How do we learn a little about French wines?
 

I was just looking over a menu from a restaurant in Burgundy. I was a little overwhelmed by the wine menu.

We like to try wine and drink it regularly here. Of course, here we know what we like. How can we learn ahead of our trip so we can order and ask questions with some knowledge?

Thanks

If you drink it regularly, you must know the various kinds of wines that might be local to that area, I don't know what else you need to know that would be the right questions that have anything to do with it being French wine vs. any wine (ie, dryness or sweetness, body, etc.). I'd just ask the same kind of questions you always would in that regard. You probably have an idea what kind of wine you want to go with whatever you order, certainly red vs. white. Burgundy has a complicated classification system for French wine, there are general vs. regional appellations, then village wines. The grands crus are the top wines in Burgundy.

Red Burgundy wines go from light ones to full, heavier ones, and there are also very good white Burgundies, of course (other than stelly Chablis). I think the best wine is made around the central part of the region, such as around Beaune.

I don't think there is any way you can know all the various French labels or producers that might be on the wine menu, there are so many of them and most aren't going to be names you'd know abroad.

But I don't really think you need to know anything special to indicate what type of wine you like in terms of sweetness or body, etc. And price is going to go with the quality, of course. But if you really want to learn more, there are lots of books on the subject if you want to get them. I'm sure there are basic wine guide books on Amazon or wherever.

Why not just look at Wiki. Don't think for a minute that the chablis you get in Burgundy is like the cheap stuff here. We like the Aligote, in spite of their somewhat dismissive statement. And white burgundies are mostly from the chardonnay grape, but they will not be the heavily oaked types we have in California.
This isn't meant to be a definitive statement of course.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burgundy_wine

I consider myself to be a serious student of wine. Despite this, I would chose the meal, make my wine choice and then ask the wine waiter what he recommends. Then I would make my order. Local knowledge is vital to add to the mix.

How do you learn a bit more? 1) Read a bit, 2) go to local tasting and ask questions, 3) go join a wine group at home and listen to what other people say and think.

Sorry this requires work, no easy wins.

As a general piece of advice don't go to a restaurant with a massive wine list, the sommelier does not know what is on is so he cannot advise you.

Get a copy of Frederick Wildman's excellent "The Wines of France," which originally ran in Gourmet magazine when it was really good.

If one usually drinks California wines - then French ones can be a complete mystery - especially since ones with similar names can be totally different.

Forget the grape varieties and learn about the "terroir."

i'm with bilbo here.

tell the wine waiter what you want to pay, and ask him [sadly not often her] what he recommends to go with what you are going to eat.

if you can get hold of some french burgundy beforehand and give it a try at home, so much the better.

Underhill - Freddie Wildman's book is great. As you might know, his family was Wildman & Sons, the wine importers. He was a friend of ours in Spain. He drove a Mercedes with CT vanity plates saying VINO. The Spaniards just loved that !

And I agree about asking the waiter. Our daughter is a sommelier so we don't have to worry when with her.

i've traveled throughout France and always ask for the local wine.

Ok really good advice from everyone. Thank you.

I am looking forward to tasting the difference when we are there. I usually prefer reds, but I like them a little clearer in addition to dry. We kind of laugh, because if it's dry and I can see through it, I usually like it. I find I like many pinot noir wines and a good chianti. We like the brunellos in Italy, of course. I don't find many dry white wines that I llove, but maybe I will find better options in France.

We will be in Paris as well.

Kerouac,I googled "terroir", so the education has begun!

Actually, the Wikipedia article about "terroir" seems quite good to me.

You will probably be amused by Burgundy restaurant wine lists as there will normally be a wine section for Burgundy and then one for "foreign" wines, such as Alsace or Loire. You will not see wines from say Italy in such lists though you may see Port which the French drink as one of many apperetifs.

As Kerouac so correctly put you onto terroir you will find that more important than the grape itself. In fact the wine waiter may not even know it. The Burgundy regions white fall into Chablis offering a very flinty Chardonnay, oddity like Sauvignon St Bris (which is made of Sauvignon Blanc) and probably you will see Sauternes (the same), Aligote exists. Burgundy red is basically Pinot Noir with a hint of Pinot Gris (legally mixed in, yep mixed red and white mixed like champagne) to offer wines ranging from very light to heavy as hell. These reds tend to be oaked using a tighter oak structure than normally used in the US, so less vanilla.

Your favorite wine can differ year to year
because of the terroir. Lack of rain, the
global warming can make an impact on the year's production.

I'm not sure what your big liquor stores are like in mid-west USA, but in Australia we have some that carry quite good selections of European, South African and Chilean wines (including many at bargain basement prices that are probably not stellar regional representation.

Regardless, it is an opportunity to compare and taste grape varieties and wine styles that may be different from the domestic varieties, and to add a little to our geographic knowledge of the countries.

I suggest you invest some quality time in a big liquor store near you soon - and the best time to start your exploration is this weekend!

<i>The Burgundy regions white fall into Chablis offering a very flinty Chardonnay, oddity like Sauvignon St Bris (which is made of Sauvignon Blanc) and probably you will see Sauternes (the same), Aligote exists. </i>

Sauternes are from the Bordeaux area.

Many of the best european wines never get to the US - esp if they are not super popular. I found I loved a couple of the Sancerre that we had visiting the Loire - but could not find anything even remotely similar in NYC.

(We bought wines at 4 different shops - 1 very well known. Went to another and explained the problem and the owner said - I have to be honest with you - what you drank there never leaves France.)

The same happens in California. Dining at the Fleur de Lys in S.F. I tasted a fabulous white wine and wanted to bring some home only to find it's made in small numbers that only go to restaurants.