First we cover a little about the French wine industry and why it's so important (big $$ here!)
After covering major grapes grown in France, we talk about the history of the country and how it got its start as a wine juggernaut.
We re-address the concept of terroir and then get into the major regions and what you'll find in each. The regions we covered are:
- Alsace on the German border, which mainly makes whites of Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat, and Silvaner.
- Then we hop to Champagne -- we all know what's there!
- We take a jog over to the Loire, covering the Sauvignon Blanc in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume, the Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc in Touraine and Anjou-Saumur, and then talk about Muscadet, the strange name that's neither a region nor a grape (more on that in this post).
- Next, we head to Burgundy and talk about three grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Gamay. Yup, that's it...you'll have to listen to figure out why the region is so complex!
- Then we're down to the Rhône Valley for Syrah, and the whites Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne in the northern part and red blends made of mostly Grenache/Syrah/Mourvedre in the south and Grenache blanc/Marasanne, and Roussanne for whites.
- We briefly talk about the MASS production of the Languedoc and Roussillon regions and then cap off the podcast with the big daddy of them all: Bordeaux, where we talk about red, white, and sweet blends.
It's a long one, but it will give you a good grounding in what you can find where. That way when we talk about each region on future podcasts, you'll have a reference point!
Here's a link: http://winefornormalpeople.podbean.com/2012/03/15/ep-043-france/
If you like the podcast, please review it on iTunes, drop a comment below, or join the awesome conversation on Facebook (Wine For Normal People page) and Twitter @normalwine!
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Thanks for listening! We can't wait to hear from you!
Podcast music: "Café connection" by morgantj / CC BY 3.0, ©2009 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (3.0)
Map: Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license
Map: Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license
I found your podcasts on iTunes last night and listened to this one (and Pinot noir) in the car today. Loved it! I'll be downloading more for sure!
ReplyDeleteAmanda!
ReplyDeleteThank you SO much for listening and for writing. We have a great time doing it and we have a great community of listeners (the Facebook page is a ton of fun, if you want to check it out it's just Wine For Normal People)!
Hope to hear from you again. Please write with any questions or comments!
Elizabeth
Love the podcast, and the tour of France was very informative and entertaining. I do have to beg to differ on your dismissive comments about Languedoc-Roussillon. There are some great values coming out of that region, particularly from wine makers like Michel Chapoutier. Here's a great example: http://exm.nr/NGpyxB
ReplyDeleteKeep the good stuff coming, but I'd suggest giving Languedoc-Roussillon another look.
-Rob
Hi Rob,
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing, so sorry it's taken forever for me to reply!
I agree that I was probably too quick to dismiss the Languedoc-Roussillon. There are some amazing wines, but I guess what I was referring to was the fact that the majority of stuff that's being exported is less expensive and of lower quality. You have to dig and search to get great things, but they are certainly out there. Thanks for pointing that out!
Take care and I hope to hear from you again!
Elizabeth