There is an art to wine tasting. This art consists of staying sober and trying to learn something from the sommeliers teaching you about wine. Sometimes, I think it's a hopeless case. I've been to many wine tastings and can never remember anything afterward. But this time, I did it! I actually learned something and only got slightly sloshed after 10 glasses of wine.
Any country or region that produces wine always has a bevy of wine tasting experiences to offer - California, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon in North America. Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, Italy. The list is endless. But there's only one France. France accounts for about 20% of world wine production and about 25% of wine exports come from this country. They have incredibly strict rules about their wine production, which makes their wines oh so delectable and desirable.
So I found this great wine company that offers wine tastings and dinners called O'Chateau. Got a few friends to join in for a fun Friday night of umm....drinking. O'Chateau's wine cellars are located in beautiful Paris, in wine caves originally owned by French kings who used to live at the Louvre (museum) when it was a palace. I took the "Taste of France," because when I came home I wanted to be able to find some great French wines on my own and show off my new expertise.
Our first lesson was understanding about those wine tasting techniques. The look, smell and taste. In French it's called - "La Robe," "Le Bouquet," and "La Bouche." These are the things you do when you swirl the wine in the glass, look very serious and take a sniff and then gulp. I've always thought this was a bit over the top. But our wonderful instructor, Stefan was not only beautiful to look at, but as a wine producer himself actually explained the process of making wine really well. He had to handle a group of 20 that as the night went on got increasingly talkative and well drunk. However, as a lay person, I think I actually got it. I know how wine is made.
On the look - learned that the darker the red or the white, usually means the wine is from a southern, warmer climate versus a colder, northern climate. The smell. Our group was on something. People were smelling things like chocolate fudge, fish (yeah right) and aromatic notes of sandalwood and pepper (someone was a show off). The taste. Well, I've always preferred wines with a smooth finish especially with reds where you can run into "that aftertaste."
Our second lesson was about the French Wine regions. There are about 10 more or less: Alsace, Beaujolais, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Languedoc Roussillon, Loire Valley, Provence, Rhone Valley and the South West. Each region specializes in reds, or whites or both.
My favorites: Provence, Loire Valley and the South West. Why? Well, Provence produces the best rose wines in the world. To me, it's like a less serious red, but just wonderful with citrus fruits and fish and wonderful Mediterranean cuisine. And I love the rose color. Loire Valley, well it's the Sancerre. If you like sauvignon blanc, this is a must. And the South West, well Stefan introduced us to some "undiscovered gems" particularly from the region of Fronton.
The last lesson. Well, at least the one Stefan drilled into us well. Learn how to read the French label so you know you have a good wine. The AOC label indicates the standards and quality that have been verified. Know where it was bottled, it'll say something like "Mis en Bouteille au Chateau." And make sure the vintner's name is on the bottle as well. Good French wines are available at a wonderful range of prices.
Drink Up!
- Denise
Websites:
O'Chateau - Video Blog, Daily Blog
Photo Credit: Nice, France harbour by © Timehacker | Dreamstime.com
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