holiday accommodation france
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While France wasn't the first country to produce wine, the French were the first to give modern winemaking a kind of quality control assurance. French wine regions have become "brands" in themselves, such as Sancerre, Chablis, Champagne, Muscadet, Beaujolais, Bordeaux (or Claret), Nuits St. George, etc, because of the AC. France invented the Appellation Controlee system- a set of rules and regulations to be adhered by winemakers and grape growers, with the aim of guaranteeing quality and creating a recognizable brand name that consumers can trust. While France has lost considerable market share, particularly to Australian and Chilean wines, France hasn't lost its sparkle and many lesser - known wine regions such as the Languedoc are producing smashing wines.
Champagne
Champagne is the ultimate prestige wine. It represents celebration, and success. When there’s an important event like a wedding, christening, birthday, retirement party, etc, "real" champagne is nearly always chosen. The region of Champagne has done the most successful job of branding in the world of wine. While other "Champenoise method" wines are made elsewhere, such as Cava in Spain, Franciacorta in Italy and "Traditional method" sparklers, everywhere from New Zealand to California, on a special occasion, we still seem to opt for Champagne. Champagne is made in the northeast of France around the towns of Reims and Épernay. The three classic grapes used to make Champagne are a Cuvée (blend) of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. Blanc de Blanc means the Champagne is made with only Chardonnay and Blanc de Noirs indicates the wine has been made from all black grapes (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier). Top crème de la crème Champagne brands include Krug, Veuve Clicquot (the "widow"), Bollinger (James Bond always had a bottle of "Bolly" on hand), Pol Roger (Winston Churchill’s favorite), and Louis Roederer (whose "Cristal" champagne is one of the most expensive in the world, adored both by Rap stars and heads of state).
Burgundy
Burgundy is one of the loveliest wine regions to visit in France. Picturesque, medieval villages and neat patchwork vineyards abound. Sub-regions and towns have themselves essentially become brands such as Chablis, Mâcon, Pouilly-Fuissé, Gevrey-Chambertin, etc. Burgundy (Bourgogne) is divided into sub-regions, from north to south being: Chablis, the Côte de Nuits & Côte de Beaune (together, the two form the heart of Burgundy’s Côte d’Or), Côte Chalonnaise, the Mâconnais and finally, Beaujolais. The most famous red wines are the "Crus" such as La Tâche & Romanée "Conti (Vosne "Romanée), Grands Échezeaux (Flagey- Échezeaux) and Clos de la Roche (Morey-St-Denis). Prestigious white wines from Burgundy include: Corton-Charlemagne (Ladoix-Serrigny) and le Montrachet (Chassagne-Montrachet). Other famed wines include Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet (white) and Volnay, Santenay, Pommard and Auxey-Duresses (red). The main grapes used in Burgundy are Chardonnay for whites (such as Chablis) and Pinot Noir for reds. In Beaujolais, the region famous for its "Nouveau Beaujolais" (new young wine), the grape used is Gamay and produces light, fruity wines in communes such as Moulin-à-Vent, Brouilly and Julienas. Big brands in the Côte d’Or (who are the wine merchants, negociants, of Beaune) include: Louis Latour, Joseph Drouhin, Bouchard Père & Fils and Louis Jadot.