FFRENCH WINE

Appellation

There seem to be an infinite number of ways to classify and categorize wine these days,
though none are quite so helpful–or quite as intimidating– as the appellation system.
Very basically, an appellation is how countries categorize their wines into specific grape-
growing geographical regions. An appellation not only indications the country and region
where the wine’s grapes were grown, but also the laws and regulations that dictate how
that particular wine was made. Typically, the more specific the region’s boundaries are,
the better the wine that carries its name. That’s why it’s so helpful to become familiar
with at least a handful of appellation names and acronyms to help inform your wine
purchases.

France organizes wine with the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée/Protégée

(AOC/AOP) system which first started in 1937. Today, there are over 360 AOCs in
France and most are within 11 primary growing regions (e.g. Rhône, Loire, Alsace,
Bordeaux etc.). The French AOP system has rules that apply to nearly every aspect of
wine production, including grape varieties that may be utilized, minimum alcohol level,
aging requirements, and even vineyard planting density. Such meticulous management of
a single industry may seem overwhelming, but the geographic label implies what
winemaking regulations were in play and can therefore serve as a guide for consumers.
For example, a Crémant d’Alsace Rosé is required to be 100% Pinot Noir. Thus, when
you buy this wine you can expect a sparkling wine made from 100% Pinot. It’s simply a
matter of cracking the AOP code.

Region and Grape Varieties

Alsace

Located on the Eastern border of France with Germany

Germanic influence, so the grapes are primary white

 Soils: Very varied such as granite, limestone, schist, gravel, chalk, loess and pink
sandstone so Alsace’s wine is diverse.

Climate: semi-continental, long dry and sunny season, so Alsace’s grape have a
good level of ripness. Winters are cold, abundant snowfall on the Vosges Mt.. Out
of the Alsatian plains, snow is less but more mist and fog, the nights in Alsace
give the grapes high levels of refreshing acidity

Notable region for

Riesling: A dry style of Riesling that is quite refreshing as it is haunting with

its sometimes smoky aromas

Pinot Gris: A sweeter style of Pinot Gris that explodes with apricots, limes,
and honeyed richness.

Gewürztraminer: One of the most aromatic wines on the planet with notes of
rose water, lychee, and perfume. Wines are richer in style, taste just off-dry
(although most are dry) and are best enjoyed within a year or two of release.

Sparkling Alsace: Crémant d’Alsace is made in 2 styles, a white made with

mostly Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc which gives it a sweetish apricot kick and a
rosé style made with 100% Pinot Noir that offers raspberry and cherry notes
with creamy bubble finesse.

1. Champagne
Located in the north eastern part of France.
Best known for the production of the sparkling white wine that bears the region's
name
Soils: Limestone, Chalk. Make a particular mineral flavor for Champagne Wine
and create the balance of ripness, acidity and berry aroma.
Climate: Dual climate: oceanic and continental influences alike. This means
Champagne has low level of sunshine, giving the grapes the freshness and
 crispness while steady and moderate rainfaill is essential for quality grape
production.
Notable region for
Chardonay: offer apple, lemon, and beeswax notes with crisp acidity and
creamy bubbles. Made Sparkling Blanc de Blancs
Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier: produce wines with more body and notes of
white cherry, mushroom, lemon, and raspberry. Made Sparkling Blanc de
Noirs
2. Loire Valley
Located in the north-west region of France
The Loire Valley is often divided into three sections Upper Loire (Centre), Middle
Loire (Anjou, Saumur, and Touraine) and Lower Loire (The Pays Nantais)
Soils:
Lower Loire: predominantly volcanic (igneous), top-soils of porous gneiss.
Middle Loire: Varied. Slate, schist and clay (Anjou), Limestone (Saumur), chalk,
sand, gravel, clay and limestone pebbles (Touraine).
Upper Loire: Terre Blanche (a mix of clay, Kimmeridgian limestone, and oyster
shells). Caillotes (small pebbles of Oxfordian limestone and yields wines with
delicate perfume and less structure than Terre Blanche). Silex or flint, lends a
smoky, gunflint quality to the grapes.
Climate:
Lower Loire: climate is maritime with cold, damp, stormy winters, cool cloudy
springs, warm humid summers, and often blustery falls.
Middle Loire: The seasons are more defined and the climate is more hospitable.
Upper Loire: semi-continental with big differences in the daytime and nighttime
temperatures (the diurnal swing).
Notable region for
 Sauvignon Blanc: A lean and herbal style of Sauvignon Blanc with flavors of
thyme, lime peel, honeydew melon, and grass.

Chenin Blanc: In the middle Loire Valley is where you’ll find awesome
Chenin Blanc wines that range in style from dry to sweet and still to sparkling.
Flavors range from delicate notes of flowers and apricots, rich applesauce.

Muscadet (white): The perfect white for shellfish, clams, and mussels hailing
from the western maritime region of Nantes in the Loire. Wines are bone-dry
with subtle notes of sea shell, lime, green apple, and pear skin.

Cabernet Franc: A very herbaceous and rustic style of Cabernet Franc with
spicy notes of bell pepper, tart red cherry, and gravelly minerality.

3. Burgundy (Bourgogne)

Located in the eastern half and is southwest of Alsace

The most famous wines produced here - those commonly referred to as

"Burgundies"

Soils: Limestone, Marl, mixing Sand or Gravel. Limestone is good for white
wines while Marl is good for red wines.
Climate: fairly warm summers, with the constant threat of hail, and cold winters
Notable region for
Pinot Noir: rustic and bold style of Pinot Noir with notes of cranberry, hibiscus,
rose hip, and a dusting of earthy herbs.
Oaked Chardonnay The origin place of Chardonnay
Unoaked Chardonnay notes of quince, starfruit and sometimes passion fruit

4. Beaujolais
Located in the southern of Burgundy
 Famous for Gamy grape which is low in tannins but high level of acidity
Soils: mostly granite and schist (decomposed rock) to the North and clay-based
soils (marl) to the South
Climate: Closer to Northern Rhône, continental climate with hot summer, cold
winter and rain throughout the year.
Notable region for
Gamay: offers seductive aromas of plum, cherry, violet, peony and tropical
banana. Others is forest floor, baker’s yeast or bubblegum

5. Rhône Valley
Located in the Southeast region of France
The Rhône is generally divided into two sub-regions with distinct vinicultural
traditions, the Northern Rhône and the Southern Rhône
Soils: granite, sandy silica, limestone and clay
Climate:
Norther Rhone: Continental climate with hot summer, cold winter and rain
throughout the year.
Southern Rhone: The summers are long and warm and the winters are mild;
rainfall is less than in the north and the famous Mistral Wind is a major player
Notable region for
Syrah: offers a much more savory profile with notes of black olive, plum,
and dried green herbs
Grenache-Syrah Blend: exude ripe raspberry, plum and dried lavender with a
smoky overtone
Marsanne Blend (white) bolder white is the gestalt of fine Chardonnay with
notes of lemon, beeswax, and apricot.
6. Bordeaux
A port city in south - western France
Famous for the best quality of wine
 Soils: Left bank gravel. Right bank clay and limestone
Climate: damp springtimes, rather hot, fairly dry summers, rather mild winters,
and quite a bit of rain during autumn and winter.
Notable region for
Left Bank Red Bordeaux: A bold, dry red using Cabernet Sauvignon and
Merlot in the blend, with flavors of black currant, graphic, mint, and gravelly-
tobacco notes.
Right Bank Red Bordeaux: A slightly softer, rustic red made with mostly
Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with flavors of black cherry, tobacco, and mint.
White Bordeaux: Less the 10% of the region’s production is dedicated
to White Bordeaux which is a zippy blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.
Wines offer up pink grapefruit, green melon, and beeswax notes.
Sauternais (sweet whites): An intensely sweet white.

7. South – West France

The South West is divided into four ‘sub-regions’, each with its own distinctive
character, climate, and grapes.

 Bergerac & Dordogne River

 Garonne & Tarn
 Lot River
 Pyrénées

8.1 Bergerac & Dordogne River

White Wines

 Sauvignon Blanc
  Ugni Blanc
 Semillon
 Chenin Blanc
 Muscadelle
 Ondenc

Red Wines

 Cabernet Sauvignon
 Cabernet Franc
 Merlot
 Malbec
 Mérille

8.2 Garonne & Tarn

Red Wines
 Fer Servadou*– native to Basque region of Spain
 Duras
 Gamay
 Négrette – a floral and fruity wine grown close to Toulouse and Fronton
 Syrah
 Tannat* – long noted as a component of human longevity
 Abouriou – nearly extinct due to phylloxera
 Prunelard – ancient native variety & father of Malbec!
 Cinsault
 Jurançon Noir
 Mouyssagués – virtually extinct, grown in Aveyron
 Pinot Noir
White Wines
  Len de L’el
 Mauzac Blanc
 Mauzac Rose
 Saint Côme (a.k.a. ‘Rousselou’)

8.3 Lot River

The Lot River Region is influenced by both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean climates
and grows the same grape varieties as the Garonne & Tarn

8.4 Pyrénées

White Wines
 Camaralet — very rare full bodied aromatic white wines
 Gros Manseng — zesty white wines
 Petit Manseng
 Lauzet — nearly extinct – only 5 acres in existence (2 ha)
 Arrufiac — often blended with Petit Manseng
 Raffiat — principle variety in Béarn AOP with just 22 acres in the world.
 Courbu
 Clairette Blanche
 Baroque
Red Wines
 Manseng Noir
 Tannat
 Courbu Noir
 Fer Servad

8. Provence

White Wine Grapes

 White grapes of Provence include:

 Rolle (aka Vermentino)

 Ugni Blanc (aka Trebbiano)
 Bourboulenc
 Clairette
 Marsanne
 Roussanne
 Grenache Blanc

Also familiar are the Bordeaux varieties of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, which are
sanctioned in some regions. Regional grapes such as Pascal, Terret Blanc, Spagnol (aka
Mayorquin and Pignerol are still used but are quickly vanishing.

Red Wine Grapes

Most of the traditional red grapes are found elsewhere in France and the
Mediterranean; these include

 Grenache Noir
 Syrah
 Mourvedre
 Carignan

 Cinsault
 Counoise
 Tannat
 Carbernet Sauvignon
9. Languedoc-Roussillon

Red Grapes
 CARIGNAN is one of the most widely planted grape varieties in the Languedoc
Roussillon region, south of France. These wines are high in alcohol, deep coloured,
full bodied and lots of tannin. It needs time to develop becoming gamey, spicy and
rich in flavour. When blended it gives the wine structure and body.

CINSAULT probably originated in France and many regions use Cinsault for fruit
and finesse and is usually combined with Carignon and Grenache Noir.

GRENACHE NOIR probably originated from Spain and is usually combined with
Cabernet and Cinsault to give alcohol, fatness and generosity. Grenache is often used
in Languedoc Roussillon, south of France, and produces strong wines with deep
colour with a lovely fruity raspberry and black-current flavour. This wine is low in
tannin making it an excellent wine to blend with the higher tannin varieties.

SYRAH this grape has been cultivated in France since Roman times, it produces a
wine with the intense smell of violets, spices, green pepper and tar! It resists oxidation
and ages well but needs several years to develop. Syrah brings aroma and finesse to
the blend

MOURVEDRE this variety was planted in Languedoc Roussillon, South France

since at least the 16th century. It produces a spicy, slightly gamey wine with a lovely
deep opaque colour when young plenty of tannin and full bodied. It needs time to
develop and goes very well with Grenache.

CABERNET FRANC is sometimes compared as a poor relation of Cabernet

Sauvignon but the wines are lighter and more delicate in style. Cabernet Franc is
usually blended with Cabernet Sauvignon.

MERLOT is grown in the cooler parts of the Languedoc Roussillon region, south of
France, and has become very popular. It gives a supple well coloured wine of good
quality and can be drunk young.

White Grapes
CHARDONNAY is one of the most famous wine varieties used to produce
Champagne, Chablis and of course Limoux in the Languedoc. It produces a wine high
in alcohol with a slight lemon and fruit salad flavour. More and more Chardonnay is
vinified in Oak in this region.

GRENACHE BLANC is mainly grown in the South of the region. It produces wines
lower in alcohol and with less flavour and is mainly used for Vin Doux Naturelles.

PICPOUL BLANC this variety is used in the production of Picpoul de Pinet which
makes a lovely dry, clean, perhaps slightly neutral wine.

MARSANNE came to the Languedoc from the Rhone valley and is generally blended
to give body weight and perfume. It produces richly flavoured, aromatic wines which
age well.

ROUSSANNE also came from the Rhone valley and is a good wine for blending. It
ripens late giving finesse and bouquet.

VIOGNIER this variety has become increasingly popular in the Languedoc. It has a
unique perfume and flavour and is usually sold without blending.

MAUZAC is the grape variety used exclusively for the production of Blanquette de
Limoux. These wines mature rapidly, have a fine bouquet with a slightly apple
flavour and a pleasant hint of bitterness and good acidity.

CHENIN BLANC this variety came down from the Loire Valley and is useful in
adding freshness and acidity to white wine blends. It can produce a sappy crisp wine
with good acidity and for this reason it is part of the blend in Blanquette de Limoux.
Listel also uses Chenin Blanc in the Coteaux de Languedoc area.

CLAIRETTE BLANCHE is probably the oldest white wine variety of the

Languedoc. It is used for the appellations Clairette du Languedoc and Clairette de
Bellegarde and it is also used in Vin Doux Naturelles and Vermouth. This wine is
high in alcohol and tends to oxidise rapidly.
 10. Corsica
Nielluccio (aka Sangiovese): A wonderful wine to find in rosé form where it produces
a richer style of rosé that explodes with deep raspberry flavors. Look for wines blended
with the rare local grape, Sciaccarellu.

Vermentino: A richer, herbal white wine that is often reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc
with a juicier more smoky presence.

WINE MAKING

There are 8 steps of the wine making process:

1. Harvesting
2. Treading or crushing the grapes
3. Fermentation
4. Submerging the skins
5. Pressing: for white wine, pressing is before fermentation
6. Filtering (only for white wine)
7. Maturation
8. Racking
I. Some of the most important wine making processes are:
 Harvest date
 Maceration Time or Skin Contact
 Fermentation Temperature
 Punchdowns vs. Pumpovers
 Oak vs. Steel Tank
 Corks vs. Screwcaps
1. Harvest Date
The moment the grapes are picked is a pretty big deal. It is probably the most important
thing a winemaker can do to ensure that they make awesome wine. Picking earlier will
produce wines with higher acidity, lower alcohol and perhaps more green flavors and
aromas. It could also lend to more bitter tannin. Picking later in the harvest season will
produce wines with lower acidity, higher alcohol (or sweetness) and more subdued
tannin. Some wines when picked too late must be artificially acidified in order not to
taste ‘flabby’ or ‘flat’. Additionally, some will have water added to them (called
‘watering back’) to reduce the alcohol concentration in the completed wine. This could be
why many commercial wines have identical ABV levels of 13.5%.

Besides picking the grapes at the moment when acidity level and sweetness are perfectly
in balance there’s also a weather problem. Every vintage is different. Sometimes weather
takes a turn for the worse at the end of the growing season and can even result in a bad
vintage. In a situation where rains are forecasted in cooler climate areas (Northern Italy,
Burgundy, Oregon, etc) some winemakers may choose to hedge their bets and pick
grapes before optimal ripeness.

2. Cold Soaking and Skin Contact

Winemakers often talk about maceration time (or skin contact) and cold soaking. Both of
these terms refer to how long the grape skins touch the juice while it turns into wine.
Cold soaking is a process that happens before there’s alcohol in the mix. By keeping the
grapes cold, the grape must be too cold for yeast to start fermenting. The theory of cold
soaking is to carefully extract color and fruit flavors from the skins without extracting
bitter tannin. The total time that grape skins touch a wine is maceration time.

You can understand skin contact by testing the differences in tea flavor by varying how
long it sits in hot water.

3. Hot Fermentation vs. Cool Fermentation

Fermentation temperature is another technique that changes resulting fruit flavors and
color in a wine. A hot fermentation can get up to 26-37 °C as the yeasts metabolize and
produce alcohol. Warmer fermentations are usually used for red wines for increased color
and tannin. There are also several minimalist producers practicing warmer fermentation
temperatures on white wines. Their goal is non-interventionist wine making that is more
in tune with the conditions of the vintage.
Cold and cooler fermentations are usually practiced on white and rosé wines. The cooler
temperatures (from 6 – 10 °C) help preserve delicate aromas in white wines. The reason
for this is aroma compounds are volatile and are more likely to be lost at a higher
temperature where reactions happen faster. This is probably why wine serving
temperature greatly affects the taste of wine out of the bottle.

4. Pump Overs vs. Punch Downs

 Pumpovers

Pumpovers can extract higher amounts of tannin in a wine depending on the frequency
and force. Some pump over systems are basically wine sprinklers, offering a gentler
extraction and some aggressively stir up the fermentation tank. For larger fermentation
tanks in commercial operations, much needed oxygen comes through a pumpover device.

 Punch downs

Punch downs, on the other hand, are a very delicate way of stirring a wine. They keep
skins from getting too extracted and little to no amount of added oxygen in the
fermentation. Punch downs are typically done by hand and are more popular with non-
interventionist winemaking.

5. Oak-Aging vs. Steel Tank

Oak aging does more than just add a vanilla flavor to wine. Oak increases a wine’s
exposure to oxygen while it ages. Oxygen decreases tannin and can help a wine reach its
optimal fruitiness. Wines aged for many years in oak develop nutty flavors.

Steel tanks are commonly used for zesty white wines like Pinot Gris, although it’s not
uncommon to find steel tank aged red wines. Steel tanks limit the oxygen exposure to
wine and keep wines fresher.

6. Corks vs. Screwcaps

One misunderstood topic about winemaking is the choice of using a cork or a screwcap.
In most circumstances there is no difference between wine in a bottle with a cork or a
screwcap. Corks let oxygen in at unpredictable amounts. There is also an issue with TCA
‘cork taint’ that affects about 1-2% of wines. Screw caps (and other cork alternatives), on
the other hand, can control the amount of oxygen that comes inside the bottle per year.

II. How the wine is made?

1. Red Wine

Step 1: Grow Grapes & Harvest

A grape vine begins to produce grapes after its third year. Regardless of the vine’s age,
grapes only grow on stalks that are one year old. Because of this, viticulturists prune their
vineyards back every year to encourage new growth. Wine grapes grow in the most
unlikely places of the world

Step 2: Crushing The Grapes

Wine grapes are usually destemmed to reduce harsh vegetal-tasting tannin. Sometimes
wineries have long sorting table conveyer belts to further check for leaves or bad grapes.
Then the grapes are crushed and put into an environment that is conducive for yeast to
thrive. Red wines get their deep color from being fermented with the skins.

Step 3: Fermenting Sugar into Alcohol

The fermentation starts when a yeast culture grows and consumes the available sugar and
turns it into alcohol. There are many different kinds of yeast strains that either happen
naturally or are added (called innoculation) to control the flavor. Red wines are typically
fermented at warmer temperatures than white wines. Also, red wines are usually
fermented until all the sugar is consumed, creating a dry wine.

Step 4: Fining, Filtering and Bottling

Red wines age for anywhere from 4 months to 4 years before being bottled. During
aging, ‘fining’ often occurs to make the wine clear. Wine additives are often used that
glom onto dissolved proteins. After fining, filtration happens and the wine gets bottled.
Some red wines are not fined or filtered to add more body. Unfiltered wines should be
decanted before drinking.
 2. White Wine

Step 1: Crush Grapes and Collect Juice

White wine can be made with either white or red grapes. The major difference between
white and red wine is that white wines are fermented without the grape skins. First the
grapes are pressed off the skins and the sweet grape juice is collected in vats to be
fermented into wine.

Step 2: Fermenting Grape Juice into Wine

White wines are typically fermented much cooler than red wines. This is to preserve the
fresh fruity flavors. During this time the 2 parts sugar ferments into 1 part alcohol. So, if
you start with 2 Brix of sugar you’ll get a 1% ABV wine. The higher the sugar content of
the juice the higher the resulting alcohol level. White wines are also much more
susceptible to discoloration (e.g. turn yellow-brown) and don’t commonly cellar as long
as red wines.

Step 3: Oaky Wine and MLF

Oaking white wine adds vanilla flavors. MLF adds a creaminess to white wine. These 2
processes take time and cost extra money for the winery, that’s why oaky wines tend to
be more expensive.

Step 4: Filtering and Bottling

White wines are almost always filtered before bottling. If you make white wine at home,
often it will end up being cloudy. This is because it hasn’t been filtered. Believe it or not,
white wines tend to be more unstable than red wines and usually winemakers have to add
more sulphites to white wines than red wines.
3. Rosé Wine
There are 3 primary ways to make rosé wine and the most common way is illustrated in
the graphic below.
  Maceration Method

The maceration method is when red wine grapes are let to rest, or macerate, in the juice
for a period of time and afterward the entire batch of juice is finished into a rosé wine.
The maceration method is the probably the most common type of rosé we see available
and is used in regions like Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon, France where rosé is as
important as red or white wine.

4. Sparkling Wine

There are 6 major methods by which sparkling wines are produced, each resulting in a
different carbonation level and, ultimately, a different style of bubbly! But the two worth
paying attention to the most are Traditional Method (used for Champagne, etc) and Tank
Method (used for Prosecco, etc).

 Traditional Method
 Tank Method
 Transfer Method
 Ancestral Method
 Continuous Method
 Carbonation

Sparkling wines have different pressure levels which affect our perception of their taste.
The higher the pressure, the more fine the bubbles. Here are some accepted terms for
sparkling wine in terms of bubble pressure:

- Beady is a wine bottled with <1 additional atmosphere of pressure (14.7 psi). Bubbles
appear on the sides of the bottle (or glass) when the wine is opened.
- Semi-Sparkling is a wine with 1–2.5 atmospheres (14.7–37 psi) of pressure that is
slightly sparkling.
- Sparkling is bubbly wines with 3 or more atmospheres can be labeled.
 Traditional Method
- Examples: Champagne
- Bottle Pressure: 5–7 atmospheres or ~75–99 psi

It is the most appreciated method for sparkling wine production in terms of quality, and at
the same time it is also the most costly in terms of production. The most important facet
of the traditional method is that the transformation from a still to a sparkling wine occurs
entirely inside the bottle.

- Base Wine or “Cuvée”: grapes are picked (usually just a tinsy bit younger to preserve
acidity) and fermented into a dry wine. The winemaker then takes the various base
wines and blends them together into what the French call a “cuvée”, which is the final
sparkling wine blend.
- Tirage: Yeast and sugars are added to the cuvée to start the second fermentation and
wines are bottled (and topped with crown caps).
- 2nd Fermentation: (inside the bottle) The second fermentation adds about 1.3% more
alcohol and the process creates CO2 which is trapped inside the bottle thus carbonating
the wine. The yeast dies in a process called autolysis and remain in the bottle.
- Aging: Wines are aged on their lees (the autolytic yeast particles) for a period of time
to develop texture in the wine. Most believe the longer the wine ages on its lees, the
better.
- Riddling: Clarification occurs by settling the bottle upside down and the dead yeast
cells collect in the neck of the bottle.
- Disgorging: Removing sediment from bottle. The bottles are placed upside down into
freezing liquid which causes the yeast bits to freeze in the neck of the bottle. The
crown cap is then popped off momentarily which allows the frozen chunk of lees to
shoot out of the pressurized bottle.
- Dosage: A mixture of wine and sugar is added to fill bottles and then bottles are
corked, wired and labeled.
 Tank Method
- Examples: Prosecco, Lambrusco
- Bottle Pressure: 2–4 atmospheres (ATM) 30–60 psi

The major difference between the tank method and the traditional method is the removal
of the individual bottle as the vessel used to turn a still wine into a sparkling one.

Tank method sparkling wines have a much more freshly made character with stronger
secondary (yeasty) flavors. Some may argue that the tank method is not as high-quality of
a production method as the traditional method of sparkling wine. While the process is
more affordable (and thus is popular with lower quality wines), it is still used for fine
sparkling winemaking.

 Transfer Method
- Examples: Small format (187 ml) and large format (3L+) Traditional Method sparkling
wines
- Bottle Pressure: 5–7 atmospheres (ATM) or ~75–99 psi

This method is identical to the Traditional method except that wines need not be riddled
and disgorged in the same manner. Instead, the bottles are emptied into a pressurized tank
and sent through pressurized filters to remove the dead yeast bits (lees). Then, the wines
are bottled using pressurized fillers.

 Ancestral Method
- Examples: Loire, Jura
- Bottle Pressure: 2–4 atmospheres (ATM) or 30–60 psi

This method of sparkling wine production uses icy temperatures (and filteration) to pause
the fermentation mid-way for a period of months and then wines are bottled and the
fermentation finishes, trapping the CO2 in the bottle. When the desired level of CO2 is
reached, wines are chilled again, riddled and disgorged just like the traditional method,
but no expedition liqueur (sugar) is added. The technique is referred to as the Ancestral
Method because it’s assumed that this is one of the earliest forms of sparkling
winemaking.

 Carbonation
- Examples: NewAge
- Bottle Pressure: 3 atmospheres (ATM) 45 psi
The carbonation method simply takes a still wine and carbonates in a pressurized tank.
While it’s possible that this method has benefits, at the moment the only carbonated
wines are lower quality bulk wines.

 Continuous Method
- Examples: Lancers
- Bottle Pressure: 4–5 atmospheres (ATM) or 60–75 psi

The Russians may have it with the strangest sparkling wine production method yet! The
process gets the name from a continual addition of yeast into pressurized tanks thereby
making it possible to increase the total pressure to 5 atmospheres (or as much as most
Champagne). Wines are then moved into another tank with yeast enrichments (sometimes
wood shavings) which the dead yeast bits attach to and float around in the wine. This
gives the wines a similar-tasting autolytic character to the traditional method. Finally, the
wines move into the last set of pressurized tanks where the yeasts and enrichments are
settled out, leaving the wine relatively clear.

SELLING WINE AT A RESTAURANT

1. Learn all you can about wines

Anyone who sells wine at a restaurant needs to have some knowledge of what they’re
selling. To gain knowledge, read the labels of the bottles, as well as wine guides. Another
way to learn more is to talk to other people who are more knowledgeable in the field.

2. Include a variety of wines

When deciding what wines to sell at your restaurant, make sure to include a variety. Of
course, you want to have more wines that go with your type of food, but including a
variety of brands, regions, flavors, and sweetness will help serve all your customers.

3. Figure out what the customer wants

When a person comes in looking for wine, often they want guidance. Asking questions
can help you figure out what kind of wine will be best for the customer’s needs. For
example, if a guest says they want a bottle of wine for a gift, ask a few questions to
narrow down what kind of wine will be appropriate.

4. Sell wine by both the glass and the bottle

Selling wine by the glass can be more profitable, as it usually has a higher markup, plus it
services people who just want a single glass. However, selling wine by the bottle can lead
to more sales overall, as customers feel they are getting a deal by buying the bottle,
buying more than they would by the glass. Therefore, make sure you find ways to sell
both at your restaurant.
REFERENCE

http://winefolly.com/review/looking-for-good-wine-start-with-the-appellation/

http://www.dummies.com/food-drink/drinks/wine/frances-alsace-wine-region/

http://winefolly.com/review/french-wine-exploration-map/

https://www.champagne.fr/en/terroir-appellation/champagne-terroir/champagne-terroir-
definition

http://winefolly.com/review/loire-valley-wine-guide/

http://www.dummies.com/food-drink/drinks/wine/frances-burgundy-wine-region/

http://winefolly.com/review/cotes-du-rhone-wine-with-maps/

http://winefolly.com/review/beaujolais-wine-region-map/

http://www.rhone-wines.com/en/identite-histoire

http://winefolly.com/review/introduction-soil-types-wine/

http://winefolly.com/review/how-wine-is-made-in-pictures/

http://winefolly.com/tutorial/how-is-red-wine-made/

http://winefolly.com/tutorial/how-is-white-wine-made/

http://winefolly.com/review/what-is-rose-wine/