doubtless less prestigious but often excellent and—thanks to their prices—extremely popular.
Alsace produces mostly spicy white wines, from simple light wines (Sylvaner, Pinot blanc) to fruitier wines (Pinot gris, Gewurztraminer, muscat), by way of the Riesling, a fine grape variety with a well-deserved reputation. The vendanges tardives or late harvest wines, made from grapes left on the vine until the first frost, are magnificent, rich in natural sugars and fragrance (not to mention high in price, and rightly so). Let's not forget the Crémant, a sparkling wine made in the same way champagne is, and Pinot Noir, the only red grown in the region.
Bordeaux country, which has exported its wines to northern Europe since the 13th century, benefits from an incomparable reputation. It should be noted that only a handful of the chateaux mentioned on the labels actually refer to an aristocratic home, or even a particular vineyard. The word is merely a term used for commercial purposes. Along side the cms classes representing some of the most sought after and costliest wines in the world, Bordeaux offers more affordable crus bourgeois, and crus artisans that are modest but often of fine quality.
The main wines of Bordeaux are the prestigious red médocs (Médoc, Haut-médoc, Moulis, Listrac, Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac, Saint-Estèphe), plus Saint-Émilion, Pomerol and Lalande-de-pomerol, excellent Fronsacs, Graves, and remarkable reds and whites from Pessac-Léog-nan. Reputed sweet wines include Sauternes and Barsacs, and Loupiacs that are a little gentler on the pocketbook. And then there are the Côtes (de Bordeaux, de Francs, de Castillon, de Blaye, and especially de Bourg) and the plain whites from Entre-DDeux-Mers. Beware of generic appellations like Bordeaux, Bordeaux blanc sec or Bordeaux Supérieur.
A wine merchant displays his bottles lying on their sides, organized by region and by cru.
We should mention in passing the noteworthy, hearty wines of the neighboring South West region, among which Bergerac, Gaillac (one of the oldest wines in France), Cahors (another wine whose roots go back to antiquity), and the Cotes of the region (de Duras, de Buzet, du Marmandais, and du Frontonnais). Moving further south towards the Pyrenees, there are remarkable red Madirans, white Pacherencs, marvelous white jurançons both dry and sweet, Tursan from the Landes and Irouléguy from Basque Country.
Burgundy, dear to Colette who was an experienced diner and gourmande, is a symbol of elegance. The whites from Chablis, the most copied in the world, are incomparable after years of aging. The legendary wines of the Côtes-de-Nuits, Gevrey-chambertin, Vosne-Romanée, Clos de Vougeot, Chambolle-Musigny, Nuits-Saint Georges do not overshadow those of the Cote de Beaune, the hefty Cortons and Pommards and the tender wines of Savigny, Volnay and Beaune. In the 14th century, the red wines of Beaune were reserved for the aristocracy, the king, and the pope! As for the Tâche, Montrachet and Romané-Conti wines, they have become veritable myths, the symbol of the finest and the most accomplished products that the art of wine making can offer.
Down from the slopes, we continue our tour. Southern Burgundy produces attractive wines, obviously less prestigious but also more affordable. Excellent whites from the Cote Chalonnaise like Rully, Mercurey, Givry, and Montagny, plus those of the Mâcontiais: Mâcon, Saint-Véran, the elegant Pouilly-Fuissé, Pouilly-Loché, and Pouilly-Vinzelles.
It would be ungracious to forget, to the east of Burgundy, the wines from the Jura: Arbois, Côtes-du-Jura, and Château-Chalon, king of the vins jaunes or heady yellow wines, and the ever surprising Vin de paille, a rare sweet wine known as the wine for women who have just given birth Further south, the wines from the Savoy and Bugey are not well known, but some, like the seyssel, are nervous and distinctive.
In all French vineyards, the hardest takes place in the fall. Here, grapes ar& hand picked in the traditional way.
And above all, between Burgundy and Côtes-du-Rhône, the beloved Beaujolais, red or white, and its ten crus: Saint-Amour, Juliénas, Moulin-à-vent, Chénas, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgan, Régnié, Côte de Brouilly, and Brouilly. The names ring out like a lively dance at a Bastille Day ball.
The wine cellars of many producers are architectural wonders, like the Chartreux cellars in the Jura region, with its medieval vaulted ceilings, pictured here.
Champagne is probably the most famous wine-growing region in the world. Claims that Dom Pérignon, wine keeper at the Hautvilliers Abbey in the 18th century, invented the sparkling wine are not entirely accurate, for it existed empirically (it was talked about as early as Henri IV's time), but he developed the precise techniques that give the wine its unique characteristics. Champagne making is an art of blending and maintaining consistent taste. Only some of the production is vintage, and then only in the best years. The categories of brut, sec or demi-sec (extra dry to semi-sweet) depend on the amount of sugar compound added to ferment the wine and reduce acidity. Rose Champagne is obtained by adding a few drops of red wine to a white base, or by fermenting still rose wine. Many prestigious champagne houses have been sold to large industrial conglomerates, but some independent houses, which stake their business on quality, have managed to resist the powerful groups. The best known and most expensive champagnes are not always synonymous with excellence. Trust a specialist, and your own taste buds.
The Côtes-du-Rhône, from Vienne to Avignon, is the second French wine-growing region after Bordeaux. In the vicinity of Vienne excellent wines are produced, including the very old red Côte-Rôtie and the whites Condrieu and Château-Grillet. The region of Valence provides red and white Saint-Joseph and Comas, which can be of very high quality, the venerable hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage, and white Saint-Péray. Between Montélimar and Avignon, next to the heterogeneous productions from Côtes-du-Rhone, Côtes-du-Rhône-villages, and du-Ventoux, Costières-de-Nîmes or Coteaux-du-Tricastin, are found the justly renowned Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the lovely but less popular Gigondas, and Vacqueyras, delicious lirac in reds, whites, and rosés, and tavel, a charming rose. This too is where Muscat-de-Beaumes-de-Venise and Rasteau Rancio are produced, two sheer delights.
The vineyards of the Languedoc-Roussillon supply 40 percent of wine drunk in France. Quality, generally mediocre a century ago, has notably improved, especially among the reds.
In the South East, towards the Italian border, Provence offers along with a range of spicy whites and roses or delicious reds like Bandol, a highly irregular production that encompasses the best and the worst of wines. But with a little patience and curiosity, one can always find a few good bottles wherever one looks.
Finally, Corsica meets expectations with its reds that are high in tannin, its aromatic whites and fruity roses.
The Loire, from the Massif Central to the Atlantic, is fertile ground for vineyards. Pouilly-sur-Loire, Pouilly-Fumé, Sancerre (that good King Henri IV considered to be the finest wine in the kingdom), Menetou-Salon (enjoyed by Jacques Cœlir in the 15th century) Quincy, and Reuilly, available in whites, but also reds and roses. Along with the three colors of mass-produced Touraine, reds from Chinon, Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, whites from Montlouis and Vouvray (the latter had its praises sung by Rabelais and Balzac), still, sparkling or sweet, shine over the Touraine region with legendary brilliance. The Saumurois and Anjou regions can be proud of the Saumur-Champigny, exquisite whites from Savènnieres, and the noble liquoreux, before making way for the Muscadet from the Pays Nantais of which the more highly prized is the Sèvre-et-Maine.
Wine is not supposed to quench thirst but to exalt a dish, making their marriage an unforgettable experience. Without wine, the best of meals will be lopsided. That is why each recipe here also includes a suggestion of a region or a cru that the chefs feel will make
