{"id":672,"date":"2007-01-27T20:47:38","date_gmt":"2007-01-27T19:47:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/frenchduck.com\/latest\/archives\/2007\/01\/a-guide-to-visiting-french-vineyards.html"},"modified":"2022-02-18T15:55:15","modified_gmt":"2022-02-18T14:55:15","slug":"a-guide-to-visiting-french-vineyards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/frenchduck.com\/latest\/a-guide-to-visiting-french-vineyards\/","title":{"rendered":"A guide to visiting French vineyards"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Wine Cellar at Chateau Croix de l’Abrie, Bordeaux<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s D\u00c9GUSTING! – Venturing into French vineyards<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the joys of touring France is the opportunity to try wines at the vineyard. In every wine region you\u2019ll pass roadside signs to \u201cdegustation\u201d(tasting) and \u201ccaveau\u201d(cellar), but it can be a daunting prospect if you are not a confident wine bluffer or fluent in francais.. Yet often such visits can be memorable, informative and great value for money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The key thing to remember is that most vignerons are delighted to welcome visitors \u2013 especially if you are genuinely interested. You do not need to be particularly knowledgeable. Remember that in France wine is an everyday commodity for most people, and only in the rarified atmosphere of the top flight Bordeaux and Burgundy cellars is it treated with the hushed reverence exhibited in an old-fashioned London wine merchant\u2019s emporium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also bear in mind that the winemaker does value feedback – it can help him improve or tweak his wine for particular markets. Thnk of most winemakers as farmers rather than connoisseurs, who want to produce a wine that you and other like you will be happy to buy! Don’t be afraid to dislike a wine, but do try to communicate what it is you dislike or like e.g. too dry\/sweet or tannic or strong. There is no right or wrong! It is the wine that is being assessed, not you!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Certainly the wine will be good value \u2013 you may well be able to get a local wine cheaper in the supermarch\u00e9, but that will be a mass-produced product, usually from a cooperative. At the vineyard you\u2019ll almost always get better quality \u2013 and you\u2019ll get a memorable experience of people, place, smells and taste which you can recall when you open a bottle on a bleak winter day back home. Wine is, after all, more than just alcoholic grape juice \u2013 the wines I remember are recalled as much by the occasion and the company or food as by the actual taste of the wine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how to go about it? There are some rules that apply to any wine tasting \u2013 i.e. avoid cigarettes, heavy perfume or sweets \u2013 they will obscure the taste and smell of the wine. Your taste buds are brightest in the morning \u2013 especially if you\u2019ve only had a light breakfast rather than the full fry-up \u2013 although avoid tasting on an empty stomach. Try wines in a sensible sequence \u2013 whites before ros\u00e9s and reds; younger wines before older wines; and sweet wines last of all. One of the joys of wine tasting is the opportunity to compare different wines at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have a simple rule of 5 \u201cS\u201ds for successful tasting:-<\/strong>
\nSee<\/strong> \u2013 hold the glass up against a white or light surface – look for brightness, clarity. The more purple a red, the younger it will tend to be.
\nSniff<\/strong> \u2013 your nose is your best asset! \u2013 fill the glass no more than half-full- swirl the glass carefully without spilling – a quick, deep sniff will quickly tell you if the wine has any faults \u2013 and will reveal nuances of flavour which your tastebuds often just confirm
\nSlurp<\/strong> \u2013 take a small mouthful and slosh it around the mouth \u2013 this will expose all parts of your tongue to the wine \u2013 different parts of the tongue detect sweetness, sourness, bitterness etc. Do not feel complelled to down the whole sample in one go \u2013 no-one will be offended if you leave some wine in the glass \u2013 and you can always come back again to contrast and compare.
\n(Swallow)<\/strong> – if you must, but only after your mouth and tongue has had the chance to savour the wine fully \u2013 and don\u2019t swallow if you have more than a few wines to taste \u2013 it will cloud your tastebuds \u2013 and your brain. Better to\u2026\u2026.
\nSpit <\/strong>\u2013 this can be optional. Although it may seem undignified, it is perfectly acceptable and eminently sensible if you are halfway serious about tasting wines. However there are some precautions you need to take. Spitting is more of a skill than you might think, as I know from bitter and messy experience. So, beforehand make sure that you are wearing something that you can afford to get splashed \u2013 avoid white shirts and posh frocks! Secondly, before sipping the wine do make sure you know where you are going to aim for with your spitting \u2013 asking with a mouthful of wine can be difficult. Often there will be a spittoon or a sink \u2013 otherwise use a gully or step outside and treat the weeds. Another precaution is to try to ensure that no one is likely to make you laugh \u2013 this can be disastrous \u2013 ending in an unseemly splutter over you, the floor and anyone within range \u2013 and the total loss of any composure or dignity! If in doubt, avoid eye contact!! The key is to project the wine away from yourself without drenching others. Purse your lips, draw in your cheeks and expel the wine in a jet of liquid in the desired direction. Experiment with some water for safety \u2013 then the dreaded dribble will not result in an expensive laundry bill. Effective spitting will impress everyone and improve your ability to appreciate a range of wines.
\nSo <\/strong>\u2013 draw some conclusions from the experience \u2013 did you like it? Was it better\/drier\/fruitier\/more complex than others you\u2019ve tasted. Did it remind you of blackcurrants or rhubarb? Use trigger words that mean something to you \u2013 anything that helps you to identify the styles of wine which you like. Making some short notes will always impress and could prove useful to you when later trying to recall which wine was which.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if your French is no good \u2013 simple gestures for tasting (d\u00e9guster<\/em>), spitting (cracher<\/em>), and great! (bon<\/em>!, formidable<\/em>!) are not difficult to improvise. Slightly more complicated may be finding out the vintage (mill\u00e9sime<\/em>) or grape varieties (c\u00e9pages<\/em>).
\nAnd finally<\/strong>, you don\u2019t have to buy \u2013 although buying the odd bottle is courteous, especially if you have been well-entertained \u2013 and not expensive compared to UK prices and with a generous exchange rate. If you buy 6 or more you will often get a discount too!.
\nAbove all \u2013 enjoy!
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see our Top 30 vineyard B&Bs in France<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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find cheap flights and plane tickets<\/a><\/span> from Booking.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n

somewhere to stay, a ferry, a train or car hire?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Frenchvineyard<\/strong>.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n


stay on a French vineyard<\/mark><\/a><\/strong> – over 250 vineyards featured across France – hotels, B&B, self-catering \"\"<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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