GETTING STARTED WITH FRENCH WINE

Introduction
Making sense of the historic and often wonderful wines of France without having at least a passing knowledge of the major categories of wine and the national laws stipulating which grapes can be grown in which regions, is akin to developing a new chemical compound through experimentation, without having any awareness of chemical properties and the table of elements: in both instances, going in blind is one helluva gamble.

But while it may take a lifetime of exploration and study (and even travel) to truly master the wines of France--with the possible exception of Italy, no modern nation has devoted more time and energy over the past 2,000 years seeking to perfect wine and food, two of the most elemental but rewarding pleasures of life--a brief overview can go a long way towards making one more comfortable in exploring French wine.

Terroir and the French Wine Label
The French concept of terroir--the specific ground of a region or sub-region or even a single vineyard (the mineral composition of its soil), along with its climate (i.e., temperature, sun, wind, seasons) and nearby geographical features (i.e., rivers, trees, shrubs, hills)--is the organizing principle of French wine. For the French, the terroir determines the central characteristics of a wine, making it unique, specific to a particular place. This is why French wine labels do not tell the buyer on the front what grapes were used to make the wine (i.e., Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay) but instead tell the buyer the place the wine was made (i.e., Bordeaux, Alsace, Rhone, or sometimes even sub-regions or specific famous vineyards rather than regions, alone). Thus, in order for a buyer to know what type of wine he or she is purchasing, some knowledge of which grapes are allowed in which regions is required--although some producers do reveal the grape varietals used on the back label.

Three Appellations
There are three main appellations for French wines, not quality standards, per se, but standards about how closely wines are connected to a specific terroir/place and which grapes can be used in making the wine from that place.

• The lowest standard is called Vin de Table, table wine, with no restrictions on the winemakers in regard to the grapes used (what varietals, how they are blended, and where they've come from). In general, Vin de Table are simple and straightforward, lacking in complexity and without the characteristics of outstanding wine (like a mid-palette flavor and length). These are the least expensive French wines (note that the grapes used can be bought by French winemakers from vineyards throughout Europe). However, some Vin de Table are quite tasty, and given the low price, finding one you enjoy can be fun. Generally speaking, though, these wines are everyday wines made for consumption with everyday food. Forty to fifty percent of the wine produced in France is Vin de Table.
• The next standard is called Vin de Pays, or country wine. Vin de Pays, a step above French table wine, can be a an exciting source for well-priced, good quality French wine. Unlike Vin de Table, Vin de Pays are required to identify the geographical origin of the wine, must adhere to government regulations about the grape varietals used, and submit the wines for study and tasting (to ensure they are appropriate for the origin cited). Specific standards vary by region. According to Gary Vaynerchuck at Wine Library TV, this category, while uneven in the quality of its wines, can be fun to explore, offering more complexity than Vin de Table (along with more authentic connection to place) at affordable prices. About seventy-five percent of all Vin de Pays is produced in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France (south-central France, along the Mediterranean coast and inland), while about twenty-five percent of all French wine is Vin de Pays.
  
• The highest standard of French wine is Vin de Qualite Produit dans des Regions Determinee. These wines, subjected to the strictest regulation, are broken into two categories: AOC (Appellation d'Origine Controlee) and VDQS (Vin Délimité de Qualite Superieure). AOC is the more stringent appellation, with rigid rules about what grapes can be planted in limited geographical areas, what varietals and blends can be used in the wine from these areas, alcohol content, yield, and even pruning techniques. AOC wines are analyzed and tasted with great care. The idea is that the AOC wines can be relied upon to be the most true to their terroir, their history and tradition, and most reliable in their quality. This does not mean, of course, that every palette will enjoy the taste of every AOC wine, nor that factors like weather or the winemaker don't impact taste, as well. These wines are more expensive than Vin de Table and Vin de Pays, given the many hoops the producers must jump through to achieve the AOC appellation. There are dozens of areas that have achieved AOC, including many of the most famous names in French wine, including Bordeax, Pomerol, Cotes du Rhone, Champagne, and Chablis. The VDQS appellation adheres to stricter guidelines than Vin de Pays, but not as strict as the AOC.

Grapes Allowed in Key Regions
In addition to understanding France's appellation system, it is necessary to at least have a sense of what grapes are grown in the country's key wine-making areas, since most French wine bottles (with the exception of some Vin de Pays) are labeled by place of origin, only, not grape varietal, emphasizing the uniqueness of each terroir. This is by no means a comprehensive listing, but it's a good start for helping you know what varietal or blend of varietals you're purchasing when you next select a bottle of French wine:

Alsace: famous for white wines from Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Blanc. The Riesling produced in Alsace is dry with a mineral flavor profile.

Bordeaux: famous for red wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec; whites include Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. About eighty percent of the wine produced in Bordeaux is red. The two sub-regions are the Left and Right Banks of the Gironde River. Generally speaking, the Left Bank produces wine more likely to be based on Cabernet Sauvignon, while the Right Bank produces wine more likely to have a Merlot foundation. Producing some of the most expensive wines in the world, and enjoying such a fine reputation, one can encounter great and terrible wines from Bordeax, some living up to the hype, and some making a living on the marketing. Dominated by large estates producing big reds.

Burgundy: famous for Pinot Noir (red) and Chardonnay (white). The climate in this region--wonderfully warm summers but cold winters, with lots of rain--seems to provide the perfect balance for growing Pinot Noir, which is legendary for its hyper-sensitivity, its fragility. Burgundy includes many small wineries producing different types of wine. With the scale of the vineyards being so much smaller than Bordeaux and the variety of wines produced in Burgundy, exploring this region can be great fun.

Champagne: famous for Chardonnay (white) and Pinot Noir (red), the two primary grapes used in making champagne, a sparkling wine. Champagne varies from dry-as-can-be to exceptionally sweet, and can be of a particular vintage (when conditions produce near-perfect grapes in a year, and the grapes used are from one harvest) or non-vintage, a blend of the grapes harvested over the course of a few years.

Loire Valley: famous for white wines from Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadet, and the red grape Cabernet Franc. Most of the wines produced are white, and unlike New World whites, they tend to be sharp, without wood (no oak flavor), and high in acidity. There is, however, much variety here, with a western, central, and upper Loire Valley, and flavor profiles including sweet, butter, limestone, fruit, chalky, and grassy, just to name a few.

Southern France: in the southwest, white wines from Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon and red wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Cabernet Franc; other southern areas produce red wines from Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault. The south of France features tremendous diversity in terms of the type and quality of wine produced.

Rhone Valley: famous for reds from Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault, and Mourvèdre, and whites from Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne. Grenache does well in the south of this region, and can be quite food friendly, while Syrah is produced in the north, making a popular red called Hermitage.

If You Think Too Much, You Kill It
While there is certainly much more to understanding French wine--the history and characteristics of the terroir of each region, sub-region and some of the most legendary vineyards, as well as the classifications within regions like Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne, down to individual chateau (wineries)--mastering the overview provided here is a great place to start an exploration of French wine. As is always the case, the key is to gain a little knowledge, refuse to be intimidated by the history and language and complexity of the French system, and drink French wine, sorting out for yourself what tastes and feels good for you, whatever the price on the bottle, and whatever the classification.

As winemaker Michel Chapoutier points out to American wine writer Jay McInerney in A Hedonist in the Cellar: Adventures in Wine (2006), "If you think too much, you kill it...you don't need to be a gynecologist to make love."