ (1er Cru)
AOP/AOC Sous-Régionale
e.g. Médoc
AOP/AOC Régionale
e.g. Bordeaux, Bourgogne
Table wine
8
9. France
Classification of French Wine
Table Wine and Land Wine
• Vignobles de France
• Indication Geographique Protegee or IGP
– All grape varieties
– Sourced from two or more different regions
– Varietal labelling
10. France
Classification of French wine Quality wines
• AOC/P Regional
– A. Bordeaux C.
– A. Bourgogne C.
• AOC/P Sub-region
– A. Haut-Medoc C.
– A. Cote de Nuits-Villages C.
• AOC/P Communal
– A. Pauillac C.
– A. Vosne-Romanée C.
• AOC/P Top Level
– 1er Cru
• Ch. Margaux/Medoc
– Grand Cru
• Clos de Vougeot/Burgundy
12. Champagne
Climate
•influenced by maritime and
continental factors
–Winters are mild
–Summers can be dry
–Overall a very cool grape
growing area
Soil
•predominantly chalky
subsoil
–very good water
retention
–adds to mineral
character
22. France - Loire
Geography
•Numerous Loire vineyards follow the river from the Central
Massif to the Atlantic Ocean
Climate
•Central area
–continental climate (hot summers, cold winters)
•Western area
–maritime (moderate) climates
Soil
•Pays Nantais
–granite, sandstone and mica slate
•Anjou and Touraine
–pebbles, slate and limestone
•Pouilly-sur-Loire
–clay limestone
23. France -Loire
4 Districts
Touraine
Pays Nantais
• Chinon
•Muscadet
• Bourgeoil
•Muscadet de Sèvre et
Maine • Vouvray
Anjou Pouilly-Sur-Loire
•Savenniéres • Sancerre
•Couteau de Layon • Pouilly Fumé
•Saumur • Quincy
•Champigny • Ruilly
24. Loire
Grape varieties
• White • Red
– Chenin blanc – Cabernet franc
(Pineau de la Loire) – Gamay
– Pinot Noir
– Sauvignon blanc
– Muscadet
(Melon de
Bourgogne)
– Chardonnay
26. Alsace
Geography
•Narrow strip on the
eastern foothills of the
Vosges mountains, to the
west of the Rhine valley
Climate
•Continental, cold winters
and warm summers
Soils
•Geologic activity of the
Rhine Valley has created a
patchwork of volcanic rock,
granite, gneiss, slate,
limestone, sandstone, clay
and loess.
28. France - Alsace
Appellations
•Alsace Grand Cru (GC): since 1983
–four permitted grape varieties
(variety does not have to be on label since 2005)
•Muscat
•Riesling
•Gewürztraminer
•Pinot Gris
–Renowned Grand Cru locations
•Kaefferkopf
•Schlossberg
29. France – Alsace
Grape varieties
White Rot
• Gewürztraminer • Pinot Noir
• Riesling
• Sylvaner
• Pinot blanc
• Pinot Gris (Tokay)
• Muscat
• Chasselas
• Auxerrois
30. France – Alsace
Styles
•Alsace AOC and Alsace Grand Cru
–dry to off-dry wines
–Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris sometimes medium dry
•Vendange tardive
–late harvest style
–medium dry to medium sweet
•Selection des grains nobles
–botrytised grapes
–very sweet, dessert wine.
44. France - Burgundy
Chablis appellations
•Petit Chablis
•Chablis
•Chablis Premier Cru
•Chablis Grand Cru
Beaujolais appellations
•Beaujolais
•Beaujolais Villages
•Beaujolais Supérieur
•Beaujolais Cru (10 designated)
–Brouilly, Côtes de Brouilly, Morgon, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Juliénas,
Moulin-a-vent, Chenas, Saint-Amour and Régnié.
45. France - Burgundy
Grape varieties
White Red
Chardonnay Pinot Noir
Aligoté Gamay
46. France - Burgundy
Styles
•Dry red and white wines
–Chablis
•steely, mineral, flinty Chardonnay
•little or no oak influence.
–Cote d’Or
•basic to world-class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
•top whites more oak than Chablis
–Macon/Chalonnais
•basic to good white and red wines
•lighter in style than Cote d’Or
–Beaujolais
•soft and fruity red wines (Gamay)
•Cru wines have some character
49. Rhône
Geography
–Vineyards north to south
along the Rhône River
Climate
–North: warm continental
climate
–South: hot Mediterranean
(maritime) climate
Soil
–North: steep terraces, slate,
gneiss and granite
–South: gentle slopes, gravel,
sand and sandstone
50. RHONE
Appellations
•Côtes du Rhône
•Côtes du Rhône Villages
•Renowned communities in the North
–Condrieu
–Château Grillet
–Côte Rotie
–Hermitage
•Renowned communities in the South
–Châteauneuf-du-Pape
–Gigondas
–Vacqueyras
53. France – Rhône
Grape varieties
White Red
• North • North
–Marsanne – Syrah
–Viognier
• South
• South – Carignan
–Clairette – Cinsault
–Marsanne – Mouvédre
–Muscat à petits grains – Grenache Noir
–Roussanne – Syrah
54. France - Rhône
Styles
•North
–big and spicy whites from Condrieu
–more mineral character in white Hermitage
–red wines spicy and tannic
–top-quality terroirs from Cote-Rotie and Hermitage need
many years to develop
•South
–mainly red wines
–fruity and elegant rosé wines from Tavel
–soft and fruity reds
–high alcohol levels
–drinkable earlier than wines from North
55. France – Jura & Savoie
Climate
•harsh and continental
–hot summers, cold winters and usually sunny falls
Jura
•Area 1.500 ha
•Appellations
–Arbois, Chateau Chalon
•Famous (historical)
–Vin Jaune (“yellow wine”)
Savoie
•Area 1.500 ha
•Appellations only of regional importance
60. France - Bordeaux
Climate
•maritime climate
–Gulf stream influence
–Mediterranean climate
•Garonne and Dordogne rivers provide ground water
•Pine forest of the Landes form a barrier against Atlantic
winds
Topography
•A western plateau which slopes gradually toward the
Atlantic coast
•An eastern plateau with low, hilly terrain
61. Bordeaux
•Left Bank
•Left bank of the Garonne River
•Médoc, Graves and Sauternes
•Predominantly gravel with
sand and pebbles
•Efficient drainage
•Red and white blends
•Cabernet Sauvignon
dominates reds
•Sémillon dominates whites
62.
63. Bordeaux
•Right Bank
•Right bank of the
Dordogne River
•St. Emilion,
Pomerol and the
Libournais,
Bourgeais and
Blayais
•Clay, chalk, sand
and some gravel
•Merlot dominated
64. Bordeaux
• Entre-deux-Mers
– Region between the
Garonne and the
Dordogne River
– Clay and limestone
– Merlot dominates reds
– Sémillon and
Sauvignon Blanc
dominate whites
65. Bordeaux
The 1855 Classification of the Médoc
Premiers Crus
• Château Latour • Deuxièmes Crus (14)
• Château Lafite-Rothschild • Troisièmes Crus (14)
• Château Margaux • Quartièmes Crus (10)
• Château Haut-Brion • Cinquièmes Crus (18)
• Châteaz Mouton-
Rothschild (added in
1973)
– The classified châteaux
comprise 24% of total
Médoc production.
66. Bordeaux
The 1855 Classification of Sauternes
26 Château:
• Premier Grand Cru (1= Château d‘Yquem)
• Premier Crus (11)
• Deuxiémes Crus (14 – 8 from Barsac)
67.
68. France - Bordeaux Classifications
Graves classification of 1959
• Cru Classé 13 reds
• Cru Classé 8 whites
Cru Bourgeois - classification of 1932
• Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel
• Cru Bourgeois Superieur
• Cru Bourgeois
St. Emilion classification of 1955
(revised every 10 years)
• 1er Grands Crus Classés A
• 1er Grands Crus Classés B
• Grands Cru Classés
69. France – Bordeaux
Grape varieties
White (25 %) Red (75%)
• Muscadelle • Cabernet Sauvignon
• Sauvignon blanc • Cabernet Franc
• Sémillon • Merlot
• Malbec
• Petit Verdot
• Carmenére
70. Climate and soil
•South of Bordeaux
•Maritime climate
•Limestone, clay and
sandstone
•Some gravel along the river
banks
71. France – Sud-Ouest
Appellations
• Bergerac • Béarn
–Same white and red varieties as • Côtes de Bergerac
Bordeaux • Buzet, Côtes de Duras
• Cahors • Cotes du Frontonnais
–Reds only
• Côtes du Marmadais
–Malbec (Cot) is dominant variety
–Lean but well-structured • Gaillac
• Madiran • Irouléguy
–Tannat predominates • Marcillac
–Other reds are Cabernet-based • Monbazillac
–Deep structure with some • Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh
astringency • Pécharmant
• Jurancon • Rosette
–Sweet white from Petit Manseng • Saussignac
–Dry wine from Gros Manseng
72. France – Sud-Ouest
Grape varieties
White Red
• Colombard • Cabernet Franc
• Semillon • Cot
• Petit Manseng • Merlot
• Gros Manseng • Tannat
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Muscadelle
75. France – Languedoc Roussillon
Geography
•foothills of the Cevennes and the Pyrenees
Climate
•Mediterranean climate
•danger of summer drought
Soil
•Herault and Gard
–alluvial soils predominate
•Corbières and Roussilion
–Limestone
–Gravelly soils on the high-altitude slopes
76. France – Languedoc Roussillon
Grape varieties
White Red
• Bourboulenc • Carignan
• Picpoul • Cinsault
• Clairette • Grenache Noir
• Grenache blanc • Mouvèdre
• Macabeu • Syrah
• Muscat à petits grains
• Malvoisie
• Marsanne
77. France – Languedoc Roussillon
Styles
Generally speaking, dry red,white and rosé wines, from light
to medium-bodied, with warm climate chracteristics. Some
sweet dessert wines, including red ones. In recent years,
this area has been the source of an increasing number of
premium « garagiste » wines.
