Some critical remarks concerning French wine

[Rumpelstil]

Some critical remarks concerning French wine

French wine usually is excellent, no doubt about that.
But as always, things are not ideal.

Here are some critical remarks:

- French wine labels rarely mention the grape variety
- the idea of a "Grand Vin" - if some wine producer has been fine in 1899, this wine is regarded as fine forever
- the French rarely value wine for its own sake - only in combination with food
- the French usually drink only French wine and no wine from any other country - so they have no comparison
- the French usually cannot imagine that other countries also produce good wines

What do you think about these points?
Where can you agree, and where not?

 

[ProgressPlease]

Complete generalizations.

 

[Rumpelstil]

Complete generalizations.

No.

I added "usually" or "rarely" to my comments.
Methinks you just don't know French wine well enough.
Sorry.

 

[Rumpelstil]

In recent years the French have learned a thing or two.
More and more one sees labels that mention the grape variety.

 

[Rumpelstil]

@ Alsatian wines
They are an exception

Here it is an old tradition the mention the grape varieties.

• 6 white wines : Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Muscat d’Alsace, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer,
• 1 rosé or red wine : the Pinot Noir.

The 7 grape varieties - Ribeauvillé Riquewihr region in Alsace (France)

The 7 grape varieties - Ribeauvillé Riquewihr region in Alsace (France)

www.ribeauville-riquewihr.com

 

[Rumpelstil]

@ Some critical remarks concerning French wine

Wines from any country may deserve some critical remarks - and France is no exception.
Or is anybody of the opinion that French wine is above any criticism?

Something I did not mention yet: French wine can be indecently and absurdly over-priced sometimes

 

[Rumpelstil]

Here somebody agrees with Rumpel:

British and other English-speaking consumers have become used to a choice of wines from around the world in their own countries. Here in France the choice of imported wine is poor and extremely limited.
One could say that this is down to protectionism. However, I believe it really is about demand. French consumers are simply not that bothered about the wines made beyond France.

Do the French dislike foreign wine?

News of Languedoc vignerons protesting at the importation of cheap Spanish wine recently prompted an interesting discussion on The Connexion’s Facebook page.

www.connexionfrance.com

 

[Rumpelstil]

@ Judgment of Paris​

The Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, also known as the Judgment of Paris, was a wine competition organized in Paris on 24 May 1976 by Steven Spurrier, a British wine merchant and his colleague, Patricia Gallagher, in which French judges carried out two blind tasting comparisons: one of top-quality Chardonnays and another of red wines (Bordeaux wines from France and Cabernet Sauvignon wines from Napa, California).[1][2] A Napa wine rated best in each category, which caused surprise as France was generally regarded as being the foremost producer of the world's best wines. Spurrier sold only French wine and believed that the California wines would not win.[3]

The event's informal name "Judgment of Paris" is an allusion to the ancient Greek myth.

Judgment of Paris (wine) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Rumpelstil]

@ Bottle Shock​

Bottle Shock is a 2008 American comedy-drama film based on the 1976 wine competition termed the "Judgment of Paris", when California wine defeated French wine in a blind taste test. It stars Alan Rickman, Chris Pine, and Bill Pullman and is directed by Randall Miller, who wrote the screenplay along with Jody Savin and Ross Schwartz.[1] It premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

Bottle Shock - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Rumpelstil]

Bottle Shock (2008) Trailer​

 

[Rumpelstil]

@ Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855​

As a classification of châteaux, the actual vineyards owned by some wineries have expanded, shrunk and been divided without any reclassification, and considerable plots of valued terroir have changed ownership.[3] Indeed, it is a peculiarity of Bordeaux that as long as a vineyard parcel lies within the boundaries of the wine commune, it is eligible to be used by any chateau, independent of the quality of the parcel itself.[4]

Many wine critics have argued that the 1855 Classification became outdated and does not provide an accurate guide to the quality of the wines being made on each estate. Several proposals have been made for changes to the classification, and a bid for a revision was unsuccessfully attempted in 1960.

Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Rumpelstil]

if some wine producer has been fine in 1899, this wine is regarded as fine forever

Here I have been referring to this:

Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855​

 

[Rumpelstil]

French winemakers to turn unsold wine into hand gel​

French winemakers are to turn unsold wine into hand gel and ethanol to make room for this year’s production, the country’s farming agency has said.
The government agency FranceAgriMer said around 3m hectolitres needed distilling as a result of lower sales during the coronavirus crisis.
Winemakers have been hit by the closure of bars and restaurants in France and abroad.

French winemakers to turn unsold wine into hand gel

Distilleries authorised to collect 2m hectolitres of unsold wine in EU-backed scheme

www.theguardian.com

Poor French winemakers!

 

[Rumpelstil]

Is there anybody else here who may have some critical remarks concerning French wine?

 

[Rumpelstil]

- the idea of a "Grand Vin" - if some wine producer has been fine in 1899, this wine is regarded as fine forever

Correction:

this classification of wine - if some wine producer has been fine in 1855, this wine is regarded as fine forever

 

[Rumpelstil]

Again:
- the French usually drink only French wine and no wine from any other country - so they have no comparison
- the French usually cannot imagine that other countries also produce good wines

What do you think about these points?

 

[Rumpelstil]

A post linking to the report asked the question: “Do you make a point of only buying French wine? Or would you like to see more imported wines in your local supermarket?”.

There were many responses about the limited choice of imported wines, which tastes English-speaking people preferred and criticism of the vignerons for not accepting market competition.

British and other English-speaking consumers have become used to a choice of wines from around the world in their own countries. Here in France the choice of imported wine is poor and extremely limited.

One could say that this is down to protectionism. However, I believe it really is about demand. French consumers are simply not that bothered about the wines made beyond France.

Do the French dislike foreign wine?

News of Languedoc vignerons protesting at the importation of cheap Spanish wine recently prompted an interesting discussion on The Connexion’s Facebook page.

www.connexionfrance.com

"French consumers are simply not that bothered about the wines made beyond France."

Only too true - and quite sad.

 

[Rumpelstil]

"British and other English-speaking consumers have become used to a choice of wines from around the world in their own countries. "

Same with German consumers.

 

[Rumpelstil]

In a German supermarket - especially here in Southwest Germany - you will find a very good selection from all kinds of wines across the earth.

In a French supermarket you will find nearly only French wine - 99,99 % - and perhaps some cheap and bad Algerian wine in a bottom shelf. Sadly so.

 

[Rumpelstil]

I do not want to sound overly critical.
Of course the French have a fine wine culture.

For example:

It’s not that the French can drink anyone under the table, but that no one wants to be under the table to begin with.

Why the French Are Better Drinkers Than Americans

We could learn a thing or six from the French.

www.thrillist.com