French Wine and Geography
French wines have traditionally set the standard for the rest of the world. It begun by the Greeks in the sixth century b.c., and then expanded by the Romans. The church protected the vineyards after the fall of Rome, particularly since many vineyards bordered monasteries, and their products were used in religious rituals.
Today the french viticulture has evolved into some of the most complex systems due to the diverse winemakers, geography, and climate known as terroir. France has the combination of ideal geography and a diverse range of climates that are perfect for the cultivation of fine wine grapes. My field study covered four major regions of France. The Loire Valley, Bordeaux, Cote du Rhone, and Alsace. Each region produces different variety of grapes due to the difference in soil and climate.
The Loire valley covers a huge tract of land that follows the river from the Atlantic ocean near Nantes, all the way east and south almost to the Rhône river. There is a huge variation in climate and soil. This variation also leads to different grape varieties from Chenin Blanc to Muscadet to Pinot Noir.
My study also covered a large portion of Bordeaux vinyards that is also the home of many wine enthusiasts.
Bordeaux vineywards are divided by two major rivers (drodogne) and (Garonne). The climate in Bordeaux is generally temperate with a short winter and a high degree of humidity generated by the close proximity of the Atlantic Ocean. High humidity has made Bordeaux a challenging place to grow the vines due to high acidity. Vineyards have to follow necessary precautious and meticulous practices in order to over come the moisture.
The Rhone valley is a long narrow area which stretches on both banks of the rhone river banks. Côtes du Rhône begins just South of Lyon and finishes towards the South of Avignon. The climate is mostly continental in the north of the Rhône region(cold winter warm summer) Mediterranean in the south (mild winter hot summer) The soil from the region is mostly granite which is a great substance for producing red grapes. The diverse climate condition causes Côtes du Rhône to be the most diverse wine region. From the very different full-body red wines of Côte Rôtie in the north to Châteauneuf du Pape in the south. The red wine in that region embodies soil complexity, minerality and exquist flavor of the rhone valley terroir.
Alsace is in the heart of Europe and shares borders with Germany and Switzerland.
Alsace offers majestic forests, rounded hills, famous vineyards. The grape variety in Alsace is usually pinot gris and riesling. Germany riesling tends to be more acidic and displays a flowery aroma due to the cool and wet climate near the Rhine region. In Alsace the climate tends to be more warm and dry due to its location on the leeward side of the moutain (vosges). As a result of that, the grape varieties come out naturally sweeter and displays a fruity flavor.
