French Wine Gets Graded!
French wine is produced in several regions throughout France, in quantities between 7–8 billion bottles! All common styles of wine — red, rosé, white (dry, semi-sweet and sweet), sparkling and fortified — are produced. French wines range from reasonably priced to some of the world’s most famous and expensive.
Two concepts central to quality French wines are the notion of “terroir”, which links the style of the wines to the specific locations where the grapes are grown and the wine is made, and the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system. Appellation rules closely define which grape varieties and winemaking practices are allowed in each of France’s several hundred geographically defined appellations, which can cover entire regions, individual villages or even specific vineyards.
The four grades of wine in France are;
(1) AOC…..Appellation d’Origine Controlee. These excellent wines are of the highest quality.
(2) AOVDQS…..Appellation d’Origine Vin de Qualite Superieure. High quality.
(3) Vin de Pays…..Wines of the Area. Popular and inexpensive.
(4) Vin de Table…..Table Wine. An everyday cheap pleasant wine.
France is the source of many grape varieties (such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah) that are now planted throughout the world, as well as several wine-making practices and styles of wine that are copied and imitated in other producing countries.
“Sainté!”
