The most inexperienced person in the wine-making craft, when asked in which country the best wines are produced, without hesitation, will answer - in France. French wines gained such fame thanks to their incomparable abundance of flavor notes, exquisite aromas and thorough quality control of the finished product. Vineyards grow in many regions of France, aided by the Mediterranean climate.
The peculiarity of French wines
The history of growing vineyards in France dates back to BC. This time was enough to improve the technology of wine production. Breeders bred elite grape varieties that were valued by the court society, and over time France became the country where the rare and capricious grape variety Keknyelu, as well as Carmenere, began to be grown for the first time.
The French are very proud of their origins and honor their traditions with special reverence, which is reflected in the production of the drink of the gods - wine. Paying tribute to the past, the finest wines are still produced in Alsace, Provence, Burgundy and Bordeaux.
Bordeaux wineries are located in the cellars of ancient castles called "chateau". It is generally accepted that each castle has its own history, and the wine produced on its territory has its own special flavor range, richly decorated with the aroma of flowers and herbs. The uniqueness of these wines is reinforced by the special shape of the bottle with a deep recess for the characteristic wine sediment.
The emphasized veneration of wine in France is reflected in a specially created code of laws regarding this drink. The French were brought to the top of the wine Olympus by their uncompromising requirements for the varietal composition of wines and production technologies.
The main competitors of French wines
It is believed that the palm in the fight for the right to be considered the producer of the best wines in the world after France belongs to Italy and Spain. Nothing could change this until several winemakers proved otherwise. Interestingly, the Spaniards were the first to change this paradigm.
At one time, Spanish winemakers drew attention to the favorable location of Chile, whose lands, located between the mountain range and the ocean winds, were as if created for growing vineyards. Word spread and the French decided to share some of their grape varieties as an experiment. But an unforeseen event happened that fundamentally changed the course of the wine industry in Chile.
The phylloxera epidemic in 17th century France destroyed all local vineyards. The only salvation was to take out the remaining intact grape seedlings in order to resume winemaking later. The enterprising winemaker Sylvester Ochagavia chose Chile as a donor country and brought there many types of seedlings, including the rarest and favorite variety at the royal court - Carmenere.
The epidemic ended, and the French began to re-cultivate the vineyards. But not all varieties took root, and Carmenere was no exception. Breeders pored over this variety, but it never began to grow in its original form. Today, the only country that can boast of growing on its territory the greatest Carmenere grape variety in history - Chile.
The wines of this country are recognized all over the world for their rich and tart taste, which seems to tell in its aftertaste about the temperament of the Chilean nation. The cheap wages of Chilean plowmen and ideal conditions for growing a vineyard have made some of the world's most delicious wines affordable for a wide range of buyers. The most famous type of Chilean wines is Cabernet.
