French Wine – Full Bodied with a Full History
With an annual production of seven to eight billion bottles per year, its no wonder France is the most famous and highest wine producing country in the world. There are a number of wine making regions dotted around France with some areas being dated as far back as 600 BC.
The wines produced today vary across the gambit of the pricing structure with both expensive and lower priced wines available worldwide. To keep its reputation as the top winemaking country, France has had to adapt and incorporate new manufacturing and transportation technology in its production process.
The French have been very protective of their origins in recent years, and rightly so, with the use of specific terms such as Bordeaux, Champagne and Burgundy now only apply to wines from those particular areas in France.
This is all governed under the Appellation d’Origine Controlee (AOC) system, which was established to preserve the naming rights for the produce from these regions. The AOE system is enforced by a governing body, which determines the winemaking practices and grape varieties used in each region.
Another term that is very French is “terrior”, which indicates a number of growing factors that can vary from vineyard to vineyard, taking into account factors like, soil condition, orientation toward the sun and slope of the land.
A good portion of the most popular gape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah all originally hail from the vineyards of France. The last few hundred years of exploration and colonization has seen the spread on both number and popularity of these grape varieties across the globe.
However, not only the grape varieties were brought over and with them came people with the knowledge of French winemaking techniques.
The rich history embedded in the French winemaking conjures up dreamy images of the roving vinewyards of France. It has remained a leader in grape varieties, wine sales and production for hundreds of years. On top of all of this, it has managed to retain the pole position while still adhering to its age old winemaking traditions.
As a result French wine and particular houses remain in high demand around the world.
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Reviewing Fine Wines As An Investment
Investments come in many different forms, such as stocks and bonds, race horses, baseball cards and many others. When looking to start an investment in something, it is always best to think slightly out of the box. If you want to invest in something that will be fun and laid back, then consider investing in fine wines. The best wines command high prices, especially if they have aged over a number of years. This article will teach you how to invest in wine efficiently.
Before you start purchasing any ol’ bottle of wine you will want to learn everything you can about wine. There are a few ways you can go about this. You can choose to do it on your own. Gather up some books and learn the basics on how vintage wines are made, everything from genetics of the vine to the climate. All of this will be important when choosing your fine wines. You can also employ the expertise of someone called a sommelier, which is a person who purchases high-end wines for restaurants and clubs. Having a sommelier at your beck and call can be handy after you have begun investing as well.
Once you have retained all of the knowledge you feel you will need to be successful in investing in fine wines, you can then move on. You can choose to travel to different wineries or simply investigate them by phone or online. By doing this you will learn all about their reputations as well as their quality of vintage wine. This should help you choose which area you will be collecting from and investing in. It is best to stick with one area so that you can become an expert. Consider investing in wine from outside the country, such as French wines. Of course you won’t be traveling to France, or will you?
Without any doubt, you will develop knowledge of fine wines, but there are still a few things you should be cautious of. Just because a wine is expensive does not mean it is of good quality. It might mean it is a fad at the moment. Also, be aware that a lot of wines are made today with the main purpose of being consumed, and this means that they do not hold a shelf life of over a few years. With a mind full of knowledge and respect for wine, you shouldn’t have any trouble at all investing in the best of the best!