A Journey into French wine

1. By Matthew “Jermaine” Aubin A Journey into French wine

2. Key Terms • Aging- The process by which wine matures • Aroma- The natural fragrance that emanates from the fermented grape • Body- The body can be real of perceived. The real body refers to the thickness of the wine in the bottle, whereas perceived is the feel of the wine in the mouth. • Bouquet- The Bouquet is the scent released from the bottle once it is uncorked. Once the Bouquet dissipates, the wine is left with the aroma • Chaptalization- This refers to changing the alcohol content of the wine by adding sugar to the must. This does not add to the sweetness of the wine, this is caused by the grapes, not from Chaptalization. Italy and California do not allow Chaptalization • Dry- This refers to a wine low in residual sugar • Fermentation- This is the process by which grape juice turns into wine. Glucose is broken down into equal parts of ethanol and carbon dioxide in the presence of yeast.

3. Key Terms cont’d • Finish – This refers to the taste that is left in the mouth after the wine has been swallowed. It is the aftertaste, texture, and mouth-feel • Must – This is the unfermented juice of freshly harvested grapes • Oenophile – A wine connoisseur • Texture – The impression on the palate left by dense, full-bodied wines • Thin – A wine lacking in body, with the viscosity of water • Vinification – The act of wine making • Vintner – A wine maker

4. Map of French Wine Regions

5. History • Wine has been around for thousands of years! • Through the ages, wine has played a major role in the development of the human species • The Neolithic period 8500-4000 B.C. has the first recorded evidence that wine was not a “seasonal happenstance” • Pottery first appeared around 6000 B.C. creating the perfect means to store the beverages of choice • A major breakthrough towards understanding Neolithic wine was a discovery in northern Iran which dates back to 5400-5000 B.C. • A large jar was found with a yellowish residue and with 5 smaller jars accompanying them • The yellowish residue contained a high amount of calcium tartrate which occurs only once in nature, with grapes

6. History cont’d • Wild grapes never grew in present day Egypt, yet much evidence of wine was found in the Nile delta area • This is due much to the trade by the bronze age people of the eastern Mediterranean region • The middle east was the first area where evidence of wine was found and it progressively spread out to the greater Mesopotamia area • The 5th century B.C. Greek historian Herodotus describes shipping wine down the Euphrates or Tigris from Armenia

7. Wine Producing Regions of France • Alsace • Located on the Eastern border of France with Germany • The Six major types of wine from the Alsace include • Riesling • Gewurztraminer • Pinot blanc • Tokay Pinot Gris • Sylvaner • Cremant d’Alsace

8. Alsace Wines • Riesling is the most elegant grape of the Alsace region. It gives dry, neat, graceful and well-balanced wine. • Riesling is known to be the finest Alsace wine • Should be drunk after 5 years but it is excellent after only 1-2 years of aging • Gewurztraminer is the most typical Alsatian wine • Gewurz means “spicy” in German and traminer means “from Tramin” which is located in southern Austria where the grape comes from • Gewurztraminer is the name of the grape which the wine comes from and the wine itself • Pinot Blanc • Blanc stands for “white” and Pinot is a wide variety of grapes • It is a dry white wine and often less aromatic than the other white wines of the Alsace area • Tokay Pinot Gris • The name still remains a mystery to this day • Pinot Gris from Alsace has a yellow color tending to gold. It offers aromas of wood and mushroom

9. Alsace wines cont’d • Sylvaner • The Sylvaner grape was originally grown in Austria and was only introduced to the Alsace region 2 centuries ago • Sylvaner grapes give a pleasant, fresh, fruity, and dry wine • The Grapes only cover about 10% of the vineyards in the Alsace region • Cremant d’Alsace • This wine is made in the same manner as Champagne • The wine is fermented twice, the second fermentation being while bottled. The wine makers add sugar and yeast to the wine which naturally produces carbon dioxide (hence the bubbles) while the sugar ferments to alcohol

10. Bordeaux • There are 21 types of wine that are produced in the Bordeaux Region • The three most popular wines are: • Saint Emilion • Medoc • Margaux

11. More Bordeaux • The Saint-Emilion region of Bordeaux is the oldest wine producing area of Bordeaux • The Wines are generally much more robust, high in color, and reach their maturity much sooner than other red Bordeaux wines • The Medoc area is located north of the town of Bordeaux • Medoc wines are red and are described as delicate, medium colored, fine, and elegant • The Margaux requires the most care of the 3 popular Bordeaux wines • The grapes sit on a “soil of white graves” which is a special kind of gravel brought from the mountains by the river • The Margaux wines have a full-flavored bouquet and a magnificent elegance

12. Burgundy • The Burgundy region of France is located in the eastern half and is southwest of Alsace • The most popular wine from this region and also the most popular white wine in France is the Chablis • The Chablis comes from the Chardonnay grape • The Chardonnay grape grows on a limestone soil rich in fossils and specialty oysters • This is due to the fact that in an earlier age, a Sea covered the area

13. Champagne • One of the best known wines in the world • The Region is located in the north eastern part of France • The Champagne region harbors Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, and Pinot Noir • Champagne is a festive wine, and is most known for times of celebration

14. Côtes du Rhône • Located in the Southeast region of France • Very diverse wines take most advantage of the weather and winemaking conditions of the Rhône valley. • Produces 10 varieties of wine • These 10 include: Côte Rôtie - Condrieu - Château Grillet - Hermitage - Crozes Hermitage – Cornas - Gigondas - Châteauneuf du Pape - Côte du Ventoux

15. Languedoc-Roussillion • The most productive wine region in the world • Produces mostly red wines, and are good for everyday table wines • The types of wines created there are: Corbière, Coteaux du Languedoc,Côtes du Roussillon, Fitou, Minervois, Saint Chinian, Costières de Nimes

16. Loire Valley Region • Located in the north-west region of France • This Region is known as one of the most beautiful wine producing regions of France • The most popular wines produced in this region include: Muscadet, Anjou, Coteaux du Layon, Saumur, Touraine, Bourgueil, Chinon, Vouvray, Pouilly Fumé, Sancerre

17. Provence • The Provence region is located in the South of France on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea • It is most known for its fruity Rose Wines • Three very popular wines from the region include: Côtes de Provence, Bandol, Bellet

18. Corsica • Corsica is the Island found off the southern French coast • It is affectionately called "L'île de beauté” or “The Beautiful Island” • The wines here are naturally delicious and generally consist of dry white wines, and rose wines • These wines must be drunk young and fresh, and the best wines from the region come from the east and west coasts of the island

19. South West France • The wines from the South West of France are very diverse and include red wine, dry white wine, and sweet white wines • The types of wines produced here include: Bergerac, Buzet, Cahors, Gaillac, Madiran, Bergerac, Jurançon, Gaillac, Monbazillac • Located in very close relation to the Bordeaux region and the wines are often confused with one another • The wines of the region today are of excellent quality and follow local history and traditions

20. -FIN-

21. Sources Cited • www.upenn.edu/museum/Wine/wineintro.html • http://www.terroir-france.com/wine/regions.html • Google.com/images • Chicken Soup for the Wine Lover’s Soul, 2007. Health Communications Inc. Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Theresa Peluso • The Geography of Wine, 2008. Plume Publications; Brian J. Sommers • Guide to the Wines and Vineyards of France, 1986. Alfred A. Knopf, New York; Alexis Lichine