French Wine Regions and Grapes

Many people find French wines “confusing” and have stayed safe with wines with English labels. They have therefore missed these beautiful wines of France.

The confusion over French wines, specifically French wine labels is understandable. After all, there’s the language barrier – all those French words! In addition, most French wines – except some from Alsace, are labeled and named by the region, not by the grape.

Unless you have some basic knowledge about the French wine regions and their grapes, you would not know how to choose a bottle of French wine, and what to expect in the bottle. Having the knowledge of the French wine regions, the grapes, styles & quality of the wine is information built over time. However, this article offers descriptions of the major French wine regions and the main grapes in each region, to help you enter the world of the French wines.

Being familiar with the regions and their major grapes would help you recognize the regions on the French wine label you see next time.

Clockwise from the top right corner of the map of France, the wine regions are Alsace, Burgundy, the Rhone Valley, Province, Languedoc-Rousillon, Bordeaux, and the Loire Valley.

Many wines from Alsace for non-French wine drinkers are probably the most user-friendly for the reason that the wine labels tell you the grape variety in the wine. Alsace makes all white wines, except those from Pinot Noir. The white grapes of Alsace are Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Sylvaner.

Burgundy (French “Bourgogne”) is the land of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

The Rhone Valley is really divided into Northern Rhone and Southern Rhone since the grapes and the styles of wines are different. In Northern Rhone, the white wines are made from the fragrant Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne, while the red wines are made from the inky dark Syrah. In Southern Rhone, Clairette, Grenache Blanc, and indigenous grapes make the white wines, while Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre and indigenous grapes make the red wines.

In Province (French “Provence”), it wouldn’t be surprising if the wine has lavender aroma! The red grape Cinsault makes rosé wines. Another red grape, Grenache makes both rosé and dry red wines. The other red grapes for dry red wine blends are Mourvedre and Syrah.

In Languedoc-Rousillon, you’ll find all the grapes from Province, except Cinsault, and adding Carignan and some Bordeaux grape varieties.

Next comes to Bordeaux and its wines that is loved by everybody. Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon are the white grape here. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec are the red grapes in Bordeaux.

Last but not the least is the Garden of France, the Loire Valley, with red grapes of Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Gamay, and white grapes of Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Melon de Bourgogne.

Another fact to bear in mind is many French wines are not single varietal wines, and instead are blends of local grapes.

Pick up a French wine next time and look for the region. You have now taken the first step into the French Wine World. Welcome!

Stainless Wine Refrigerator

Many people make the mistake of thinking that by just keeping their wine in a normal kitchen refrigerator they will conserve quality and they wonder why other people rave on about having a wine refrigerator. As far as wine drinkers are concerned, though, red wine at normal kitchen refrigerator temperature becomes far too cold for drinking. So too with white wine; there’s a limit to how much this should be chilled also.

To get the very best out of your wine collection, always store the wine at the correct temperature. Letting the wine get too warm will affect the taste and overall quality. This is where the importance of choosing a wine bottle refrigerator comes into consideration and you think: How big a unit do I want? How many bottles will I be storing? How will it look on display? Do I want a wooden or a stainless wine refrigerator? How much will it cost?

Like most household appliances there are many different brands to choose from. People are aware of the leading manufacturers in the household goods category: LG, Westinghouse, Avanti, Whirlpool, Viking, Electrolux, etc. The brand name is not the main thing, though, as price will probably be a more determining factor when choosing a unit.

If you are considering a stainless wine refrigerator, you will most likely give a lot of consideration to a unit with dual zone temperature control. This set-up will allow you to store your prized bottles of red as well as your whites.

As a keen wine collector, I have never regretted purchasing a wine bottle refrigerator to keep my wine collection in pristine condition. I opted for a stainless wine refrigerator to blend in with my apartment surroundings.

Shop around before purchasing a wine refrigerator. Good discount prices are available if you are prepared to do diligent research. I purchased my unit online and have yet to find a better deal elsewhere.

The Vinotemp Wine Refrigerator that I purchased, for example, is one of the best brands on the market. It allows wine collectors to store their wines without having to resort to underground cellars. The unit has a well-lit interior, security lock, traditional thermoelectric cooling, and exterior LED display.

If you are wine collector, you want to be able to pull out a bottle of wine and have a good idea before having it with your meal that it will taste just right. If you are having friends over to your house to sample one of your favorite wines, you want an assurance of quality before opening a bottle. Only through storing your wines in a wine bottle refrigerator can you have such assurance.

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Temecula Wine Tasting

What type of wine goes well with a big, red juicy steak? We all know that red wine is usually considered the best candidate. In looking to choose the best red for your next meal, visiting a wine tasting will certainly help you narrow down your choices. In the city of Temecula, California, Californians and cross-country vacationers practice “taste-budding” different sorts of wine. In particular, Temecula is truly renowned for its antique stores, jazz festivals, and of course its wine festivals and tastings.

Old Town Temecula exhibits its wine tasting locally through its popular Temecula Valley vineyard. Built it 1968, winemakers Vincenzo and Audry Cilurzo decided to convert their establishment into a modern commercial vineyard dedicated to wine exporting and farming. Although it has gained recognition over the past fifty years, a minimum of twenty-five different vineyards have opened ever since its popular inception in 1968. Currently, it holds second place after the much higher production competitor from Napa Valley AVA in Northern California and the Santa Ynez Valley AVA (which was made famous in the Academy Award Winning movie Sideways).

Recently in 2007, 18 of Temecula’s 58 wines were selected to represent South California. Wine enthusiasts and wine spectators judged the five major categories of wine: Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Sangiovese, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon and other blends of the aforementioned line-up. With these in mind, you can confidently say that Temecula is best known for its wineries because they really are everywhere. In fact, there is a very excellent opportunity for you to visit several other cities in Temecula for a more distinctive feeling of wine tasting. You can expect the details of this in another report focusing on the different locations where wine tasting is also a spectacular way of spending a lovely weekend and getting to know the locals who shop, golf, and drink there.

Since I have already implanted an idea for you in case you haven’t already checked them out yourself; some upcoming festivals are right around the corner-and they usually do involve wine tasting as well. In April and May, Cougar Winery and Miramonte Winery are hosting wine tasting events every single day in preparations for the Temecula Wine and Music Festival. The events are always accompanied by wine enthusiasts and speakers of all different states supporting the Temeculan tradition. One of California’s largest wine and music festival brings in more than fifteen different artists from Pop, Jazz, and R & B genres. Participating Temecula Wineries are Callaway, Francis Coppola, La Cereza, Stuart Cellars, Maurice Carrie, WC, Keyways, Yellow Tail, Wiens Family Cellars, The Briar Rose Winery, and the Temecula Valley and Resort. So set up your calendar and make sure you get yourself decked out in comfortable clothes and put on your wine tasting cap and relax in a soothing atmosphere where wine meets man at one of the most popular wine regions in the county, Temecula, California.

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Resveratrol – The Red Wine Pill

The French consume fat-loaded, calorie-rich pastries baked in the oven which are not good for the health. However, they are less possible to depart this life from cardiovascular disease than Americans. It is known as the “The French Irony,” assumed to be connected to a rewarding substance present in red wine. At this moment, a research proves that a red wine pill gives extra well-being advantages than taking so many glasses of wine.

At Harvard Medical School, Dr. David Sinclair has come up with a potent type of the substance. He has tried the results on rodents and assumes it will assist to counteract the result of excessive fat diets, lessen the risk of diabetes and delay aging in people. Rodents in their mid-lives were given a diet in which sixty percent of calories originated from fat. They formed symptoms of diabetes and expired much rapidly than rodents given a usual diet.

One more cluster of adult rodents was given similar diet together with the substance. This inhibited the start of diabetes and although overweight, they existed as extensively as those given a normal diet. It proved rodents could splurge during meals without suffering from negative results afterwards.

In France, at the Institute of Molecular Biology, Dr. Johan Auwerx proved that a normal rat could jog one kilometer on a treadmill. However, rats fed with the substance doubled the distance jogged and had a decelerated heart rate, same with trained sports persons. It makes you appear like a trained sportsperson with no training at all.

For a long time, practitioners have worries endorsing the fitness advantages of wine due to the societal troubles linked with too much consumption of alcohol. Today, the red wine pill permits people to obtain the advantages of wine with no calories or alcohol. Because fifty percent of patients with diabetes expire from heart attack, the product will optimistically help lessen the difficulty in the future.

White Wine Making

White Wines vs. Red Wines: Do you know All the Differences?

You don’t need me to tell you that the difference between red wines and white wines is the color. But I’m sure that I can mention a few facts about wines that you didn’t know. For example, did you know that many white wines are produced with red grapes?

The Tannic Element

White wines are characterized for having low levels of tannin, while red wines contain it in high quantities. I know what you’re thinking…It is safe to deduct, then, that this tannic element is entirely responsible for a wine’s color, correct? Correct! Tannins place a significant role in wine color, since they carry the pigments that give it a dark, reddish hue. They are extracted from grape stems, seeds and skins where they are found in high concentrations.

Color Hues

When white wines are made, these skins, stems and seeds (lees) are isolated from the must, or pressed grapes. Winemakers do this to prevent the reddish color and qualities that tannins impart in the wine, thus obtaining an amber-colored drink, instead of a ruby-colored one. Tannin concentrations depend not only on how much of the lees are left in the fermentation vessel, but also for how long they remain in contact with the must. Because of this, you will find many different red wines with different hues of red. The darker the red is, the longer it has been in contact with the grape juice and must.

Wine Qualities According to Color

Aside from color, tannins give wines a heavy, round, complex quality. This makes red wines warmer and spicier in nature, full-bodied and with a prevalent sedimentation. On the other hand, white wines tend to be crisp and light, and generally they summon wine enthusiasts that are looking for a fruity, refreshing drink.

Fermentation Practices: Whites vs. Reds

Red wines also differ from whites in terms of their fermentation and ageing. White wines, for one, are generally fermented at cool temperatures and for a long time. Red wines, on the other hand, require warmer temperatures, and a speedier fermentation process. Winemakers use this temperature variation in white wine making in order to stall fermentation – which aids in the development of tannins. To compensate for the slow fermentation progress, vintners extend the process to achieve a ‘tannic complexity, but without high tannin contents.

The Effect of Oak in White Wine Ageing

In addition to fermentation, the use of oak enhances tannin extraction into the wine. With this in mind, you’ll find that darker red wines are most frequently aged in oak – and that white wines are rarely exposed to this wood. One example of a white wine that is aged in oak is the Chardonnay. Proof of higher tannin content, Chardonnays are generally drier, slightly round-bodied and darker than other white wines. In replacement to oak barrel ageing, white wines are most commonly treated in stainless steel vats. The use of metal not only prevents tannin extraction, but it aids in temperature control and is more affordable than conventional oak barrels. Also related to tannin concentrations is the length of ageing. Ageing offers best results in wines that offer high tannic levels, as tannins fully develop and grant the aged wine with a complex quality, full body and robust flavor. Because of this, and since white wines have little tannins, these are recommended to be aged for 12 months or less.

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