Exploring Wines of France at Vino Venue

Bill Reynolds, resident French Wine Scholar and sommelier of Vino Venue wine bar, welcomed the Friends of Alliance Française for an afternoon of French wine tasting…on tap! Using the enomatic, self-serve dispensing machines, we explored several of France’s most popular wine regions- Bourgogne (Burgundy), Bordeaux, Sancerre, and Côtes du Rhône (Rhone Valley).

Besides being able to try the different wines, we also explored what each region is famous for. In the U.S., we are familiar with wines by the grape- Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, etc. In France and most other European countries however, wines are named by the place from which they come. Sancerre for example, which is a small town located about 2.5 hours west of Paris is Sauvignon Blanc as far as white wines, since the Sauvignon Blanc grape is widely planted there. Burgundy, about a 3 hour drive eastbound from Paris, is most famous for two wines- red wines being Pinot Noir and white wines being Chardonnay. So a red Burgundy wine by default is Pinot Noir; a white Burgundy wine is Chardonnay. So far so good, right? As we head west and southbound , we learn that Bordeaux’s red wines are Cabernet Sauvignon based blends if from Graves, Médoc or Pessac-Léognan (AKA Bordeaux’ s left bank). If from the other side of the Garonne River in the areas of Saint-Émilion, Pomerol, or Fronsac, you’ll be having Merlot based blends. White Bordeaux tend to be Sauvignon Blanc wines. Rhone Valley which is in the south, is very well known for its red blends which are medium to fuller-bodied, dark and dense in texture and flavor.

As a disclaimer, it’s good to know that this is a general introduction to these different appellations and that wines are subject to change based on the particular estate and the producer. Overall, I’d say that this was a bonne dégustation . Can’t wait for the next round!