France: Articles on French Wine & Wine Regions

Of all Bordeaux first growths, perhaps none is as well known, both inside and outside of the wine world, as Chateau Lafite Rothschild.  Its name transcends wine, standing as a symbol of luxury.  How did it get this lofty reputation?  And, more importantly is, it deserved?  The answer to the second question is a definite yes.  This article will explore the first question in more detail.

The History:
Records of this estate stretch as far back as 1234 when Gombaud de Lafite, abbot of the Vertheuil Monastery north of Pauillac, owned the property.  The name Lafite comes from "la hite", a Gascon expression meaning "small hill."  Records from the 14th century indicate that it was not a vineyard, but what the French call a seigneurie.   This is an estate run by a lord and others who are effectively sharecroppers.  The manor house was constructed in the 1500s and still standing today.

Read part one of the First Growths Series.

The Ségur family bought the property in the 1600s.  Jacques de Ségur planted the vineyard in 1680 although grapes were no doubt grown before that.  By the early 1700s, thanks to Nicolas-Alexandre, Marquis de Ségur, Chateau Lafite wines were very popular with those wealthy enough to afford them, first in English Society (where it was a favorite of Prime Minster Robert Walpole) and later in French society. 

There is probably no more prestigious wine region in the world than Bordeaux.  The wines of Bordeaux have been considered among France’s best for hundreds of years.

Champagne is a sparkling wine made in the Champagne (AOC) region of France.  Some of the most famous wineries in the world are located there.  They deserve their fame for consistently producing some of the most ethereal wines anywhere.  These wines can be expensive so it is important to have a strategy in mind when making purchases.

To learn the history of Champagne, the region and the developments in Champagne, please see Part One of this series.

One issue with buying Champagne is storage.  Champagne is delicate and improper storage can easily hurt the wine.  When a consumer sees a bottle either in a store or on a restaurant’s list, how do they know what condition the bottle is in.  Of course, in a restaurant setting, the patron, if they have enough confidence, can send the bottle back, although that is not always easy to do.

Very few wines are as universally known as Champagne.  While a wine lover may certainly know the names of Napa, Bordeaux, Burgundy, or even Chianti, even the most ardent teetotaler surely recognizes the name Champagne.  Champagne is a wine that is intertwined with history and at least the last 300 years of civilization.

In most wine producing regions of the world, there is a government body that attempts to classify wines in order to protect both the producers and the consumers from fraud.  This (quasi) gover

Provence lies in the south east corner of France.  There are many famous wine regions within Provence, but none make better wines than Bandol.  Wine has been made in Bandol since the Phoenicians planted the first vines 2,500 years ago.

Wines from the Rhone Valley in France can be great values especially those wines labeled Cotes du Rhone.  Cotes du Rhone is an AOC wine whose territory extends over the Rhone Valley from Vienne in the north to Avignon in the south.  Cote means hillside and Rhone is the famous river that runs thru southeastern France.  The AOC spans across areas in both the northern and southern Rhone Valleys.  Cotes du Rhone is often referred to as a generic appellation because it is the lowest level of AOC wines and covers such a large area.  All though not the subject of this article, the AOC Cotes du Rhone Villages allows for “better” wines coming from one of the allowed villages.  These will be explored in a future article. 

IntoWine asked a panel of wine experts to recommend the best Rhone red wine (for the money):

With the price of Chateauneuf-du-Pape skyrocketing, now is a good time to explore some of the other Rhone Valley AOCs that offer good wines at better values. Just north east of Chateauneuf-du-Pape is the sun-drenched village of Vacqueyras. As if being overlooked by those on the prowl for Chateauneuf-du-Pape weren’t enough, like a younger sibling lost in the shadow of its glamorous older sister, Vacqueyras often plays second fiddle to its northerly neighbor Gigondas. Well the vineyards of Vacqueyras may not be as picturesque as those of Gigondas, their wines may not be as long lived, and they may not have received AOC status until nearly 20 years after Gigondas, but wines from Vacqueyras offer a rustic simplicity that make one think of enjoying a hearty cassoulet in a tiny cobblestone French village. By law the wines must be at least 50% Grenache with Syrah and Mourvèdre making up at least 20% of the blend. A fine example of Vacqueyras is the 2006 Clef de Murailles. This wine is made out of grapes grown from a local grower’s co-op and offers a classic expression of what the region produces at an affordable price. Deep and brooding, the wine is uninfluenced by oak so the spicy, mineral-laden terroir shines through. There is a touch of red fruit to this wine, but it’s not for the faint of heart. If you’re looking for a jammy fruit bomb, stick to California; this is not your wine. But if you’re interested in taking a chance on an honest, traditional wine from a region that is generally ignore, pop open a bottle of Clef de Murailles. - Kareasa Wilkins, Wine Consultant for Weimax Wines & Spirits in Burlingame, CA and an IntoWine Featured Writer

IntoWine.com asked a panel of wine experts for their recommendation for the best Bordeaux Red (for the money):

There are a lot of great wines being made in Bordeaux.  Some can cost over $1,000 for a bottle.  That bottle, in addition to the cost, should be cellared for ten to thirty years to justify the cost of the wine.  There are, however, hundreds, if not thousands of other Bordeaux wines available at every price point and in a multitude of styles.  It is pretty easy to name the famous wines, be it the classified growths or some of the right bank stars.  I am going to go another direction, however, and name a wine that has been on a roll in the last ten years producing very good wine at reasonable pricing.  That wine is Chateau de Fonbel.  This is a mostly Merlot blend from St. Emillion.  The owners are the same owners as Chateau Ausone whose wines can cost $1,000 a bottle.  Fonbel’s wines cost between $20 and $40 depending on vintage.  They are soft and supple and drink well on release, but improve in the cellar for ten years.  In better vintages such as 2005, this wine should last fifteen years or more. - Loren Sonkin is an IntoWine.com Featured Contributor and the Founder/Winemaker at Sonkin Cellars