French Tasting Wine Methods and Traditions
The French wine production is positively massive. In a single year they can produce 70 million hectolitres which equates to 9 billion bottles. French wines are classified into four categories which have some very specific laws in place. You can therefore be safe to say that French wine tasting can be classified as AOC, AOVDQS, Vin de Pays and Vin de table.
AOC stands for Appellation d’Origine Controlee. This is the finest quality you can buy and the rules of its production include grape variety, locality and minimum alcohol content. These strict rules are what make this such high quality.
AOVDQS stands for Appellation d’Origine Vin De Qualité Supérieure and is the second best quality available and also undergoes strict guidelines.
Vin de Pays contains a single grape variety and within a limited area.
Vin de table is a table wine and is considered to be a wine you would drink every day as there is nothing that special about it and is very affordable. It’s for this reason that 70% of all wine consumed within France is Vin de table
The Four Steps of the French Tasting Wine Method
The French have a renowned ability to drink wine in style. They don’t just sling it back and wait for the alcohol to have its effects. Instead they drink it in a four-step process. 1. Look at the wine, 2. Smell the bouquet, 3. Take a sip, 4. Discuss the wine. Let us look at these four steps of French tasting wine method briefly.
1. Study the wine and note the light reflecting off the glass and wine. Also notice if the wine clings to the side of the glass when you have swirled it. You may find some passionate French people keep their glass on a piece of white paper.
2. Feel free to dip your nose into the glass and get a good smell of it. Once you have developed your sense of smell you’ll be able to associate aromas to the smell of wine.
3. Now let’s get the most enjoyable part. Take small and careful sips. With each careful sip, you will feel with the help of your tongue and palate, a new subtlety.
4. As humans, we love to share our experiences and thought. If you have noticed particular qualities about the wine, such as fruit and body, let your thoughts be know. Other people may or may not agree with you. But that’s all part of the fun.
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