Wine in France is not just a pleasant drink, but a symbol of a centuries-old tradition. It was here that this noble drink began to be made in the 6th century BC. To date, the wine industry in France has been elevated to the level of art. The classification of French wines involves the division of wines according to composition and quality. Real gourmets pay great attention to such indicators.
French wine classification
FEATURES OF THE COMPOSITION OF THE BEVERAGE
The first sign of varietal wines is the amount of carbon dioxide and sugar in the composition. If there is no carbon dioxide in the composition, then the wine is “quiet”. On the contrary, if there is a lot of it, then we have a sparkling drink that is so popular in modern restaurants around the world.
Also, according to their composition, they are divided into monosepage – made from one particular grape variety, and assemblage – containing a mixture of different crop varieties. The alcohol concentration in such wines can fluctuate around 23%.
Taste is determined by the level of sugar in the composition. So, if the wine contains a large amount of sugar, then the output will be sweet, semi-sweet or dessert wine. If there is no sugar, then we are dealing with dry or semi-dry wine.
FRENCH WINE CATEGORIES
1. VDT – Vin De Table. This abbreviation stands for table wines. This marking on the bottle indicates that the wine is not made from grapes from local vineyards, but from imported crops from other EU countries. Although such wines undergo mandatory laboratory control, they are not subject to other requirements of the winemaking tradition. May contain several varieties of grapes at once. The cost is quite affordable. The alcohol content varies around 15%;
2. VDP – Vin De pays. It means that the wine belongs to a certain territory of France. Usually the name of the area is indicated on the bottle. These wines go through a rigorous tasting process. Fortress – 9%. Their price is moderate;
3. AOC – Appellation d’Origine Controlee. These are elite wines, symbols of true French winemaking. A special commission monitors the progress of production. Strict standards extend from the way the grapes are grown to bottling. But that’s not all. After the spill, the batch is sent for laboratory testing, and then only for tasting. To obtain the right to produce wines of this class, the entrepreneur must pass a multi-stage level of verification. It is thanks to this approach that the wines of the third level remain the most expensive and exquisite;
To obtain wines of the AOC category, grapes grown on plantations of Burgundy, Bordeaux and Languedoc are used.
4. VDQS – Vin Delimite de Qualite Superieure. This is an auxiliary category that comes before the AOC. Such wines also undergo control tasting and are tied to a particular area. However, the general requirements are not as high as compared to AOC.
Categories of French wines must be indicated on the bottle label. In general, French winemaking is distinguished by a scrupulous attitude to its products. It is worth noting that it was this approach that turned this country into the birthplace of noble drinks throughout Europe.