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)

2009 Donkey and Goat Grenache Rose, McDowell Valley, Ca

• Color- Light Pink
• Nose- Sweet Strawberry, Floral
• Body- Light
• Taste- Strawberries, Earthy, Mineral

2007 Les Caves Joseph Bordeaux

• Color- Lite Straw yellow
• Nose- Grapefruit, Citrus, Pear, Mint
• Body- Medium to Light
• Taste- Citrus, Lime, Pear, Grapefruit

Vino (Encino, CA)

Vino wine and tapas is one of the best wine bars in the valley. Vino has a very knowledgeable and friendly staff with a wonderful boutique wine list. Flights range from $10 to $20 and they have over 100 bottles on there list.

www.vinowineroom.com

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.   

 

2008 Chiusa Grande Tommolo Montepulciano d’Abruzzo

• Color- Purple red
• Nose- Dark fruit, Floral, Chemicals(floor cleaner)
• Body- Medium 
• Taste- Dry,   Cherries, Low tannins, black berries, Spices

Cantara Cellars Zinfandel, Lodi

• Color-Ruby Red
• Nose- Pepper, Smokey, Oak
• Body- Medium to Full
• Taste- Red Berries, Plum, Pepper, Oak, Carmel

Cantara Cellars Chardonnay, Lodi

• Color- Golden Straw
• Nose- Little stinky, Ripe Apples
• Body- Medium
• Taste- Smooth, Apples, Pears

Rosenblum Cellars Vintner’s Cuvee Zinfandel

• Color- Purple Red
• Nose- Cedar, Black pepper, Plum, Cherry cola
• Body- Mid to Full
• Taste- Blackberry, Raisin, Plum, Cherry

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.