As disgusted in How to Pick French Wine Part 1 French wines are heavily regulated and have their own way of classifying each vineyard and wine. There classifications would not be so hard to understand if France used one classification standard , but they don’t.  The good news is that there is an endless amount of books and websites about French wines. The bad thing is that most of the books and websites have so much unimportant information for an everyday wine drinker that we close the book before getting the answers. So what I have done is removed all the unimportant  information and just broke down the sub-regions classification.

The first Sub-Region we will go over is Alsace. Alsace is somewhat an uncommon region to see on a wine list, I say that because Alsace is predominantly a white grape region.  Grapes that are known to grow in Alsace are Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blac, Pinot Gris, and Muscat, and a little Chardonnay. The only red grape that is planted is Pinot Noir.

5 Different classifications you may see on Alsace wine label

• Vins de Table
• Vin de Pays
• Reserve
• Grand Cru
• Late Harvest

You will rarely see  Vins de Table & Vin de Pays since they are considered lesser quality wines and generally not sold in the US.

Reserve- can be labeled with just the vineyard name or have the vineyard name plus Grand Cru (we will go over what Grand Cru means i just a second). Also you may see labels with recerve personelle or reserve excetionnelle, but neither of these have legal definitions and should not be considered when picking a wine.

Grand Cru- is the highest level of classification of AOC wines from Alsace.   A wine bottle that is labeled with Grand Cru is supposed to be the best from the best vineyards and wine makers. … a side note – there are a few vineyards that refuse to take the Grand Cru classification even though the have been awarded the classification because they are not happy with how judging is process so it is important to try all classifications.

Late Harvest – is usually the most expensive of the 5 classifications. Producers may label with Vendange Tardive or Selection de Grains Nobles.  Late harvest is usually an indication of a sweet dessert wine.

The wines body is very important and will always be part of a wine review.  The body of  a wine refers to the fullness, weight and concentration and total mouth feel of a wine.  Wine’s body is mostly due to the alcohol percentage of  the wine.  A lower percentage wine (9% or lower) will generally be considered Light and a high percentage wine (13% or higher) would generally be considered Full.  The last wine body characteristic Medium, this can be a little different from just tasting a big full-bodied red wine or a light citrus white wine. You will often feel like saying Light to Medium or  Medium to Full.  Both of these are perfectly fine reviews of a wine and are often used. 

Here is a quick test that will help you with determining the body of a wine.

• Step 1 – You will need 3 different wines. Each will need to be of a different body (full,medium, and light). You can use the above information to pick 3 wines or  ask for help at you favorite wine shop.
• Step 2 – You will need water, skim milk, whole milk, and heavy cream
• Step 3 - Place 7 empty glasses on a tabel
• Step 4 – Pour water in glass #1, Skim milk in glass #2, Whole milk in glass #3, and Heavy cream in glass #4, “Light” wine glass #5, “Medium” wine glass #6, and “Full” wine glass #7.
•  Step 5 – Taste glass #5, move the wine around your mouth. Try to feel the weight of the wine on your tongue. Now taste glass #2,#3,#4. After tasting each glass try to pick which milk or cream body reminds you of the wine (remember to cleanse your palate by drinking water after each glass tasted). 
• Step 6 – Repeat step 5 with glass #6 and then 7#

Have you found the answer to this question?

A wine glass is more than a holder that prevents your favorite beverage from running through your fingers. The right glass can make all the difference when enjoying the color, aroma, and taste of your wine. So next time your pouring a glass make sure it’s the right glass.

There is a fun little test I like to do every once in a while when drinking with friends and they state they do not believe glass or cup makes any difference. So here is the test:  Grab a normal plastic cup, a coffee mug, and the proper wine glass. With all 3 in a line pour wine into each, then go through the tasting steps (Sight, Nose, Taste) starting with the plastic cup, then the coffee mug, and last the wine glass.  Now was there a difference?

 (Helpful note: When holding your glass, remember to hold either the stem or the base of the glass. This is very important because if a glass is held at the “bowl of the glass” your hand will transfer heat to the wine which can change the taste and aroma of your wine.)

France is believed to produces some the finest wines to be tasted. Why? Although France is a not a very big country (the whole country of France can fit inside Texas state lines), it is home to some of the biggest names/regions in the wine industry. The French climate and soil seem to be perfect for growing wine. Also Frence soil varies greatly with each region/sub-region so the wine produce will have different wine characteristics depending on what area the grapes were grown in. But the biggest reason why French wines are believed to be among one of the greatest regions to produce wine is the Appellation d’Origine Controllee (AOC ) which translates into “controlled term of origin”. The AOC regulates and classifies the vineyard and the wine the vineyard produces.

French Regions: Champagne, Alsace, Loire Valley, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Cote du Rhone, Languedoc -Roussillon, and Provence

AOC Regulation for Wine: Area of Production, Variety of Grape, Yield per Hectare, Vineyard Practices, Degree of Alcohol, Winemaking Practices, Tasting and Analysis, and Varietal Labeling

There is a lot more info that we could get into on the laws and regulations for French wines but for a normal everyday wine drinker it’s really not that  important and really boring. But what you do need to know is the Basic Quality Designation. There are three major classifications Vins de Table, Vins de Pays, and AOC regulated wine.

Vins de Table- Is table wine, some would say the lowest form of wine made in France. Usually very cheaply priced

Vins de Pays- Means “country wine” and is a step above Vins de Table but not of the quality of a AOC regulated wine. Vins de Pays is generally reasonably price.

Appellation d’Origine Controllee (AOC )- AOC regulated wine are the most important to learn. Since each sub-region has its on way of classifying the wines. I will have to list by sub-regions to make it as simple as possible. This will be done on How to Pick a French Wine (Part 2)

Wine Basics- When researching wine you will often be overwhelmed with information that is not really relevant to a casual wine drinker or to someone who just wants to be able to pick a good wine when your out to dinner. So below is a list of important facts that will get you by when out for a casual glass of wine.

1. Red or White- When choosing a glass of wine you should take a moment and considered what wine would best suit your needs (Are you pairing with food or just having a glass while watching Tv)

2. Varietal (Type of wine)- Now that you know the why its time to figure out what your drinking (This is all subjective to who you are and what you would like to drink. No one can tell you what you like.) But just so we can move on lets just pick  a Tempranillo since it is generally known for its ruby-red in colour, with aromas and flavors of berries, plum, tobacco, vanilla, leather,  herb, ect…

3. Buying a bottle- Ok so we know the Why and the What all that is left is to grab and bottle and go home, but what bottle?….. This is often the time when people just walk away and decide to drink water, but picking a bottle is actually easier than it looks you just have to take a couple of steps.

• First look for the region that you prefer (Ca, Wa, Or, Ny, Spain, South Africa, France, Italy, Ect…). This is important because each region will have different characteristics (aromas and flavors). Once you have tasted enough wine from many different regions you will figure out what you prefer the best.
• Second you want to look for a producer that you like (this will be a little difficult at first but the more you try the easier it gets).
• Last step would be to read the back label. Reading the back label can give you an idea of the wine characteristics. Its is imported to remember that every person is going to taste different flavors wine tasting a wine so don’t count on tasting exactly what on the bottle.   

Acidity- is used on labels to give the total acid content of the wine. Think of acidity as the prickly sensation on the sides of your tongue when drinking wine.

Alcohol- is very important to the final product from the grape itself. It effects how you feel after drinking it and also it affect the taste, texture, and structure of the wine.

Balance- is the harmony between two or more of the wine’s components.

Balance is very important; without a good balance the wine can be overwhelming with or very dull to the nose and palate.

Body- is a way of describing the weight of the wine while in your mouth. The best way to determine the body of a wine is to judge the weight and texture of the wine. A mid body will feel a little heavier than water, full body would feel almost like the weight of milk- heavy and kind of thick, or a wine could be considered light which would feel lighter than water.

Some other words you will hear when referring to the body is:

• Light- Elegant, Settle, Refreshing
• Mid- Velvety, Supple, Moderate
• Full- Powerful, Robust, Masculine, Rich, Meaty

Complexity- is the effect of how the various components of the wine come together. It would be the opposite of a simple, straightforward wine that leaves you wishing for more.

Finish- is the wine’s aftertaste, some say the longer the flavor lasts after you swallow, the better quality the wine.

Legs- are the lines of wine that run down the inside of a glass after the wine swirled. Some people like to say legs are clues to how much alcohol or residual sugar the wine contains. Legs really do not have any to do with wine tasting and you will find that people will point out the legs just to try to sound intelligent.

Tannins-come from the skins, seeds, and stems of the grapes. Tannins are usually found in red wine. Tannins taste bitter and can make your palate feel dry depending on the amount of tannin in the wine.

Texture – is the way a wine feels while in the mouth. You might hear some say “This wine is has a silky texture.”

Fruit-forward- describes wines that are dominated by the flavors of fruit, weather this be in the nose or on the palate.

Jammy- describes a wines that taste like its made of very ripe berries.

Oaky – describes the aroma and taste of oak in wines. This also could come off as a vanilla flavor that comes from aging in oak barrels.

The serving temperature of a wine is one of the most important aspects of wine tasting/drinking.

•  A white wine served too warm will seem to lack flavor, the alcohol heat will be more obvious  and will be dull on the palate.  When a white wine is served to cold the flavors hide and it will he hard to get anything from the wine.
• A red wine severed to chilled (cold) will often take away the aroma of the wine and will seem to lack flavor and taste thin. Serving red wine to warm will change the balance of the wine. The tannins and alcohol will stand out and the fruit and other flavors with be harder to detect.

 Chilling Out

Dry white or semi dry wines such as Sauvignon Blanc should be chilled at or around 40°F.

Other wine that should be chilled the same are:

Rosé

Desert wines

Less expensive sparkling wines

 Cellar Temp

Cellar temperature should be no lower than 50°F no higher than 70°F. 

Room Temperature

Room temp should be at 55°-65°F. Your normal reds (Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah, ect.) should be served at room temp so that the wine is more aromatic and the flavor will be bright on the palate.