Red in the Face?

When it comes to French wine, even wine snobs sing the blues. The maze of appellations (names of areas) and fancy labels are enough to discourage anyone from drinking the stuff. But somehow in France, these issues don't faze ordinary people. They quaff wine without ever caring where the grapes were grown or the name of the winemaker. Here in the States, we feel somehow unworthy if we don't memorize every region and the lineage of each grape. Come on … let's chill and explore the French red countryside. (We'll talk about French whites in two weeks).

For red wines, France basically has three wine regions: Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Rhone Valley. There are other wine regions, but they either produce small amounts of red or wines that aren't available in the U.S. If you're looking for quality French red, a good rule of thumb to follow is look for the most writing on the label, and the words "Grand Cru" or "Premier Cru."

Bordeaux is the world's largest fine wine-making region in the world, and perhaps the most famous. It has five main red grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, with Petit Verdot and Malbec used as blending grapes. Nearly all wines from Bordeaux are blends of two or more grapes, to smooth out the wines and create a more palatable product.

Under these rules, Bordeaux is broken up into four red wine-producing districts: St. Emilion, Pomerol, Graves and Medoc. If you see St. Emilion or Pomerol, you'll most likely be buying Merlot, a lighter red wine. Graves has both red and whites, with Cabernet Sauvignon being the main red grape of choice. Medoc has sub-appellations Saint-Julien, Paulliac, Margaux and Saint-Estephe that are mostly bolder, more astringent Cabernet Sauvignons.

Burgundy or Bourgogne (BOR-gun-NYA) is much easier to determine the red grape variety; it's all Pinot Noir. These wines are often heavier than California or Pacific Northwest Pinots and can even be aged for decades. But they are normally softer than Bordeaux wines. When looking for a bottle of Burgundy, if you don't see "Bourgogne" on the label, follow the phrases "Cote de Nuits," "Cote de Beaune" or "Cote d'Or" — wine producing areas within Burgundy. Beaujolais is a smaller region in southern Burgundy, and wine from this area is made from a grape called Gamay. Lighter, lip-smacking grape flavor is what emerges from Beaujolais wines.

The Rhone Valley has fewer regulations than its brethren do. There are also fewer appellations, making it more difficult to know what you're buying. The region grows 13 grapes, with Syrah and Grenache being the big daddies of most Rhone bottles. Syrah is for bigger, fuller wine fans; while Grenache based wines will appeal more to the lighter, fruitier wine fans. However, the wine labeled "Cote du Rhone" could be either Syrah or Grenache, and is more than likely a blend of the two. You will need to experiment with brands to determine your favorite, and the lower prices will help you with bargain hunting.

Have a fabulous wine or wine experience you want to share with us? Tell us about it! We'll feature your comments in our monthly Mailbag and you can share the bottle, so to speak, with others. E-mail corkscrew@creativeloafing.com or mail to Corkscrew, 1310 E. Ninth Ave., Tampa, FL 33605. Corkscrew now has an 800 number for reader feedback: 1-800-341-LOAF.

This article appears in Oct 4-10, 2001.