By Matthew “Jermaine” Aubin

Key Terms Aging- The process by which wine matures Aroma- The natural fragrance that emanates from the fermented grape Body- The body can be real of perceived. The real body refers to the

thickness of the wine in the bottle, whereas perceived is the feel of the wine in the mouth.

Bouquet- The Bouquet is the scent released from the bottle once it is uncorked. Once the Bouquet dissipates, the wine is left with the aroma

Chaptalization- This refers to changing the alcohol content of the wine by adding sugar to the must. This does not add to the sweetness of the wine, this is caused by the grapes, not from Chaptalization. Italy and California do not allow Chaptalization

Dry- This refers to a wine low in residual sugar Fermentation- This is the process by which grape juice turns into wine.

Glucose is broken down into equal parts of ethanol and carbon dioxide in the presence of yeast.

Key Terms cont’d Finish – This refers to the taste that is left in the mouth after the wine has

been swallowed. It is the aftertaste, texture, and mouth-feel Must – This is the unfermented juice of freshly harvested grapes Oenophile – A wine connoisseur Texture – The impression on the palate left by dense, full-bodied wines Thin – A wine lacking in body, with the viscosity of water Vinification – The act of wine making Vintner – A wine maker

Map of French Wine Regions

History

Wine has been around for thousands of years!Through the ages, wine has played a major role in the development of the human speciesThe Neolithic period 8500-4000 B.C. has the first recorded evidence that wine was not a “seasonal happenstance” Pottery first appeared around 6000 B.C. creating the perfect means to store the beverages of choiceA major breakthrough towards understanding Neolithic wine was a discovery in northern Iran which dates back to 5400-5000 B.C.

A large jar was found with a yellowish residue and with 5 smaller jars accompanying themThe yellowish residue contained a high amount of calcium tartrate which occurs only once in nature, with grapes

History cont’d Wild grapes never grew in present day Egypt, yet much evidence of

wine was found in the Nile delta area This is due much to the trade by the bronze age people of the

eastern Mediterranean region The middle east was the first area where evidence of wine was

found and it progressively spread out to the greater Mesopotamia area

The 5th century B.C. Greek historian Herodotus describes shipping wine down the Euphrates or Tigris from Armenia

Wine Producing Regions of France Alsace

Located on the Eastern border of France with Germany

The Six major types of wine from the Alsace include○ Riesling○ Gewurztraminer○ Pinot blanc○ Tokay Pinot Gris○ Sylvaner○ Cremant d’Alsace

Alsace Wines Riesling is the most elegant grape of the Alsace region. It gives dry,

neat, graceful and well-balanced wine. Riesling is known to be the finest Alsace wine Should be drunk after 5 years but it is excellent after only 1-2 years of aging

Gewurztraminer is the most typical Alsatian wine Gewurz means “spicy” in German and traminer means “from Tramin” which is

located in southern Austria where the grape comes from Gewurztraminer is the name of the grape which the wine comes from and the wine

itself

Pinot Blanc Blanc stands for “white” and Pinot is a wide variety of grapes It is a dry white wine and often less aromatic than the other white wines of the

Alsace area

Tokay Pinot Gris The name still remains a mystery to this day Pinot Gris from Alsace has a yellow color tending to gold. It offers aromas of wood

and mushroom

Alsace wines cont’d Sylvaner

The Sylvaner grape was originally grown in Austria and was only introduced to the Alsace region 2 centuries ago

Sylvaner grapes give a pleasant, fresh, fruity, and dry wine The Grapes only cover about 10% of the vineyards in the Alsace region

Cremant d’Alsace This wine is made in the same manner as Champagne The wine is fermented twice, the second fermentation being while bottled. The

wine makers add sugar and yeast to the wine which naturally produces carbon dioxide (hence the bubbles) while the sugar ferments to alcohol

Bordeaux There are 21 types of wine that are produced in

the Bordeaux Region The three most popular wines are:

○ Saint Emilion○ Medoc○ Margaux

More Bordeaux The Saint-Emilion region of Bordeaux is the oldest wine

producing area of Bordeaux The Wines are generally much more robust, high in color, and

reach their maturity much sooner than other red Bordeaux wines The Medoc area is located north of the town of Bordeaux

Medoc wines are red and are described as delicate, medium colored, fine, and elegant

The Margaux requires the most care of the 3 popular Bordeaux wines The grapes sit on a “soil of white graves” which is a special kind of gravel

brought from the mountains by the river The Margaux wines have a full-flavored bouquet and a magnificent

elegance

Burgundy The Burgundy region of France is located in the

eastern half and is southwest of Alsace The most popular wine from this region and also the most

popular white wine in France is the Chablis The Chablis comes from the Chardonnay grape The Chardonnay grape grows on a limestone soil rich in

fossils and specialty oysters This is due to the fact that in an earlier age, a Sea covered

the area

Champagne

One of the best known wines in the worldThe Region is located in the north eastern

part of FranceThe Champagne region harbors

Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, and Pinot NoirChampagne is a festive wine, and is most

known for times of celebration

Côtes du Rhône

Located in the Southeast region of France

Very diverse wines take most advantage of the weather and winemaking conditions of the Rhône valley. Produces 10 varieties of wine

○ These 10 include: Côte Rôtie - Condrieu - Château Grillet - Hermitage - Crozes Hermitage – Cornas - Gigondas - Châteauneuf du Pape - Côte du Ventoux

Languedoc-Roussillion

The most productive wine region in the world

Produces mostly red wines, and are good for everyday table wines

The types of wines created there are: Corbière, Coteaux du Languedoc, Côtes du Roussillon, Fitou, Minervois, Saint Chinian, Costières de Nimes

Loire Valley Region

Located in the north-west region of France This Region is known as one of the most beautiful wine

producing regions of France The most popular wines produced in this region include:

Muscadet, Anjou, Coteaux du Layon, Saumur, Touraine, Bourgueil, Chinon, Vouvray, Pouilly Fumé, Sancerre

Provence The Provence region is located in the South of

France on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea It is most known for its fruity Rose Wines Three very popular wines from the region include:

Côtes de Provence, Bandol, Bellet

Corsica Corsica is the Island found off the southern French

coast It is affectionately called "L'île de beauté” or “The

Beautiful Island” The wines here are naturally delicious and

generally consist of dry white wines, and rose wines

These wines must be drunk young and fresh, and the best wines from the region come from the east and west coasts of the island

South West France The wines from the South West of France are very diverse and include red

wine, dry white wine, and sweet white wines The types of wines produced here include: Bergerac, Buzet, Cahors,

Gaillac, Madiran, Bergerac, Jurançon, Gaillac, Monbazillac Located in very close relation to the Bordeaux region and the wines

are often confused with one another The wines of the region today are of excellent quality and follow local

history and traditions

-FIN-

Sources Cited www.upenn.edu/museum/Wine/wineintro.html http://www.terroir-france.com/wine/regions.html Google.com/images Chicken Soup for the Wine Lover’s Soul, 2007. Health

Communications Inc. Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Theresa Peluso

The Geography of Wine, 2008. Plume Publications; Brian J. Sommers

Guide to the Wines and Vineyards of France, 1986. Alfred A. Knopf, New York; Alexis Lichine