module 1: intercultural réf.: ias/2006/m2/1 the french wine

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MODULE 1: INTERCULTURAL

THE FRENCH WINETHE FRENCH WINE

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HISTORY OF FRENCH WINE.

Several thousand years before Christ: cultivation of the vine began and is mentioned many times in the Bible

The ancient Egyptians made wine.

The early Greeks exported it on a considerable scale.

During the Roman Empire vine cultivation was extended to such a degree that a surplus ensued, and in 92 half the vines outside Italy were uprooted.

When replanting was later permitted, vineyards extended into northern France and Germany and even into southern England.

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HISTORY OF FRENCH WINE Cont..

The Middle Ages saw little progress in viticulture.

From about 1200, monasteries kept alive the art of wine making.

From the beginning of the 13th century, the wines of Bordeaux (an area under the English crown from 1152 to 1435) were commonly shipped to England, the Northern ports, and the Nederland.

By the 14th century wines from Spain and Portugal were also widely exported.

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Later the nobility also owned extensive vineyards.

The French Revolution, however, removed many vineyards from ecclesiastical hands

Drinking habits were largely governed by changing fashions at court, political relations with producing countries.


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• During the 18th century for convenience in commerce, the Bordeaux merchants classified their finest red wines as early as 1725 and in 1855 classification, received official recognition

• During the middle and second half of the 19th century the European vineyards suffered from a series of disastrous diseases (Oidium, Phylloxera).

• First discovered in 1863, Phylloxera spread across Europe, destroying the

vines by attacking their roots. • In about 1880 the grafting of European vine species onto immune

American rootstock was accepted as the only viable solution.


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Simultaneously, a movement began to ensure the authenticity of wine, culminating (1936) in France when the appellation controlée (quality control) law, now the model for similar legislation in other countries, came into effect.

The law allows only wine made from grapes grown in the Champagne region, for example, to be called champagne


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FRENCH TERROIRS (French wine regions)

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WINEMAKING IN FRANCE

Each choice in the successive steps of the elaboration of wine has repercussions on the taste and the quality of the wine :

• The choice of the terroir.• The climate (and the date of harvest)• The choice of the grape-variety.• The type of container in which the fermentation will take place.• The temperature at which the juice of grape is maintained

during the fermentation.• The fermentation period.• The type of container in which the maturation will take place.

Winemaking requires "savoir-faire" and experience. A winemaker is not only an artisan but also an artist.

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GRAPE VARIETIESGRAPE VARIETIES

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Red Grapes

• Cabernet franc• Cabernet• Sauvignon• Carigan• Cinsault• Gamay• Grenache• Merlot• Mourvedre• Pinot noir • Syrah

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White Grapes

• Chardonnay• Chenin blanc • Clairette• Muscadelle• Pinot gris • Sauvignon• Semillon• Ugni blanc • Viognier • Mauzac • Loin de l’oeil

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11 steps to make wine

1. Plantation (or grafting) of a vine stock

2. Growing of the grape-bunch2. Growing of the grape-bunch

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3. Harvesting the grapes

11 steps to make wine Cont..11 steps to make wine Cont..

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4.De-stemming and crushing the grapes


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11 steps to make wine Cont..

5. Alcoholic fermentation of the liquid

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6. maceration (only for red wine)

7. raking the wine

8. malolactic fermentation

9. Blending

10. maturation of the wine


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11 steps to make wine Cont..

11. bottling the wine

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How to drink wine ?

• Look at the wine

First we get pleasure from admiring wine in our glass : let us note the vividness of the colours, how it catches the light.Passionate wine lovers judge the colour of a wine by placing it in front of a white cloth. That way it is easy to see if its robe is dark or pale.

Tasting the wine

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• Smell the wine

You must not hesitate to dip your nose deeply in a glass of wine. By developing your sense of smell, you become capable of associating aromas to the smell of wine. Of course if your neighbour is smoking or wearing a strong perfume, if the contents of your plate exhale a strong aroma it is a waste of time trying.

Smelling a wine is preparing oneself to taste it really well.

Tasting the wine

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• Taste the wine

Always with small, careful sips. Take a sip of wine, pinch your lips, suck a little air with your tongue and make the wine travel in your mouth.

Different parts of the tongue identify different sensations: sweetness is identified by the end, acidity by the sides and bitterness by the back. By making the wine circulate for a few seconds, you give your brain time to analyse the information it receives: sweet, acid, bitter

Tasting the wine

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But never forget :

"He who makes himself drunk does not know how to drink nor eat."

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Wine aromas table chart

Wine is a poetic drink.

Everyone has a personal perception when tasting a wine.

Hundreds of aromas and flavours can be found in red and white wines. Here are a few fine classics of combination between wine and aroma

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Combination between wine and aroma :

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Combination between wine and aroma cont.:

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Classification of wine in France

To distinguish higher quality wines, certain regions have created a specific classification :

Appellations in Bordeaux

Appellations in Burgundy

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In France, the average yearly production is 70 million hectolitres (about 9 billion bottles!). Wines are classified in four categories :

AOVDQS Vin de pays

Vin de table AOC

Classification of wine in France Cont..

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Classification of wine in France Cont..

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Characteristics of a good wine cellar:

•Place:Ideally, an underground cellar facing North, with: · clay soil · a little opening for ventilation · no vibrations.

•Temperature: Constant, 12 to 14 degrees all year round.

•Humidity:Constant, 70 % to 80 % relative humidity. Below this, there is a risk of the corks drying out, and above, there is a risk of the labels being altered.

•Light: Total darkness or filtered light where possible. Avoid neon lighting.

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HOW TO READ A WINE LABEL

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HOW TO READ A WINE LABEL Cont..

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South West Map

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South West of France wine making information:

Size of the vineyards: 16,000 hectares (40,000 acres)

Vineyards: 6,000 winemakers

Soil: ClayLimestonePebbles (from the Pyrénées mountains)

Weather: Oceanic (cool and rainy winter and spring, warm summer sunny autumn)

South West of France is the most diverse wine region in France. It is also one of the oldest. Many grape varieties grow only in this region:

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South West of France wine making information Cont..

Production: 270 million bottles

- 88% red wine - 7% dry white wine - 3% rosé

- 2% sweet white wine- 3% of French wine production

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South West of France Wines and food

For most of the people in France, South West means good food!

Because the wines are so diverse in South West of France, the food that will match these wines will be diverse as well.

• Red wines are perfect with local food such as cassoulet or roasted duck.

• Dry white wines are very good with river fish (such as trout or salmon) or with white meat.

• Sweet white wines match well with Foie gras or as an aperitif.

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Food of the South West of France:

People in South West of France love rich and fat food. The recipes have always been the same for ages

• Cassoulet (beans and sausages)

• Ham (from Bayonne)• Poule au Pot (stuffed hen)• Poulet Basquaise (Basque

style chicken) • Foie gras

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Cheeses of the South West France:

The region is also a natural place for great cheeses such as :

• Roquefort (sheep cheese)

• Ossau Iraty(sheep cheese)

• Rocamadour (goat cheese)

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WINE AND FOOD

Here are a few fine classics of associations between wine and food :

Fish and Shell-fishSalmon Pinot NoirLobster a l'American BeaujolaisBouillabaisse Rosé de Provence or BeaujolaisOysters ChablisAlmond Trout Chassagne MontrachetShells Sancerreor ChablisCaviar Riesling

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WINE AND FOOD

Meat

Lamb Red BordeauxGrilled chicken BeaujolaisBoeuf bourguignon Red BourgogneMutton Châteauneuf-du-PapeVenison Red BourgogneBeef Pomerol or Saint-EmilionRabbit stew ChinonRoasted pork VacqueyrasVeal Casserole Riesling

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WINE AND FOOD

• A few Specialities and Delights

• Foie gras Sauternes• Melon White Bourgogne• Truffes Châteauneuf du Pape• Chilli con carne Rosé• Couscous Red Bordeaux• Tagliatelles White Bordeaux

module 1: intercultural réf.: ias/2006/m2/1 the french wine

Documents

french wine slide

elaboration of wine

art of wine

authenticity of wine

french revolution

century wines

european vineyards

wines of bordeaux