Find French wine newsletter, luxury France wine tasting tours, gourmet trips

French Wine Explorers Wine e-Newsletter
www.wine-tours-france.com - January 2004

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

(We generally mail to this list once per month; please click on the following link to be removed immediately: Remove Me.
If you'd like to receive this Wine e-Newsletter, you can subscribe here.)

This month's wine explorations:

Answering your wine questions: Appellation vs. Classification in Bordeaux
Wine tip of the month: Judging Aging Potential
Update on 2004 Tours
Upcoming wine events in France: Truffle Mania!

Answering Your Wine Questions: Appellation vs. Classification in Bordeaux

In this new feature, I'll answer your questions about French wine or wine in general. Just send your question to me at info@wine-tours-france.com. If I pick your question to answer in the newsletter, you'll get a $100 gift certificate for the tour of your choice.

Janine C. from Tuscon, AZ asks: "I get confused with Bordeaux wines between what they mean by "classification" and "appellation". Can you explain what the difference is?"

The Bordeaux wine region, like the other wine regions in France, has a system of appellations determined by the I.N.A.O. (Institut National des Appellations d'Origine), the French government body that regulates the wine appellation system for wine. The INAO recognizes geographical areas that have well-known winemaking and growing traditions that are associated with a particular name and quality. For example, they recognized that the vineyards around the village of Pauillac produced a wine known by the name "Pauillac", which was created using certain specific winemaking and growing techniques. The I.N.A.O. then created a map showing the boudaries of those vineyards, and passed a law specifying the winemaking and growing techniques that must be used to make the wine called appellation "Pauillac." When an appellation is created for a small area (covering only the vineyards around one or a few villages), it is done because that small area is recognized to have land of a higher level of quality than the rest of the region in which it is located. Thus the lowest quality land is that which has been given the broadest appellation name "Bordeaux", the next highest level of quality have the appellation name of a specific subregion, like "Médoc," and the highest quality land carries the appellation name of the area around one or several villages, like "Pauillac." All of the appellations of Bordeaux were created in the 20th century, most in 1936.

So the term "appellation" has to do with the quality of the land, which is determined by the I.N.A.O. based on studies of the land and in recognition of the winemaking traditions of that geographical area. The classification system is something entirely different. The classification system in the Médoc and Sauternes area was determined in 1855 by the viticultural union of Bordeaux, based on two things: the price of the wine on the market at that time, and the notoriety of the chateau that produced the wine. The classification applied to the CHATEAU, NOT to the land, although one can assume that the chateaux with the best classification also had the best land (that's why their wines were so well-known and expensive). At that time, the most famous and expensive wines came from the Médoc and from Sauternes/Barsac, with one exception: Chateau Haut Brion in the Graves region, which produced the second most famous and expensive wine of the Bordeaux region (Chateau d'Yquem was Number 1). So Chateau Haut Brion was included as well. The classification contained 5 levels in the Médoc (1st through 5th Grand Cru Classé, plus Haut Brion also being named a 1st Grand Cru Classé), and three in the Sauternes/Barsac area (Premier Cru Supérieur, reserved exclusively for Chateau d'Yqeum, then Premiers Crus and Seconds Crus). The other subregions of Bordeaux followed suit in the 20th century with their own classification systems, some with the help of the I.N.A.O., some spearheaded once again by the local viticultural unions. This all makes for a rather complex system of classifications in the Bordeaux area that can be quite confusing.

In summary: when you look at a bottle of Chateau Margaux, you see that the label says "Appellation d'Origine Margaux Controlée" (meaning the grapes came from the geographical area the I.N.A.O. calls "Margaux"). Then you see that it was classified in 1855 as a First Growth. Just remember that Appellation = quality of land decided by the I.N.A.O., and Classification = hierarchy of chateaux designated by the Bordeaux viticultural union in 1855.

All of this becomes much clearer when you explore the Bordeaux first-hand on one of our three Bordeaux tours for 2004:

Best of Bordeaux: April 18-24, 2004 (still lots of availability - could even accept a group here)
Best of Bordeaux: Aug. 30-Sept. 5, 2004 (only 5 spaces left)
Bordeaux Prestige: June 1-5, 2004 (only 8 spaces left)

Tours Update

We still have room on all of our 2004 tours, but some, like Bordeaux Prestige and Burgundy & Champagne, are filling up fast. Others are wide open, so if you can get 12-14 people together, consider "chartering" one of our scheduled tours that still have full availability. Not only will you have the tour all to yourself, the person who contacts us to make the reservation will get a tour at no cost! Hurry to take advantage of this terrific opportunity.

As always, if you cannot make the dates of our scheduled tours, we're happy to give you a proposal and price quote for a private, customized tour in the region(s) of your choice. See our 2004 scheduled tour calendar here.

Wine Tip of the Month: Judging Aging Potential

When writing about a particular wine, many wine publications include a judgement about how long you can age the wine. In other words, how long will you have to cellar the wine before it reaches full maturity and you can enjoy it at its best. It's important to note that these kind of judgements are subjective, even if they are based on the knowledge and experience of the writer in question. There is no objective, sure-fire way to know when a wine will reach its peak. But there are a number of criteria you can use in order to make a subjective decision about how long to cellar your wines:

The 20% rule: only 20% of wines have an aging potential past one or two years. Why? Because they were not created with aging in mind. The winemaking techniques used for these wines favorise fruitiness and freshness, not extraction of the dry matter and tannins needed for a wine to age well. They may also lack the quality to stand up to aging. Only quality wines evolve into something more interesting than they were in their youth. When you think that 70% of all wines created (regardless of country) are NOT quality wines, that leaves only 30% that even have a remote chance of being aging-worthy. Since there are many quality wines that are NOT meant to be aged, we're left with 20% of wines that can be aged successfully.
The appellation or typicity of the wine: some appellations are known to have better aging potential than others. You will be hard-pressed to find a Muscadet that ages well, while a good quality Bandol red will tend to last at least 5 years, if not much longer. Having a good knowledge of the appellations and their typicities will help you judge aging time.
Concentration: a diluted wine is not a quality wine, and will therefore not age well. You can judge concentration by looking at the depth of color and by tasting. Don't confuse this with the "body" of the wine. Some medium-bodied wines, like red Burgundies, can be aged a long time.
Balance: Acidity and tannins that are in good balance with the alcohol and roundness of a wine make for good aging potential.
White, red or rosé: as a general principle, red wines age better than whites or rosés. Most rosés should be drunk within one or two years - a full-bodied rosé like a Tavel can last longer. White wines that have been aged in oak can be aged longer than non-oaked whites, since the oak adds tannins to the wine (tannins are a natural preservative). White dessert wines are among the wines that can be kept the longest, if they are of good quality - the high level of acidity in these wines acts as a natural preservative.
Persistance: count the number of seconds a wine's aromas last on your palate once you spit or swallow the wine. If it lasts longer than 6 seconds, the aging potential is good. More than 8 seconds, and the wine will likely last a number of years in your cellar.
The wine's current age: if the bottle you want to lay down already has a few years on it, you need to judge how much it has already evolved, and whether it still can be aged, using the criteria cited above.
Your personal taste: allowing your wines to age only makes sense if you LIKE what aging does to wine. If you prefer your wines fruity and fresh, drink them young.
Your cellar conditions all of the previous criteria are useless if you do not have ideal conditions for cellaring your wine. A constant temperature (12-13° C is optimal), no vibration, no light, and high humidity (at least 80%) are necessary to allow your wines to evolve slowly and evenly. If you don't have good conditions in your cellar, drink your wines young.

Let's also dispell a common myth about cellaring wine. Laying a bottle of wine down for 10 years doesn't make it into a BETTER wine. If you buy a Hyundai and put it in your garage for a year, you're not going to find a Mercedes when you open the garage door again. The quality of the wine has to be there from the beginning, or it will never be there. The balance in particular must be there from the beginning - wines do NOT become more balanced due to aging. However, wines that have good aging potential will evolve into something more complex and harmonious over the years. The tannins will round out, the tastes will blend and melt together, and complex aromas like leather, truffle or prune can emerge IF you catch the wine at its peak.

After all these subjective judgements, you can take a tip from professional sommeliers to make your final judgement. They're responsible for thousands of dollars of the restaurant's wine, so they don't have much margin for error. So how do they do it? They TASTE the wine as it develops. They either open a bottle, or they sneak a tiny taste when decanting for the client (yes, this is totally kosher and necessary in a great restaurant). To do the same at home, make sure you buy at least six bottles of any wine you intend to cellar. Open the first wine and see where it's at in its development. Then open subsequent bottles over the years to see how it's evolving. Remember, though, the golden rule of cellaring wine: better to drink a wine too young than to let it get past its prime. When it's dead, it's dead, so if you open a bottle and you think the wine may be at its peak, have a party and drink every last bottle!

To taste red and white wines with fantastic aging potential, join us on our Burgundy tours this year.

Upcoming Wine Events in France: Truffle Mania!

January 18, 2004 - Truffle and Wine Day, Uzès (Gard): demonstrations, tastings and more. For more info: +33 (0)4 66 22 68 88, http://www.ville-uzes.fr/
January 24, 2004 - St. Vincent Tournant, Monthélie: Founded half a century ago by the Brotherhood of Knights of Tastevin to celebrate the patron saint of winegrowers, this festival is held in a different village in the Burgundy wine-producing area each year and attracts over 200,000 visitors! For more info: www.tastevin-bourgogne.com, or + 33 (0)3 80 61 07 12
January 25, 2004 - Truffle and Wine Festival, Carpentras (Provence): for more info: http://www.tourisme.fr/carpentras/, +33 (0)4 90 63 76 20
January 31-Feb. 1 - Alicoque (festival of the new olive oil), Nyons (Provence): taste the newly produced olive oil with wine tastings: For more info: http://www.nyons.com/, +33 (0)4 75 26 10 35.
February 7 & 8, 2004 - Breaking out the Vin Jaune, in the Franche Comté region: the unique wine of the Jura is aged in oak barrels for 6 years and 3 months. The "Percée du Vin Jaune", which takes place in a different village each year, celebrates its bottling and the "breaking" of its protective covering of yeast. The celebrations include tastings in more than 40 cellars. For more info: http://www.jura-vins.com, or +33 (0)3 84 66 26 14.

Winter is prime truffle season in the Provence region of France. Many restaurants have special all-truffle menus, and it's fascinating to visit the principal truffle markets in the following villages in Provence:

Richerenches - from Jauary to March
Aups - every Thursday from November to March .
Chamaret - every Monday from mid-November to mid-March.
Grignan - every Tuesday from mid-November to mid-March.
St-Paul-Trois-Châteaux - every Monday from mid-November to mid-March.
Nyons - every Thursday from mid-November to mid-March.
Carprentras - every Friday from mid-November to mid-March.
Taulignan - every Saturday from mid-November to mid-March.
Rognes - end-december
Montségur - every Thursday from mid-November to mid-March.

Richerenches is the capital of the French truffle, and there is a special (and very famous) "truffle mass" celebrated in the village church on the 3rd Sunday of January, followed by a meal. The second Sunday in February there is a Truffle Festival in Saint Paul Trois Chateaux.

In the Perigord area, truffles are also a main attraction. In Sorges, there is a truffle market on the third Sunday in January, followed by a meal with truffle omelettes.

Don't hesitate to visit the vineyards of France during the winter. The wineries are open and happy to welcome you, and the vineyards are quite beautiful when covered with frost and snow! We'll be happy to design a customized, private tour for you this winter in the region of your choice.

Send to a Friend

If you enjoyed this newsletter, please send it on to a friend who loves wine!

Contact Us

I'm always available to answer your questions about our wine and culinary programs, our company, and wine in France in general. Don't hesitate to contact me at info@wine-tours-france.com, or toll free at 1-877-261-1500.

Best regards,

Lauriann Greene-Sollin, Sommelier-Conseil
President/Founder

Subscribe to this Wine e-Newsletter here!

FRENCH WINE EXPLORERS
info@wine-tours-france.com
www.wine-tours-france.com
Tel: 1-877-261-1500
Fax: 1-253-423-5316