In Focus - Discover France: Experience the Best of France - page 728

French wine: Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Languedoc, the Loire and
the Rhône.
The Art of Wine
The taste and quality of French wine is governed by four key factors: the type(s) of
grape used, the climate, the soil and the skill of the vigneron (winemaker).
Quality wines in France are designated as Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC;
literally, 'label of inspected origin'), indicating that they meet stringent regulations
governing where, how and under what conditions they are grown and bottled. AOCs
can cover a wide region (such as Bordeaux), a sub-region (such as Haut-Médoc),
or a commune or village (such as Pomerol). Some regions only have a single AOC
(such as Alsace), while Burgundy is chopped into scores of individual AOCs.
French wines are also divided by a complex grading system according to the
quality of the wine; the very best are awarded the label of grand cru (literally 'great
growth'), and command a premium price tag.
Key Winemaking Regions
Burgundy
Burgundy's vineyards are small (rarely more than 10 hectares) and produce small
quantities of wine. Burgundy reds are produced with pinot noir grapes; the best vin-
tages need 10 to 20 years to age. White wine is made from the chardonnay grape.
The five main wine-growing areas are Chablis, Côte d'Or, Côte Chalonnaise, Mâ-
con and Beaujolais.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux has the perfect climate for producing wine; as a result its 1100 sq km of
vineyards produce more fine wine than any other region in the world. Bordeaux
reds are well balanced, a quality achieved by blending several grape varieties. The
grapes predominantly used are merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc.
Bordeaux's foremost wine-growing areas are the Médoc, Pomerol, St-Émilion and
Graves. The nectar-like sweet whites of the Sauternes area are the world's finest
dessert wines.