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The Wines of France
(Prepared with the collaboration of the Musée du Vin and Mme Josse) How is wine made?Wines are shaped by the grape variety (the plants), the terroir (a French term referring to the soil and climate) and the work of men. All unique, all different, each characterized by the region the name of which they bear.
Vines are not very demanding, and very “thin” soils please them. The drainage of the ground is as important as the soil itself. Vine roots cannot stand permanent humidity, which is why gravely soil (or gravel) are so good for them. As a general rule siliceous soils produce freshness and lightness; calcareous soils (those of the top-ranked wines, or “grands crus”) favour alcoholic strength, rich bouquets and refinement, whereas the clayey ground exacerbates the body and harshness.
Winemaking is the art of conducting and controlling all the operations making it possible to transform fresh grapes and their juice (or “must”) into wine. It results from the action of natural fermentation agents, yeasts, which are micro-organisms present on the skin of ripe grapes. These yeasts break down the grape’s sugar into alcohol and the carbonic gas which is eliminated during the winemaking process.
A second fermentation called the “malolactic fermentation” is sought for red wines and certain whites. On coming out of the tank, the wine must soften, ferment, lose its greenness. The transformation of the aggressive and harsh malic acid into the softer lactic acid is indispensible to the stability of the wines. It is also essential to the maturation of the great wines.
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For milleniums, Man has cultivated the vine; he has learned to choose grape varieties and to adapt them to the soil, to the climate. This close relationship between Man and Nature has given birth to wines, a drink appreciated by gods and kings... In Paris, in the bistrots, the restaurants, the brasseries, the neighbourhood cafés, wines are there, already familiar or to be discovered, throughout the year... This guide will lead you through this extremely rich world.
The plant
The grape variety is extremely important. Quality wines start with “noble” grape varieties. No wine with an “Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée” (or AOC: this indicates where a French wine comes from and provides information as to its quality) originates with or is mixed with the theoretically hybrid wines with their herby flavour. A few more than 130 referenced grape varieties produce the great French appellations. Knowing the grape variety makes it possible to have a better understanding of the wine, each grape variety bringing its own aromas and flavours.
The vine is a small shrub in the “vitaceae” family with a great capacity for adaptation to both soils and climates; it easily lends itself to the demands of cultivation and the various possibilities of reproduction.
Among the great many species of vines present in Eurps, only the “vitis vinifera” is cultivated to produce wine, on the condition of it being grafted onto American vines (root-stock), which are resistant to phylloxera.
Among the botanic “organs” of the vine, one can distinguish the root which adapts itself to the greatest variety of soils; the trunk which is the object of grafting; the shoots bearing the tendrils (which is the wild vine’s support system) that become vine-shoots by linifying (in other words, by taking on the consistency of wood); and the leaves with their more or less deeply-cut edges, making it possible as a function of the variety to make a difference between the various types of grape.
The bunch of flowers which prefigures the bunch of grapes is known as the inflorescence, consisting of the stem, a bushy stalk made up of a peduncle and pedicels, and the grapes which are attached to them.
The grape is the vine’s fruit, in the proper sense of the word. Its skin contains most of the colouring matter, yellow for white grapes and blue for black grapes. At maturity this skin becomes coated with a waxiness called “bloom”, containing the ferments (yeasts) which will later be responsible for the alcoholic fermentation process.
The pulp, the fleshy part containing the juice, consists of four-fifths water; sugar, which through its transformation will produce alcohol; acids and various substances (salts, nitrogenous matter, essential oils...); and the seeds, which must in no case become part of the wine’s composition.
Dormancy is the absence of plant growth during the period of winter. As soon as the soil warms, active life begins again and manifests itself by a seeping apparent on the vine-shoots, known as the “bleeding” of the vine. In March the buds swell, thus bursting open the fuzz protecting them, exposing the young shoot which will give birth to the new leaves. The inflorescences, for their part, bloom and perfume the vines. In June the grape appears in the form of miniscule green fruits called the “berry set”.
In the month of August, depending on the variety, the colour of the grapes changes (in French, “virer”, the verb behind the technical term “véraison” which is used to identify this colour alteration) to red or yellow and the maturation process begins. At the same time the shoots turn into vine-shoots.
The maturation continues until the harvest, the date of which is chosen depending on the development of the grape’s weight, its sugar content and the drop in the juice’s percentage of acidity. For certain wines an over-maturation of the grapes is sought, to reinforce the amount of sugar in the juice; this then gives rise to late harvests (“vendanges tardives”), at the end of October or even as late as early November.
The meteorological conditions are essential. Contrary to what one may believe, it is not the sunniest regions which produce the best wine. An excess of sun harms its refinement, there is too great a drop in acidity; on the other hand, if it lacks sun, the acidity becomes excessive. Other climactic factors come into play (distribution of rain, risk of frost, humidity, fog...). As no two years are alike, we have different wines every year!