Chapter 2

Wines of The World

Introduction
Old World Wines
New World Wines
Old World Wines – France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany
New World Wines – South Africa, Australia, USA, Hungary & India
(Wines Laws, Basic Wine Regions and Key Wines)
 Difference Old World and New World Wines
Old World Wine Characteristics:
• Lighter body
• Lower alcohol
• Higher acidity
• Less fruity, more mineral flavours
New World Wine Characteristics:
• Fuller body
• Higher alcohol
• Lower acidity
• Pronounced fruit flavours
Wine Producing Countries and Regions
France
Introduction
French Laws
a. Vins d’appellation d’origine controlee (AOC)
b. Vins delimites de qualite superieure (VDQS)
c. Vins de Pays (VP)
d. Vin de Table or Vin de consummation courante (VCC)
France Regions & Principal Wines
1. Bordeaux
2. Burgundy
3. Alsace
4. Champagne
5. The Rhone Valley
6. The Loire Valley
Traditional Bottle Shape (Region & Country)
Bordeaux
 Bordeaux Wines Region, Communes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4F4sgejfa8
Soil – Poor Soil predominantly comprises of gravels with clay or sand
covering sub-soil of lime
Climate – Mild and Humid Climate influenced by river and sea. In Spring
Frost are hazard
Grapes
Red- Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit-Verdot
White – Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle
Bordeaux Wines Region, Communes
Red Bordeaux (Claret)
1) Medoc (Region)
Produces Excellent Red Wine. Districts of Medoc are -
Haut Medoc – Real Good Wines and Bas Medoc – Wines of lesser fame
Communes
Pauilliac – Chateau Lafite, Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, Chateau Latour
Margaux – Chateau Margaux, Pausa-Segla and Lascombes
Saint- Julien – Leovilles Lascases, Poyferre, Burton Famous Chateau Beaucaillou.
Saint Estephe - Chateau Cos-d’Estournel, Chateau Calon-Segur Chatueau Montrose
 Bordeuax Wines
2) Graves (Refers to nature of soils i.e. Gravelly)
Known for Dry White wine. Also make excellent red wine
Chateau Haut-Brion, Chateau Mission-Haut-brion, Chateau pape-Clement, Chateau
Haut-Bailly, Chateau Smith Haut-Lafitte.
Graves Superieurs name given to white wine of Graves having Alc. Strength more
than 12%
3) Saint-Emillion
Produces Rich Red Wines which is also called as Burgundies of Bordeaux
Red Wines – Chateau Cheval Blanc, Chateau Ausone
4) Pomerol - Full bodied, well rounded with an attractive bouquet. The most
expensive Red Wine in the world Chateau Petrus
- Other Areas Fronsac, Bourg and Blaye
Bordeuax Wines
White Bordeaux
5) Sauternes – Produces sweet white wine which is golden and
honeyed – Classic dessert wine.
Include 5 communes – Sauternes, Fargues, Bommes, Preignac and
Barsac
6) Cerons - Area lies between Sauternes and Graves on the south bank
of the Garonne River. It produces sweet and also dry wines. The sweet
wines are not as sweet as the Sauternes.
Burgundy (Bourgogne)
Burgundy Wines
Soil - Varies between Clay, Limestone and Granite
Climate – Burgundy has continental climate with very hot summers and
very cold, hard winter
Grapes
Red Wine – Pinot Noir & Gamay
White Wine – Chardonnay & Aligote
 Burgundy Wines
Red Burgundy
1) Cote de Nuits
Produces fruity full bodied red wine with good colour and bouquet and fineness. Use
Pinot Noir grape.
Commune – Fixin, Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-Saint-Denis(Clos de Tart), Chambolle-
Musigny, Clos de Vougeot, Vosne-Romanee, Best known Nuits-Saint-Georges
2) Cote de Beaune
Lighter in body than Cote de Nuits. Mature sooner. Home of Hospice
Commune – Aloxe-Corton, Pommard, Volnay, Santenay and Beaune.
3) Cote Chalonnaise – Produces Light Red Wines. Rully produces sparkling wine
Clemant de Bourgogne.
Communes – Givry, Mercurey, Rully
Burgundy Wines
4) The Maconnaise – Red Wine is light. Mature Quickly. Made from
blend of Gamay and little Pinot Noir. Sold as Macon Rouge. Popular
white wine Pouilly-Fuisse (Fuller White wine with earthy Note)
5) Beaujolaise – Lightwight and fruity reds meant to drink young.
Grape used Gamay. Wines here are a Blend of various communes of
this district.
Communes – Saint-Amour, Fleurie, Chenas, Chiroubles, Moulin-a-
vent, Julienas
Burgundy Wines
6) Chablis – Produces dry almost steely fresh white wine
Petit Chablis (Basic wine of Chablis)
Chablis (A blend of wines from many vineyards of Chablis
Chablis Premier Cru – It is a wine from the superior Climante
(Vineyards) Chapelotand Fourchaume
Chablis Grand Cru – Noteble Vineyards Blanchots, Les Clos, Valmur,
Grenouilles, Vaudesir, Les Presuses and Bourgros.
Alsace
Alsace
Produces Quality White wine (Fresh, Dry, Fine and Aromatic).
Vines grow in the eastern slope of ‘Vosges Mountains’ a narrow strip
from North to South.
Mountains shelter vineyard from severe winds and excessive rain.
Providing ‘Microclimate’
Ill river flows in slope towards north joining River Rhine.
Alsace Region - Germany to France (Outcome of last war)
30% of AOC White Wines come from this region.(By law bottled in
departments of Haut-Rhin and Bas-Rhin to prevent from fraud)
Grapes of Alsace
White Grape
Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Muscat d’ Alsace,
Sylvaner.

 Red Grape
Pinot Noir (Exceptional Case)
 Alsace Whites
Village or Vineyard occasionally seen on label i.e. Kaysersberg, Obernai,
Wolxheim.

Wines from Alsace

1) Edelzwicker – Blend of wine made solely from Noble grape varieties.

2) Zwicker – Blend of Plain white and one or more Noble grape varieties.

3) Schillerwein/ Clairet d’ Alsace – Rose wine made from Pinot Noir Grapes
Alsace Whites
4) Gewürztraminer – Pungent spicy wine. Hot year can have sweetness
otherwise
quite dry.
5) Riesling – Best known of all grape varieties. Stylish, dry and fruity white
wine.
6) Slyvaner – Plain dry white wine ( Makes good inexpensive aperitif)
7) Pinot Blanc – Similar to Slyvaner with more style
8) Pinot Gris – Also known as Tokay d’Alsace (Ranges from Dry to Slightly
Sweet)
9) Muscat d’ Alsace – Good, very dry wine with much fruitiness.
Champagne
 Champagne
Soil Chalky and Climate is Continental
World famous sparkling wine named from its Region
 The wine is made with ‘Methode Champanoise’
 Champagne is blended in order to get Non-Vintage and Vintage Wine.
Blended with wines from the same harvest.
Highly rated blend is Krug. Other include G.M.Mumm, Bollinger and
Heidsieck
 Well Known Champagne Moet & Chandon and Taittinger
 Champagne are White mostly but also available in Rose
 Champagne
A Blind Benedictine monk
created the first champagne
known as Dom Perignon

 Dom Pierre Pérignon

(December 1638 – 14 September
1715) was a French Benedictine
monk who made important
contributions to the production
and quality of champagne wine
in an era when the region's wines
were predominantly still red.
 Champagne
 Champagne district has three regions Epernay, Reims and Ay
These districts has delimited means sparkling wines made from the grapes
of this district can be called as Champagne.
 Sparkling wines produced in other districts of France are called “Vins
Mousseux” and semi sparkling wines are called as Cremant or Petillant.
 Champagne is made with a blend of black and white grapes in the ratio
3:1.
 Grape varieties Black Grapes – Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier
White Grapes – Chardonnay
 White wine made from white grapes is called ‘Blanc de Blanc’
 White wine made from Black grapes is called ‘Blanc de Noir’
Rhone Valley
 Rhone Valley
 Rhone vineyards extends from Lyon in North to Avignon in South
following the Rhone valley
 Vineyards are grouped into two distinct areas separated by 40-50 K.M.
stretch of agricultural land where vine is not cultivated.
 The northern vineyard enjoy continental climate of warm summer and
fairly mild winters
The Southern Vineyard get hot, dry summers and cool winters.
All vineyards are subjected to the Mistral – The fierce wind which blows
down from the Alps. Cypress trees are grown as windbreakers along the
path.
 Rhone Valley Grape Varieties
Black Grapes –
- Grenache - Carignan - Marselan - Syrah
- Cinsault - Muscardian - Mourvedre - Counoise
- Picpoul

White Grapes –
- Viognier - Marsanne - Roussanne - Bourboulenc
- Clairette
 Rhone Valley Wines
Rhone Reds
Rhone reds are known as ‘Poor Man’s Burgundy’ because of massive
Character. The are unsubtle, less refined and less delicate wines.

 Cote Rotie
The wine is robust , strong and has wonderful bouquet and tannic, heady flavour that makes
it one of the finest amongst the Rhone Reds. Made with 80% Syrah Grape and 20% white
Viognier Grapes
 Hermitage
This is a dark wine, full flavored and full bodied red wine made from Syrah grapes. Needs
ageing and can continue to improve in bottle for years.
 Crozes-Hermitage
Less fine more robust red wine than hermitage. Made from the same grape Syrah
 Rhone Valley Wines
 Saint-Joseph
The reds are lighter in body , and have more poise and subtlety. It is made on the west
side of the Rhone across the river from Hermitage
Cornas
A deep dark red wine from the syrah grape. In youth it tastes harsh and unfinished, but as
it ages it develops a wonderful bouquet and mouth filling flavours.
Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Best known name among Cote du Rhone wines, it is made from thirteen different frape
varieties. It is rich, full bodied red wine. The wine has minimum alcoholic strength of
12.5% . Selection of grapes should be based on the producer as the wine is not consistent.
Gigondas
A generous, powerful, robust red wine that always improves with additional ageing. It is
near neighbour of Chateauneuf de Pape.
Rhone Valley Wines
Rhone Whites
 Chateau-Grillet
It is the smallest AOC vineyard in France covering only 2 hectares of land.
The wine is full, dry and pale gold in color made from Viognier grapes
 Condrieu
Light, golden wine made from the Viognier grapes has a distinctive
fragrance and an intense flavour of apricots.
 Hermitage
The wine is dry, delicate has a good bouquet, fruity flavour and is made
from combination of Marsanne and Roussanne Grapes. The best known
name is Chante-Alouette.
Loire Valley
 Loire Valley
River Loire runs from the Cevennes mountains in the Central France to
Nantes in Brittany Coast.
Loire produces a range of wine varieties – Dry, medium, sweet white
wines, red and roses – more diverse than any other part of France
Grape Varieties
White Grapes- Muscadet, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc
Red Grapes – Cabernet Franc
Four main Loire Valley Regions
1) Anjou-Saumur
2) Pays Nantais (Nantes)
3) Touraine
4) Central Vineyards
 Loire Reds
Red are in abundance, but worthy qualities is a scarcity.
In Touraine, lovely red wines are made under four classifications
- Touraine Rouge
- Bourgueil
- St.- Nocholas-de-Bourgueil
- Chinon
Range from Light to Firm (Touraine and Chinon are Light)
Loire Whites
Anjou-Saumur
- Makes some excellent white wine using Chenin Blanc grape.
- Best whites coming from Savennieres – Dry, Crisp with Good
Body
- Saumur - Produces good whites, dry with a slightly sweet after
taste.
- Coteaux du Layon - renowed for its sweet white wines made with
Botrytis affected chenin blanc grapes
- Quarts de Chaume and Bonnezeaux are the best appellations for
these rich perfumed honeyed wines
Loire Whites
 Pays Nantais (Nantes)
- It is home of Musadet – A popular French Wine. It is light,dry,
fresh and meant to be drunk extremely young as an aperitif or an
accompaniment to shellfish.
- Best appellation is Muscadet de Sevre et Maine. Its best style os
Muscadet-sur-lie
- Gros Plant du Pays Nantais is a local wine high acidity made
from the Folle Blanche Frape
 Loire White
 Touraine
Most famous appellation – Vouvray made from Chenin Blanc – Silky dry,
medium sweet, sweet white wine.
Mount Louis – Produces dry to Sweet still white wine made again from
Chenin Blanc
 Central Vineyards
Called so because it is located in centre of France.
Here white wines are made from Sauvignon Blanc Grape.
Poilly Fume is a crisp, fruity, steely white wine with a characteristics and
hint of Gun-smoke
Loire Whites
 Central Vineyards ( Continued..)
Pouilly-sur Loire – White wine made from Chasselas Grapes. Pale yellow
in colour
Sancerre – Very Popular dry, fragrant and flinty white wine with
distinctively pungent aroma of goose-berries
Other Good white wine from the region are
Quincy, Reuilly and Menetou-Salon
 Other lesser wines from France

Red Wines
Cahors, Jura, Languedoc and Rousillon, Provence

White Wines
Bergerac, Jura, Gaillac, Languedoc and Rousillon