Regarded as the leading wine-making country, France holds thousands of years-old secrets to wine manufacturing that have become part of the French cultural heritage and survived the test of time. No other wine-making country in the world makes such impressive collections of different wine styles, although Italy produces a huge quantity from the previous years, the world-class quality of French wines are really what sets it apart from the global competitors.
Looking at the world of wine, you can clearly see the influence that French wine has shared on the industry. As one of the premier sources of wine in the world, France plays an important role in the industry of wine. Winemakers of the country are very proud of their appellations and regions.
5 Facts About The French Wine Industry
Now that we have introduced you to French wine, we’ll be giving out 5 facts about the French wine industry, to guide you through.
1. Champagne Was Discovered By A Clergyman
Back in the old days, most of the vineyards and vines were tended to by monasteries and Catholic churches. Today, if you are planning to celebrate a special event, you can always call to Dom Perignon, your old, go-to buddy.
Dom Perignon, a vintage Champagne brand, was named after Dom Perignon, who is a Benedictine monk and has a notable pioneer for Champagne wine creation. However, on the contrary, he did not create the champagne method for producing sparkling wines, as stated in the popular myth. Dom Perignon was the first to mix grapes in order to improve the quality of wines and deal with its imperfections.
2. Wine Fraud Also Exists
Yes, wine fraud is a thing, and it’s not something new. In fact, it has been around for many years now. Many years ago, con artists would take an inexpensive bottle of wine, put some high-end labels, and then sell it to unsuspecting people. As the industry of wine market continues to rise, wine scammers have taken the opportunity to take advantage and sell fake products. Today, wine scams and other fraudulent activities are still out there, so you need to be knowledgeable about authentic wines.
3. The Mix of Coca and The Red Bordeaux Wine Creates the Famous Drink Coca-Cola
Angelo Mariana, who was a French chemist, was very intrigued by the virtues of health and the economic potential of the coca. He started to make wine that is called Vin Tonique Mariani, which is a combination of the coca leaves and the Bordeaux wine. With the Bordeaux wine’s ethanol that extracts the coca leaves’ cocaine, the Vin Tonique Mariani was said to give vitality and health. This drink was very popular among Pope Pius X, Ulysses Grant, and Queen Vitoria, and it inspired John Pemberton an American to make the recipe of coca wine in 1885.
4. It’s Not Really About Grapes but About Soil
It is the soil and not the grapes – this is the latest must-know when picking wine. And there’s the reason for that, do you know the reason? It is because a lot of wines from foreign countries label their wines on what type of grape that’s used for the wine. Though in France, the wine that they produce is labeled by what kind of soil that the grapes are produced by, and it is by the type of grape that’s used. The regions of which the grapes are produced are all linked to the terroir, which is a concept. This makes some of the regions much more valuable inside the wine market.
5. Preserving Wine from Fresh Is Like an Act of Resistance
Okay, last one. During World War II, the Germans invaded as well as occupied France. After what happened, French-wine producing country was subjected to a lot of plundering acts. Many French people were afraid of the Nazis because they could destroy the industry of French wine. Moreover, a lot of vintners from France all had special roles in the thing called the resistance. They hid the roots of the French vines by reserving all the precious bottles made out of French wine in cellars.
Main Types of French Wines
France is one of the oldest wine-growing countries around the world. The country offers a variety of vintage wines made from a wide array of grapes of different styles. When people usually think of French wines, the following are the wines that probably come to mind.
The Champagne
Every single celebration is good with some bubbles. The vintage champagne is one of the ultimate wines in different celebrations, though the ability of this wine being paired with the food that you eat is overlooked very often. The vintage champagne is created with little quantities, and it is generally created from the very best vines of a producer in the best vineyards. They take about 3 years before its release, though a lot of them take a bit longer.
The Alsace Riesling
Alsace, a region from France, is very respected for the wine that it holds from Riesling, produced from white grapes that have lived for a long time. They are made in a drier style traditionally than those that are made from the Rhine river in Germany. The Alsace Riesling is an exception of wine in main course foods.
The Bordeaux
For very special occasions, the best red wine from French is the Bordeaux. It is a perfect contender for aging. For birthdays, it’s a perfect choice as a gift, meals for a holiday, and all the milestones of life. Merlot and Cabernet are the ideal soils for this type of wine in France.
The Bourgogne Pinot Noir
The Burgundy region from France offers the finest wines that are made out of Pinot Noir in the world. The wine-growing area is very fit for this type of grape that there are only a few varieties that are grown in this place. Reds of the Burgundy age very well, so the bottle that holds the Bourgogne Pinot Noir I just as special as the celebration which is being celebrated. If you want to buy this wine, remember to check the labels if there are “Premier Cru“ or “ Grand Cru, “this means that the grapes that are grown are from the best vineyards of Burgundy.
The 2010 Chateau La Prade Cotes de Francs
This type of wine is from the Bordeaux region Saint Cibard in France. It is 90 percent made of Merlot grapes and 10 percent of Cabernet Franc. The Bordeaux blend is also a traditional right bank. Associated with the Merlot, it conveys a character that is soft and plummy. While with the Cabernet Franc, it provides sort of a backbone structure that allows this wine to age a little if you do not want to consume the wine right away. It results in smoky, dry red that is plummy along with some blackberries. This wine is not expensive though it has received good reviews.
Wine Club Experience for French Wines
Now, what are wine clubs exactly? This is a question that a lot of people have been asking, and we will be answering that question. Wine clubs are clubs where you can develop extensions of the modern wine culture. This type of club is designed to offer customers a variety of wine bottles every month or every quarter. The customer would otherwise go search for the wine and purchase them, whether it be red wines, white wines, gourmet wines, and international wines.
There are also wine clubs that offer a great variety of French wines, and if you want to know some of them, we have them here.
Naked Wines
This is one of the best wine clubs! They were able to fund the winemaker upfront, and now the winemaker can spend most of their time outside in the vineyard and less inside the office, and that makes the wines taste better. Naked Wines have a lot of French wines that are in their collection, and one of them is the Pinot Noir.
Gold Wine Clubs
There will never be a wine from Gold wine clubs you’ll never like. They have a lot of wines that are very affordable if you are on a budget or just simply want to save up money. And as for cheap wines we have on that we want to recommend to you guys is the Burgundy Mommessin Beaujolais.
Martha Stewart Wine Co. Wine Club
Martha Stewart wine club is known for its great system. They ensure that the ordered wines are directed to the person that purchased one of the wines from this wine club affordably and quickly. One of the French wines that are available here in the Martha Stewart wine club is the 2016 Vigouroux Seletionne Par Bourgogne Aligote.
Final Words
We hope you enjoyed our guide to French Wines and you now know all the information you need about French wine. People from France doing acts of resistance helped in the rising of French wine if they did not do this French wine would’ve been extinct. Fear not as the facts and information presented in this article will take you from being a newbie to at least becoming a novice. There are lots of wine clubs that offer you French wine, so you won’t have a problem finding this wine.
