What's Going On in the World of French Wines

In my previous post on Bordeaux last month, I covered some of the major appellations for white wines, both dry and sweet. This month’s post will concentrate on some of the red wines that Bordeaux is so very famous for.
Let’s first start out with a little about the red grapes that are grown in Bordeaux. There are three major varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. There are also two lesser-known grapes that are sometimes used in the blend as well: Petit Verdot and Malbec. A third grape, Carmenère, used to be part of the blend, but after Bordeaux was hit by phylloxera in the late 1800s, much of it was not replanted and so today it is very rarely used.
While Cabernet Sauvignon is considered by many to be the King of Bordeaux, it is in fact, the second-most planted red grape in the region. The most-planted red grape of Bordeaux is actually Merlot. Much of this has to do with the soils that are found in Bordeaux. On the well-draining gravelly soils that dot the region, Cabernet Sauvignon is typically the favored grape. But for the cooler, damper soils that are found throughout much of the rest of Bordeaux, Merlot has proved easier to grow. Merlot tends to tolerate dampness better than Cabernet Sauvignon and it also ripens earlier. The differences between these two grapes can be very helpful in a region with a lot of wet weather and the possibility of rain during the harvest months.
In fact, while some interpret blends as a way of camouflaging a grape’s limitations, another way of looking at a blend is that the sum is greater than the parts. Not only do Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon act almost as insurance policies for each other by ripening at different times and having a preference for different soil types, but they also work to complement each other in a blend. Merlot adds a softness and a fullness to Cabernet Sauvignon while Cabernet’s acidity and tannins can be used to prevent Merlot from being too plush and lacking in structure. Each of the other grapes, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec have something to add as well and the combination of all of these grapes ideally works to create a wine that is well-balanced, long-lived and harmonious on the palate.
As we discussed in the first post about Bordeaux, the region’s appellations can be thought of as concentric circles. The largest circle for red wines would be the AOC Bordeaux – think of it as a regional appellation that encompasses almost all of Bordeaux. It accounts for approximately 40% of all red wines produced in Bordeaux. A slightly smaller circle is the AOC Bordeaux Supérieur, which has a minimum alcohol that is a half a percent higher than AOC Bordeaux, a slightly higher aging requirement of a minimum of 12 months and is made from selected spots within the appellation.
Now here is where the circles get a bit confusing as there are lots of smaller appellations that are well worth discussing. This post will focus on the Left Bank, or the west side of the Gironde where we find the very important appellation of the Médoc. The Médoc is perhaps the most famous home for Cabernet Sauvignon in the world. With its well-draining soils with their high gravel content and a climate moderated by close proximity to the ocean, the Médoc is well-suited to growing high quality Cabernet Sauvignon. The Médoc is also very famous because it is the main subject of the historical Classification of 1855 (Graves was included as well, but we are going to discuss that area separately in another post). This classification of the chateaux on the Left Bank was put together by the merchants in Bordeaux and the rankings were based mainly on price. Chateaux were grouped into growths, going from First Growths (or Premier Crus) to Fifth Growths (Cinquième Crus). While many of the chateaux that were classified back in 1855 have ceased to exist, for the most part, the 1855 classification is still used in Bordeaux and there has only been one formal change to the list in 1973, when Château Mouton-Rothschild was changed from a Second Growth to a First Growth. It is important to note though, that the classification of 1855 is not part of the AOC system and in many ways, getting to know the different appellations is much more important than memorizing the entire list of classified growths.
Returning to our idea of concentric circles, within the Médoc is the Haut-Médoc, an appellation made up of vineyards located in several communes that are not entitled to their own commune AOC. Many of these wines can represent excellent buys for Bordeaux lovers. Château Corconnac, one of the wines from my list, is a great example of an affordable and very delicious Haut-Médoc wine.
Finally, within the Médoc we reach the most important Left Bank appellations – the communes of St-Estèphe, Pauillac, St-Julien, and Margaux, which are home to the majority of those chateaux from the 1855 classification. St. Estèphe is known for producing full-bodied, but rather austere red wines with high levels of acidity that are typically very age-worthy. Two of the most well-known producers are Ch. Montrose and Cos d’Estournel. Pauillac is perhaps one of the most famous communes in the Médoc as it is home to three of the five first growths – Ch. Lafite-Rothschild, Ch. Latour and Ch. Mouton-Rothschild. The wines of Pauillac are very powerful, concentrated and long-lived and especially known for their distinctive Cabernet Sauvignon character and notes of cassis and cedar.
The next commune, that of St-Julien, is perhaps a bit underrated compared to the others. It typically produces wines that are a bit more subtle and approachable. Chateaux such as Léoville-Las-Cases, Léoville-Poyferré and Léoville-Barton, Gruaud-Larose, and Ducru-Beaucaillou are some of the best-known producers from St-Julien. Finally, we reach the commune of Margaux, the home of the well-known Ch. Margaux as well as Ch. Palmer, Ch. Lascombes and Ch. Brane-Cantenac. Wines from Margaux are considered to be some of the most perfumed and silky of the Médoc. While many will argue that Margaux has experienced more ups and downs than other communes, when the 1855 Classification was originally put together, Margaux had more properties included than any other commune. Fortunately for Cabernet Sauvignon (and Merlot) lovers everywhere, it is back on the upswing today.
We’ll continue in another post with some of the other smaller communes in Bordeaux that can offer wine lovers a good buy, but I thought it would be important to cover some of the most historical and well-known appellations in this post about the Left Bank. As always, let me know if you have any questions and comments!

When we talk about the most important grape varieties in the wine world, there is no doubt that when it comes to red grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon is considered the King. Few grapes have proven as age-worthy, as consistently reliable and as downright delicious as Cabernet Sauvignon.

Thanks to work in the late 1990s by grape geneticist Dr. Carole Meredith and the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology, we can trace the origins of Cabernet Sauvignon to a chance meeting in a vineyard in Southwest France between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc that occurred sometime during the 17th century (sounds romantic, right?). Although there had been some speculation that Cabernet Sauvignon had more ancient origins, there was also a theory (which the DNA research confirmed), that the aromas that Cabernet Sauvignon shares in common with Cabernet Franc (lead pencil, tea leaves, black currants) and with Sauvignon Blanc (grassy, herbal) pointed to some sort of relationship between the three grapes. But regardless of what Cabernet Sauvignon has in common with Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, it is a distinctly unique grape that has, over time, outshown its parents.

There is a bit of a chicken and egg debate in the wine world about Cabernet Sauvignon. Is it so popular because it is fairly easy to grow (thus meaning that there is so much of it out there that we can’t avoid it), or is it because we like it so much that producers around the world have sought out ways to grow as much of it as they can? Most likely, the answer is a little bit of both. In terms of marketing, Cabernet Sauvignon is tough to beat. With a high level of name recognition and a top reputation, most producers and wine drinkers hold it in very high esteem. And many of its viticultural characteristics make it very easy to love. Cabernet Sauvignon is a very thick-skinned, hardy grape with good disease-resistance and the ability to grow well in a variety of soils and climates (although it does have a preference for well-draining soil and moderate climates).

Cabernet Sauvignon is, like Chardonnay, very much a winemaker’s grape. It requires a good deal of skill to handle Cabernet’s tannic nature and while it has a great affinity for oak, the integration of Cabernet Sauvignon and oak also demands a producer’s full attention. Cabernet Sauvignon produces wines that are medium to full-bodied, tannic, high in acid and very capable of extensive aging. Common primary aromas and flavors (going from cool climate to warm climate characteristics) are cinnamon, menthol, eucalyptus, mint, violet, berry, plum, blackcurrant, cassis, black olive, prune, licorice. As Cabernet Sauvignon ages, you will typically find notes of earth, tobacco, cigar-box, milk chocolate, tobacco, coffee, mocha, lead pencil, herbal tea, and leather on the nose and palate.

As mentioned above, Cabernet Sauvignon’s birthplace was most likely somewhere in the Southwest of France, but it did not take long for it to spread, and with it, a reputation for producing high quality wines. The region considered most synonymous with Cabernet Sauvignon is, of course Bordeaux. Although most Bordeaux wines are not made with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon (most are a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc), it is still considered by most (especially those on the Left Bank in Bordeaux) to be the most important of the three. Cabernet Sauvignon is also grown in the Loire and these days, throughout the South of France as well. It is what the grape can do in Bordeaux, though, that has really set the standard for Cabernet Sauvignon around the world. The gravelly soil of the left bank of Bordeaux is, in particular, considered ideal for growing top quality Cabernet and growers around the world, notably in California, Australia and Italy, have looked to achieve similar results.

If you are looking to get a sense of what Cabernet Sauvignon tastes like, I suggest you taste through any of the following wines from my list: Arrogant Frog “Lily Pad Red” Vin de Pays d’Oc, Chateau Corconnac Haut-Médoc, Chateau de Parenchère Cuvée Raphael Bordeaux Supérieur, Chateau La Maroutine Bordeaux Rouge, Chateau Machorre Bordeaux Supérieur, Grand Bateau Rouge, La Croix Bonis St. Estephe, Mas de Guiot Vin de Pays du Gard and Mouton Cadet Bordeaux Rouge. You can also have some fun by picking out some wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon grown around the world and comparing how similar and how different Cabernet from various regions can taste. And, of course, given how ageworthy Cabernet Sauvignon can be, you also could buy some wine and save it for a few years to see for yourself what happens to the aroma and taste of Cabernet Sauvignon as it ages. I’d suggest finding some Bordeaux wines from 2005 to use in your experiment. The 2005 was a fantastic vintage in Bordeaux and while tasting beautifully now, these are also wines that will age and drink well over the next 5 to 8 years (and more for the top wines).

So don’t be cruel, grab a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon and give a toast to the king. It’ll make your heart (or at the very least your palate) sing.

I am thrilled to announce that Rosie Cox of Lexington, NC has won the Wines of France Sweepstakes. Rosie was randomly selected from more than 12,500 entrants and will be taking her husband, Donald (who also entered the sweepstakes!) with her to France this September. I am so excited for both of them! It is also a special coincidence to see someone from Lexington win this fabulous trip! Lexington, NC is where my husband and I were married. (And we had our wedding reception at a winery in Lexington.)

Rosie and Donald will be traveling to both Bordeaux and Burgundy which will give them a chance to experience two of the most important and historic wine regions in the world. What are some of the things that they will discover? In Bordeaux they will get to see the harvesting of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes for the red wines, and Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon grapes for the white wines. While in Burgundy, they will have the opportunity to watch as winemakers make wines from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. The opportunity to learn about all of these different grapes is a wonderful experience for a wine lover – it will change the way they think about wine forever!

Bordeaux and Burgundy offer such a wonderful compare-and-contrast for someone learning about wine. In Bordeaux, you get to see the famous large chateaux and learn about how winemakers skillfully blend several different grapes together to create the full-bodied, rich and age-worthy red wines of the region. In Burgundy, on the other hand, you will find small producers who create silky and elegant reds from only the Pinot Noir grape, and powerful and crisp whites from Chardonnay alone. Each region has set a style for wines that is emulated around the world. And while there are definitely winemaking techniques that are used in both regions, there are also several practices in the cellar that are unique to each, and Rosie and Donald will have a chance to experience them all.

Rosie and Donald have promised to share their experiences here on my blog so that we can all learn from their harvest adventure and see for ourselves what makes French wine so special. I can’t wait for their trip – although I am sure that Rosie is even more excited about it than I am!

Oh, and one last piece of advice for Rosie and Donald – make sure that you take very comfortable and study (and hopefully waterproof) shoes with you. Also, don’t forget to pack some old shirts, too. Winery work is fun, but it can get pretty messy!

Last night was the first evening workout for the half marathon program that I have signed up for. After running several half marathons and 1 full marathon in the last 6 years, I finally decided to sign up for a training program to help me stay honest with my workouts and to try to improve my pace and form. While I was running, I started chatting with Sarah, a young graduate student who is preparing to run her first half-marathon. As we attempted to break up the monotony of running laps around the track, Sarah asked me what I do. I proceeded to tell her about working as the Spokesperson for Wines of France and my job as a wine educator. It is always interesting to tell people about what I do – it is usually something that catches people a bit off guard and it typically leads to a fun conversation about wine.

Sarah’s response was interesting. She said, “Ah, well, maybe you can tell me a red wine that I would enjoy, I tend to only drink white wines.” I asked her to tell me a bit more about what she disliked about red wines and her answers surprised me. I expected her to say that she found reds bitter or too dry, but instead, she said “they aren’t very refreshing. I find reds too hot and heavy. I really love Sauvignon Blanc and it always tastes so fresh.”

I found Sarah’s reasoning fascinating on any number of levels, not the least of which is that her answer was a bit different from most I have gotten on this topic in the past. Temperature is one of those things that we don’t talk enough about when it comes to wine. Serving temperature, along with several other factors including alcohol level, plays a very important role in determining how “heavy” or “light” we might perceive a wine to be when we taste it and smell it. A white wine served too cold will seem tasteless, while a red that has been overly chilled will come across as metallic and bitter. At the opposite end of the spectrum, wines (both red and white) that are served too warm will be flabby and flat. And if a wine has a very high level of alcohol, then if served too warm it will seem to be excessively alcoholic and hot. Wines seem more aromatic when served on the warmer side (around 64 degrees F) and can seem to have little or no nose if served too cold (around 46 degrees F).

We’ve talked about cellar temperature before when it comes to keeping wine for a long period of time. While cellar temperature can be a range (from 50 to 60 degrees F), the ideal cellar temperature is right around 59 degrees F. Most people think about serving red wines at room temperature, but really, the majority of reds should actually be served at cellar temperature – not room temperature. What I typically suggest is that you put your red wine in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes before you serve it or place it in an ice bucket (ice mixed with water) and chill it for 10 to 15 minutes. With whites, you need to think about how cold your refrigerator might be. Most fridges are actually colder than cellar temperature (they should be at 37 degrees F) and many whites should be served somewhere between 45 and 55 degrees F (it will depend a little bit on the type of white). So if that’s the case, I would suggest that you take your white wine OUT of the fridge 10 to 15 minutes before you serve it.

After giving Sarah a few suggestions on serving temperature, I also recommended that she try out a few lighter reds that can be served on the very cool side, like a Beaujolais or a Loire Valley Cabernet Franc. She promised me that she would look for some reds and let me know what she thinks. We all meet back up on Sunday for a long run, so I will see if she had a chance to try anything out. In the meantime, I’m curious to see if any of you ever take the temperature of your wines before you serve them or if you cool your reds prior to opening them. Drop me a line and let me know!

The July 4th Holiday is just around the corner – as is Bastille Day, July 14th, the national holiday in France that commemorates the storming of the Bastille and the end of the French monarchy. As a history major in college, I have always felt that historical holidays are a time for celebrations. Independence Day, in my opinion, is usually one of the more enjoyable days of the year (I also adore Halloween, but we’ll get to that in October). What is better than picnics, fireworks, and summertime fun? Almost all of my favorite foods (tomatoes, corn, blueberries and watermelon) are at their peak, and who doesn’t love a holiday that usually involves brownies? (OK, maybe this is just in my family, but somehow brownies decorated with red, white and blue icing were always served as a part of dessert…) But of course, with any holiday or celebration, there is always the important question: what wine should I serve with the meal?

For those of you who might answer that beer would be the appropriate and patriotic beverage of choice on July 4th, you might be interested to know that Thomas Jefferson supposedly drank Madeira to toast the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Madeira, a wonderful fortified wine produced on the Island of Madeira, is definitely one of my favorite types of fortified wines. Produced in styles both dry and sweet, Madeira was particularly in vogue back in the late 1700s and was consumed by many of the founding fathers. The addition of the extra alcohol (the fortification part) helped to make wines like Port, Sherry and Madeira a bit more stable for the long journey across the Atlantic.

But while Jefferson and his friends were fans, I would argue that it is probably not the ideal wine for serving at your July 4th picnic. Perhaps you could consider offering your guests a sip with their brownies at the end of the meal, but pairing Madeira with fried chicken or hamburgers is not the way to go on a hot summer’s day. Instead, I suggest that you choose another of our founding fathers’ favorites – the wines of Bordeaux or Burgundy. Along with fortified wines like Sherry and Madeira, Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin both drank a good deal of French wine. Indeed, Jefferson was famous for his purchases of large volumes of French wine and also for his desire to establish a winery at his home in Monticello.

Luckily for us, the 2005 vintage of Bordeaux was particularly good and there are a tremendous number of affordable and delicious wines available right now. Typically a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the wines of Bordeaux are usually elegant and full-bodied without being too soft and alcoholic. While some are a bit on the tannic side and will benefit from years of aging, there are many that are terrific for drinking right now. And if you open one and find it a bit tight, I suggest pouring it into a glass decanter to help it open up a bit more quickly. So if you are serving a selection of grilled meats or hamburgers, a beef tenderloin or beef kabobs, I would definitely recommend that you look for a wine from the Bordeaux region of France.

If a mixture of shrimp, salmon or chicken will be on your menu for the Fourth, then I would turn towards the wines of one of Jefferson’s other favorite regions, Burgundy. With reds made from Pinot Noir and whites from Chardonnay, Burgundy is a region that produces wines that typically have a good level of acidity to them, which makes them extremely food-friendly and refreshing. Additionally, many of the Chardonnays from Burgundy are aged in older oak barrels or only a portion of new French oak barrels, which makes them a lot less heavy and oaky than many of the New World Chardonnays available these days.

If you consult the wine list on the site, you will find a number of recommendations for affordable red and white wines from both wine regions that will really get your holiday party hopping. So whether you are celebrating Bastille Day or Independence Day or even both, enjoy your celebration and just make sure that you keep the fireworks away from the wine….