
France, Western Australia
Two concepts pivotal to the higher end French wines, in particular, are the idea of 'terroir' and the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system. Terroir refers to the way the geography, geology and climate find their way into the glass, telling a story of the origin of the wine. The AOC was set up in 1935 and has the primary goal of protecting the authenticity of the wines and the livelihoods of the producers. Appellation rules strictly define which varieties of grapes and winemaking practices are approved for classification in each of France's several hundred geographically defined appellations, which can cover entire regions, individual villages or in some cases, like in Burgundy even specific vineyards.
Classic wine regions in France include Champagne (home of Champagne), Burgundy (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot), Alsace (Aromatic varietals), Loire Valley (Chenin Blanc, Crémant) and the Rhône Valley (Syrah, Grenache Mourvedre)
The Bordeaux classification of 1855 is still in use, as is the Sauternes and Barsac Classification of the same year. Wines from certain regions can be bought En Primeur, which is when the wine is sold prior to it being bottled.
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**THIS ONLINE TASTING IS OVER**
The ultimate debate in wine, Old World V New World. Two Master of Wines' going head to head on arguably the most controversial subject in wine, we have Alistair ... Learn More
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**THIS ONLINE TASTING IS OVER**
This pack contains a bottle of 3 different wines to be opened during an online tasting held on Thursday the 30th of April 2020. During the COVID-19 lockdown, we will be running ... Learn More
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**THIS ONLINE TASTING IS OVER**
Wine education made fun and entertaining, let's explore some new and classic bubbles together just in time for the festive season.
Join us for the ultimate Christmas debate, ... Learn More