Have you ever found yourself standing in the middle
of the State Store with no idea of how to pronounce the words on the bottle? Do
you ask for Yellow Tail because
you’re embarrassed about your pronunciation of Châteauneuf-du-Pape? Fear no more! We’ve put together a cheat sheet
for decoding French wine region pronunciation that’ll have you soundin’ like a
City of Light native in no time. With our upcoming tasting of French wines, you
may find this useful!
MAJOR
REGIONS:
Alsace – [al-ZASS] – Predominately white-wine
producing region in northeastern France, known for Riesling, Gewürztraminer,
and Sylvaner.
Bordeaux – [bore-DOUGH] – Located off the central-south western coast of France, mainly known for its red blends of
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, white blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon,
and sweet dessert wines. The five first growth chateaux are found here.
Bourgogne – [bore-GUNya] – Region of western France
producing white wine from Chardonnay and red wine from Pinot Noir, with exceptions. The origin of the term terroir
stems from this region.
Beaujolais – [bOH-shoh-lay] – Considered by some to
be a part of Burgundy, though very different in terms of terroir and
soils. Gamay is the grape used to produce red wine.
Champagne – [sham-PAH-nyuh] – sham-PANE
in America. Most famous sparkling wine producing region in the world. The wine is made from
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes.
(Côtes du) Rhône – [coat-doo-RONE] – DO NOT
pronounce the “s” in Côtes! Includes the valley surrounding the Rhône River,
broken into “northern” and “southern” parts, with over 90% of wine production
in the southern half.
Jura – [shur-AH] – Cool climate wine region between Burgundy and Switzerland, known for vin jaune (yellow wine)
production, similar in style to Sherry production.
Languedoc – [lang-uh-dock] – Largest wine producing
region in the world, comprising one third of France’s wine production. Wines
are generally blends and affordable. Mediterranean coastline
between Spain and Provence.
Loire Valley – [luh-WAHR vah-lee] – Comprised of
appellations along the Loire River, from the Atlantic Ocean to Sancerre in
central France. All varieties of wine are produced here; though white wines made of Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc
dominate production.
Savoie – [sav-WAH] – Eastern France
below Jura, with white wines predominantly made from Jacquere, Roussanne, and
Altesse grapes, and reds from Mondeuse.
MAJOR
APPELLATIONS:
Appellations are legally defined geographical
indications within major regions with specifically enforced grape varietal and
winemaking practices. These enforcements vary from appellation to appellation.
St. Emilion – [sant-em-ill-ee-ohn] – Major
appellation in Bordeaux, found on the right bank of the Dordogne River. Red
blends are mostly Merlot.
Chablis – [shub-LEE] – Northernmost appellation of
Burgundy, producing white wine from the Chardonnay grape. Many think of Chablis
as a separate entity from Burgundy (much like Beaujolais) because of the
different style of wine produced here.
Pouilly-Fuissé – [pwee-fwee-say] – White wine
producing region in southern Burgundy. Made from Chardonnay.
Châteauneuf-du-Pape – [shat-do-nuff-doo-pahp] – The
first classified appellation in France’s AOC system (early 1900s.) Loosely
translated, it means “The Pope’s New House”. Located in the southern part of
Rhône valley, known for strong, full bodied red blends dominated by Grenache;
very small amounts of white wine are produced here.
Sancerre – [sohn-SARE] – One of the easternmost
appellations of the Loire Valley, known for white wines made from Sauvignon
Blanc. Small amounts of red produced from Pinot Noir are also found here.
Muscadet – [MOO-skah-day] – One of the westernmost
appellations of the Loire Valley, producing white wines from the Melon de
Bourgogne grape. Reputable as a perfect pairing for oysters.
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Tasting Notices, Wine Tips, and News!
