Wine is a popular and important drink that accompanies and enhances a wide range of cuisines, from the simple and traditional stews to the most sophisticated and complex haute cuisines. Wine is often served with dinner. Sweet dessert wines may be served with the dessert course. In fine restaurants in Western countries, wine typically accompanies dinner. At a restaurant, patrons are helped to make good food-wine pairings by the restaurant's sommelier or wine waiter. Individuals dining at home may use wine guides to help make food–wine pairings. Wine is also drunk without the accompaniment of a meal in wine bars or with a selection of cheeses (at a wine and cheese party).
Culinary uses
Wine
Wine | Culinary uses
Sweet dessert wines, stocks, braising, wine sauce etc It is accompanies and enhances a wide range of cuisines, from the simple and traditional stews to the most sophisticated and complex haute cuisines It is often served with dinner. Wine is a popular and important drink that accompanies and enhances a wide range of cuisines.
how late can i buy beer in oregon
user
2:30 a.m
assistant
how does people consume it?
user
In 2007, Oregon's 2.6 million adults on average drank 32 gallons of beer each, versus 4 gallons of wine and 2 gallons of spirits.
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what are some other drinks that they consume?
user
Beer, wine, liquor, whiskey, vodka, tequila, Jack Daniel etc
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what is the second one mentioned?
user
It  is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grape juice.
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what is the historical account behind it?
user
The earliest known traces of wine are from ancient China ( BC), Georgia ( BC), Iran (Persia) ( BC), and Sicily ( BC).
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what are some different types?
user
Red wine, White wine, Rose wine, Fruit wine, Mead (honey wine) etc
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what is the first one like?
user
Its production process involves extraction of color and flavor components from the grape skin.
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where is it produced?
user
They grow almost exclusively between 30 and 50 degrees latitude north and south of the equator.
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how does europe classify this drink in general?
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France has various appellation systems based on the concept of "terroir", with classifications ranging from "Vin de Table" ("table wine") at the bottom, through "Vin de Pays" and "Appellation d'Origine Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure" (AOVDQS), up to "Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée", Portugal and Germany created a similar system while Spain, Greece and Italy are based on a dual system.
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what are its culinary usage?
user
Wine is a popular and important drink that accompanies and enhances a wide range of cuisines, from the simple and traditional stews to the most sophisticated and complex haute cuisines. Wine is often served with dinner. Sweet dessert wines may be served with the dessert course. In fine restaurants in Western countries, wine typically accompanies dinner. At a restaurant, patrons are helped to make good food-wine pairings by the restaurant's sommelier or wine waiter. Individuals dining at home may use wine guides to help make food–wine pairings. Wine is also drunk without the accompaniment of a meal in wine bars or with a selection of cheeses (at a wine and cheese party).
Wine | Culinary uses
Wines are also used as a theme for organizing various events such as festivals around the world; the city of Kuopio in North Savonia, Finland is known for its annual Kuopio Wine Festivals ("Kuopion viinijuhlat"). Wine is important in cuisine not just for its value as a drink, but as a flavor agent, primarily in stocks and braising, since its acidity lends balance to rich savory or sweet dishes. Wine sauce is an example of a culinary sauce that uses wine as a primary ingredient. Natural wines may exhibit a broad range of alcohol content, from below 9% to above 16% ABV, with most wines being in the 12.5–14.5% range.
Wine | Culinary uses
As an example, France uses four levels of classification. "Vin de table" and "Vin de pays" are both EU Table wines, while "Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure" (VDQS) and "Appellation d'origine contrôlée" (AOC) wines are QWpsr.
European Union wine regulations | Classification and labelling
Fortified wines (usually with brandy) may contain 20% alcohol or more.
Wine | Culinary uses
France has various appellation systems based on the concept of "terroir", with classifications ranging from "Vin de Table" ("table wine") at the bottom, through "Vin de Pays" and "Appellation d'Origine Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure" (AOVDQS), up to "Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée" (AOC) or similar, depending on the region. Portugal has developed a system resembling that of France and, in fact, pioneered this concept in 1756 with a royal charter creating the Demarcated Douro Region and regulating the production and trade of wine. Germany created a similar scheme in 2002, although it has not yet achieved the authority of the other countries' classification systems.
Wine | European classifications
For instance, in France wine professionals acribe to the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system, which guarantees the origin of wine and other food products, such as cheese.
Wine law | European Union
The new appellation Vin de France permits a vintage date.
Table wine | European Union
European Union guidelines stipulate that all wine produced must fall into one of two categories: "table wine" or the superior "Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions" (often referred to as "Quality wine p.s.r."). Within the category of table wines, a difference is made between "plain" table wines, which are only allowed to display the country of origin, and "table wines with geographical indication", which may indicate a region of origin and are a form of Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) applied to wine. For the lowest "vin de table" level in France, the producers must use postal codes to prevent the name of an appellation from appearing even in fine print on the label or its vintage date (though "lot numbers" which can bear a striking resemblance to dates are permitted).
Table wine | European Union
Italy produces the largest amount of wine in the world and is both the largest exporter and consumer of wine. Only about a quarter of this wine is put into bottles for individual sale. Two-thirds is bulk wine used for blending in France and Germany. The wine distilled into spirits in Italy exceeds the production of wine in the entirety of the New World. There are twenty separate wine regions. The Italian government passed the "Denominazione di origine controllata" (DOC) law in 1963 to regulate place of origin, quality, production method, and type of grape. The designation "Indicazione Geografica Tipica" (IGT) is a less restrictive designation to help a wine maker graduate to the DOC level.
Italian cuisine | Wine
Wines which do not meet this requirement may only be marketed as table wine. There has been little harmonisation of national provisions within the European Union. Member States delimit the specified areas of production and determine the rules and appellations which apply: the European Commission restricts itself to publishing the information provided by the Member States. Appellations are usually the geographical name of the area in which the wine is produced, although there are some historical exceptions: muscadet and blanquette in France, cava and manzanilla in Spain and vinho verde in Portugal. The appellations are not necessarily unique: "Cava" may refer either to a quality sparkling wine psr produced in Spain or to a Greek table wine which has been aged (as a transliteration of "Κάβα").
Geographical indications and traditional specialities in the European Union | Wines
Table wines are inexpensive wines that often do not specify the grape variety used or the region of origin. They are alternatively called "vins de table" (in French), "vino da tavola" (in Italian), "Tafelwein" (in German) or "vino de mesa" (in Spanish), which translate to "table wine" in English. Cooking wine or cooking sherry usually refers to inexpensive grape wine (or rice wine in Chinese and other East Asian cuisine) which is intended for use as an ingredient in food rather than as a beverage. Cooking wine typically available in North America is treated with salt to allow its sale in non-licensed grocery stores.
Classification of wine | Other styles
French law divides wine into four categories, two falling under the European Union Table Wine category and two the "Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions" (QWPSR) designation. The categories and their shares of the total French production for the 2005 vintage, excluding wine destined for Cognac, Armagnac and other brandies, were Table wine:
French wine | Quality levels and appellation system
The denominación de origen (; 'designation of origin') is part of a regulatory classification system used primarily for Spanish wines (similar to the French appellations) but also for other foodstuffs such as cheeses, condiments, honey, and meats, among others. In wines, it parallels the hierarchical systems of France (1935) and Italy (1963), although Rioja (1925) and Jerez (1933) preceded the full system. In foods, it performs a similar role, namely regulation of quality and geographical origin among Spain's finest producers. There are five other designated categories solely for wine and a further three specifically covering food and condiments, all recognised by the European Union (EU).
Denominación de origen | Introduction
The names of wine-producing regions have been used for thousands of years to identify and qualify specific wines, including the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. In those days, the wines from Cyprus, Falerno and Bética were renowned. Homer's Iliad and Odyssey mentions the wines from Lemnos, Samos, Pédalos and Itaca. However, it was only towards the end of the 19th century that the use of geographic names was first regulated by law to prevent fraud. In 1883 the Convenio de la Unión de Paris on intellectual property was signed. In 1947 the "Oficina Internacional de la Viña y el Vino" stated that a wine could not have a DO unless it had a long tradition and an acknowledged reputation.
Montilla-Moriles | History
Spain, Greece and Italy have classifications based on a dual system of region of origin and product quality.
Wine | European classifications
In 1980, the government created the "Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita" (DOCG), reserved for only the best wines. In Italy wine is commonly consumed (alongside water) in meals, which are rarely served without it, though it is extremely uncommon for meals to be served with any other drink, alcoholic, or otherwise.
Italian cuisine | Wine
Early attempts to protect the name of a wine region led to government declaration on the boundaries and wine permitted to carry the names of Chianti, Oporto and Tokaji. Today most major European wine producing countries have some appellation system of protected origins. The most well known systems include the "Appellation d'origine contrôlée" (AOC) used in France, the "Denominazione di origine controllata" (DOC) used in Italy, the "Denominação de Origem Controlada" (DOC) used in Portugal, and the "Denominación de Origen" (DO) system used in Spain. Producers who are registered in each appellation must abide by the appellation's rules, including exact percentage of grapes (often 100%) that must come from that region.
Wine fraud | Label fraud
Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete wines are commonly seen as less prestigious than Qualitätswein mit Prädikat, making it more similar to the Vin de Pays or Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure systems. Portugal's Denominação de Origem Controlada, Austria's Districtus Austria Controllatus, South Africa's Wine of Origin, and Switzerland's AOC-IGP are all similar to the French AOC system as well.
Appellation d'origine contrôlée | Europe
Alban wine—Ancient Greece and wine—Ancient Rome and wine—Ancient Rome and wine—Caecuban wine—Chian wine—Coan wine—Conditum Paradoxum—Cretan wine—Falernian wine—Great French Wine Blight Fumarium—History of wine—History of American wine—History of Bordeaux wine—History of California wine—History of French wine—History of Oregon wine production—History of Rioja wine Hypocras—Lesbian wine—Marriage at Cana—Passum—Persian wine—Police des Vins—Retsina—Shedeh—Shirazi wine—Vino Greco
Index of sociology of food articles | Wine History
Historically, wines have been known by names reflecting their origin, and sometimes style: Bordeaux, Port, Rioja, Mosel and Chianti are all legally defined names reflecting the traditional wines produced in the named region. These naming conventions or "appellations" (as they are known in France) dictate not only where the grapes in a wine were grown but also which grapes went into the wine and how they were vinified. The appellation system is strongest in the European Union, but a related system, the American Viticultural Area, restricts the use of certain regional labels in America, such as Napa Valley, Santa Barbara and Willamette Valley.
Classification of wine | By appellation
Major wine growing countries such as France, Italy, and Spain have their own designations of viticultural areas and appellations. France has a system to identify the geographic origin of wines called the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée/Protégée (AOC/AOP) that began in 1937. Italy uses the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) and Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) system, which was first established in 1963. Today there are 329 different DOCs and 73 DOCGs in Italy. In Spain, the denominación de origen (DO) or denominación de origen protegida (DOP) system is used. Spain currently has 79 DOP’s, 2 DOC’s, 17 Vino de Pagos (VT), and 46 Vino de la Tierra (VdlT/IGP).
American Viticultural Area | Viticultural areas and appellations in other countries
In 1935, laws were passed to control the quality of French wine. The "Appellation d'origine contrôlée" system was established, which is governed by a powerful oversight board ("Institut national des appellations d'origine", INAO). France has one of the oldest systems for protected designation of origin for wine in the world and strict laws concerning winemaking and production and many European systems are modelled after it. The word "appellation" has been put to use by other countries, sometimes in a much looser meaning. As European Union wine laws have been modelled after those of the French, this trend is likely to continue with further EU expansion.
French wine | Quality levels and appellation system
The remaining 41% were produced as "quality wine"-wine that produced under one of the quality wine designation in a country's appellation systems such as Germany's QmP & QbA classifications, France's "Appellation d'origine contrôlée" (AOC), Spain's "Denominación de Origen" (DO) and Italy's "Denominazione di origine controllata" (DOC) systems. In 1997, the European Union had over 3.4 million hectare (8.4 million acres) planted under vine which accounted for nearly 44% of the world's wine, table and raisin grape production.
European Union wine growing zones | Introduction
The fraction of national production classified as table wine varies dramatically from country to country. As of 2000, in France, a majority (by volume) of wine is "vin de table", while in Germany only 5% is "deutscher Tafelwein". Table wine from anywhere in the EU can be blended together to produce European Table Wine. European table wines are generally made from the highest-yielding sites and vinified in an industrial manner. In the 1950s, when per capita consumption of wine was much higher, there was a need for vast quantities of cheap wine, but now much of it goes into the European Union's troublesome "wine lake." Even today it is possible in France or Spain to purchase a litre of thin, pale wine, packaged in a box rather than a bottle, for the equivalent of a couple of U.S.
Table wine | Distribution
In recent years there has been movement towards the use of new French oak barrels for aging the wine instead of large chestnut casks. The "Superiore" wine must have 13.5% minimum alcohol level and have been aged for at least three years, with wines labeled "riserva" being aged for at least five years, two of which must be in wood.
Aglianico del Vulture | Winemaking
This also acts as a preservative, as the salt in cooking wine inhibits the growth of the microorganisms that produce acetic acid. This will preserve a bottle of cooking wine, which may be opened and used occasionally over a long period of time. In other countries sherry wine is used for cooking. Fortified wines resist spoilage, as their alcohol content is too high to permit bacterial growth.
Classification of wine | Other styles
American wine or United States is a rarely used appellation that classifies a wine made from anywhere in the United States, including Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.. Wines with this designation are similar to the French wine "vin de table", and can not include a vintage year. By law, this is the only appellation allowed for bulk wines exported to other counties.
Wine of the United States | Appellation labeling laws
The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine: The system was introduced in 1963 shortly after the Treaty of Rome established Italy as a founding member of the European Economic Community, and was modelled on the extant French "Appellation d'origine contrôlée" (AOC) laws. It was overhauled in 1992 to match new European Union law on Protected Designation of Origin, introducing the more general "Denominazione di Origine Protetta" (DOP) designation for foods and agricultural products, including wines. Further EU reforms to harmonise agricultural policy in 2008 meant that designations used in member states, and thus Italian designations, were registered with the EU by the end of 2011, with subsequent new denominations or elevations approved by the EU.
Denominazione di origine controllata | Introduction
Within the European Union, the term "wine" in English and in translation is reserved exclusively for the fermented juice of grapes. Within the United States, wine may include the fermented juice of any fruit or agricultural product, provided that it is between 7% and 24% alcohol by volume and intended for non-industrial use. With the exceptions of cider, perry, and sake, such non-grape wines are to label themselves by the word "wine" qualified by a truthful description of the originating product: "honey wine", "dandelion wine", (blended) "fruit wine", etc. Other jurisdictions have similar rules dictating the range of products qualifying as "wine".
Classification of wine | "Wine"
One specific recipe, Conditum Paradoxum, is for a mixture of wine, honey, pepper, laurel, dates, mastic, and saffron, cooked and stored for later use. Another recipe called for the addition of seawater, pitch and rosin to the wine. A Greek traveler reported that the beverage was apparently an acquired taste. Sour wine mixed with water and herbs ("posca") was a popular drink for the lower classes and a staple part of the Roman soldier's ration. Beer ("cerevisia") was known but considered vulgar, and was associated with barbarians.
Ancient Roman cuisine | Alcoholic drinks
Many other countries have based their controlled place name systems on the French AOC classification. Italy's Denominazione di Origine Controllata and Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita followed the model set by the French AOC, and the EU standard for Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions (QWpsr) also corresponds closely. While Spain's denominación de origen is very similar, the classification of Rioja in 1925 and Sherry in 1933 preceded the French AOC system by a few years and show that Spain's DdO system developed parallel to France's AOC system to some extent. Similarly, Germany's Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete is a wine classification system based on geographic region, but it differs from the AOC in important ways.
Appellation d'origine contrôlée | Europe
Glossary of wine terms—List of alcoholic beverages—List of liqueurs—List of non-alcoholic cocktails—List of soft drinks by country List of Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée liqueurs and spirits—List of Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée wines List of Italian DOC wines—List of Italian DOCG wines—List of Italian IGT wines
Index of sociology of food articles | Beverages
European Union rules governing the production of wine ("the product obtained exclusively from the total or partial alcoholic fermentation of fresh grapes, whether or not crushed, or of grape must") are considerably longer than Community trade mark law: the main text, the Regulation on the common organisation of the market in wine (No 1493/1999), runs to over 46,000 words. To be considered as a "quality wine", the wine must come from a specified region and be associated with a "geographical indication" or "appellation": indeed, the technical term used in the Regulation is quality wine psr, with the "psr" standing for ""produced in a specified region"".
Geographical indications and traditional specialities in the European Union | Wines
If a winery gets grapes from a neighboring state (for example, a California vintner getting Pinot noir from Oregon), it may label the wine "Oregon", but if the state is not a neighboring one (for example, a California vintner getting Cabernet from Washington state), the only permitted appellation is "American."
Appellation d'origine contrôlée | United States
The red wines of regions such as Bordeaux, Greece, Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Rhone and Provence are considered classic pairings with the lamb dishes found in the local cuisines of those regions. In Italy, the intimate connection between food and wine is deeply embedded in the culture and is exemplified by the country's wine. Historically, Italians rarely dined without wine and a region's wine was crafted to be "food friendly", often with bright acidity. While some Italian wines may seem tannic, lean or tart by themselves they often will show a very different profile when paired with boldly flavored Italian foods.
Wine and food pairing | History
Vin de France is a designation for table wine from France that has been in use since 2010, when it started to replace the former "vin de table" category. "Vin de France" wines may indicate grape variety (for example Chardonnay or Merlot) and vintage on the label, but are not labelled by region or appellation; they are labelled only as coming from France. This means that the wines are typically sold under brand names or as branded varietal wines.
Vin de France | Introduction
In the south, wine was the common drink for both rich and poor alike (though the commoner usually had to settle for cheap second-pressing wine) while beer was the commoner's drink in the north and wine an expensive import. Citrus fruits (though not the kinds most common today) and pomegranates were common around the Mediterranean. Dried figs and dates were available in the north, but were used rather sparingly in cooking. Olive oil was a ubiquitous ingredient in Mediterranean cultures, but remained an expensive import in the north where oils of poppy, walnut, hazel and filbert were the most affordable alternatives.
Medieval cuisine | Regional variation
If there is one thing that most French wines have in common, it is that most styles have developed as wines meant to accompany food, be it a quick baguette, a simple bistro meal, or a full-fledged multi-course menu. Since the French tradition is to serve wine with food, wines have seldom been developed or styled as "bar wines" for drinking on their own, or to impress in tastings when young.
French wine | Wine styles, grape varieties and "terroir"
A housewife of the merchant class or a servant in a noble household would have served wine at every meal, and had a selection of reds and whites alike. Home recipes for meads from this period are still in existence, along with recipes for spicing and masking flavors in wines, including the simple act of adding a small amount of honey. As wines were kept in barrels, they were not extensively aged, and thus drunk quite young. To offset the effects of heavy alcohol consumption, wine was frequently watered down at a ratio of four or five parts water to one of wine.
History of wine | Medieval Europe
Shifting trade patterns and political events resulted in the growth of new regional wine industries and winemaking traditions. It saw the rise of sparkling Champagne, Madeira wine, Sack, and fortified Port wine. In England, repeated wars with France resulted in regular disruptions of trade and thus difficulties importing French wines. Following the Methuen Treaty of 1703 between England and Portugal, which favorably taxed Portuguese wines, England became increasingly reliant instead on Portuguese imports.
Early modern European cuisine | Wine
Modern-day wines from the Rhone are often characterized by using the aroma descriptors of lavender and thyme, presumably as a reflection of the grape varieties used and the "terroir". Another widespread practice was the storage of amphoras in a smoke chamber called a fumarium to add smokiness to a wine's flavor. "Passum", or wine made from dried grapes or raisins, was also particularly popular and was produced in the eastern Mediterranean. It was widely used in ritual contexts and also found popularity in the kitchen and medicinal spheres.
Ancient Rome and wine | Wine styles
Wine was commonly drunk and was also regarded as the most prestigious and healthy choice. According to Galen's dietetics it was considered hot and dry but these qualities were moderated when wine was watered down. Unlike water or beer, which were considered cold and moist, consumption of wine in moderation (especially red wine) was, among other things, believed to aid digestion, generate good blood and brighten the mood. The quality of wine differed considerably according to vintage, the type of grape and more importantly, the number of grape pressings. The first pressing was made into the finest and most expensive wines which were reserved for the upper classes.
Medieval cuisine | Wine
The recognized wine producing areas in France are regulated by the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine – INAO in acronym. Every appellation in France is defined by INAO, in regards to the individual regions particular wine "character". If a wine fails to meet the INAO's strict criteria it is declassified into a lower appellation or even into Vin de Pays or Vin de Table. With the number of appellations in France too numerous to mention here, they are easily defined into one of the main wine producing regions listed below:
French wine | Wine regions of France
The tradition of wine appellation is very old. The oldest references are to be found in the Bible, where "wine of Samaria", "wine of Carmel", "wine of Jezreel", or "wine of Helbon" are mentioned. This tradition of appellation continued throughout the Antiquity and the Middle Ages, though without any officially sanctioned rules. Historically, the world's first exclusive (protected) vineyard zone was introduced in Chianti, Italy in 1716 and the first wine classification system in Tokaj-Hegyalja, Hungary, in 1730.
Appellation | History
Wine has had a long history of being served as an accompaniment to food. The early history of wine has it origins as another dietary staple and a beverage that was often more sanitary than the local water supply. There is little evidence that much serious thought was given to pairing particular dishes to particular wines with most likely whatever wine was available being used. However, as culinary traditions in a region developed, so too did local winemaking tradition. Many pairings that are considered "classics" today emerged from the centuries-old relationship between a region's cuisine and their wines. In Europe, lamb was a staple meat of the diet for many areas that today are leading wine regions.
Wine and food pairing | History
In contradiction to the presumed order, exceptional table wines are uncommon in Europe, but do exist. Ambitious wine-making outcomes may be classified as mere "table wine" if they are made from non-traditional grapes or with unconventional wine making processes. Even wines made with every measure of care (such as low vine yields and hand harvesting) and grown on sites otherwise entitled to a prestigious appellation may be denied status. The best-known examples are the wines called Super Tuscans, which are made either with more than allowed quantities of international varieties (grapes not indigenous to Italy such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon) or without the once mandated inclusion of small proportions of Canaiolo, Malvasia and Trebbiano per the relevant Tuscan appellation (i.e.
Table wine | Naming contradictions
According to EU regulation 753/2002, the following terms may be used on the labels of table wines and quality wines (the following list also includes translations to non-EU languages not mentioned in the EU directive):
Sweetness of wine | European Union terms for wine
Even if vinegar was a common ingredient, there was only so much of it that could be used. The 14th century cookbook "Le Viandier", describes several methods for salvaging spoiling wine; making sure that the wine barrels are always topped up or adding a mixture of dried and boiled white grape seeds with the ash of dried and burnt lees of white wine were both effective bactericides, even if the chemical processes were not understood at the time. Spiced or mulled wine was not only popular among the affluent, but was also considered especially healthy by physicians. Wine was believed to act as a kind of vaporizer and conduit of other foodstuffs to every part of the body, and the addition of fragrant and exotic spices would make it even more wholesome.
Medieval cuisine | Wine
The intoxicating effect of beer was believed to last longer than that of wine, but it was also admitted that it did not create the "false thirst" associated with wine. Though less prominent than in the north, beer was consumed in northern France and the Italian mainland. Perhaps as a consequence of the Norman conquest and the travelling of nobles between France and England, one French variant described in the 14th century cookbook "Le Menagier de Paris" was called "godale" (most likely a direct borrowing from the English 'good ale') and was made from barley and spelt, but without hops.
Medieval cuisine | Beer
Italian legislation additionally regulates the use of qualifying terms for wines. "Classico" (“classic”) is reserved for wines produced in the region where a particular type of wine has been produced "traditionally". For Chianti Classico, this traditional region is defined by a 1932 decree. "Riserva" (“reserve”) may be used only for wines that have been aged at least two years longer than normal for a particular type of wine.
Denominazione di origine controllata | Other label rules
The following is a list of French wines that were entitled to use the designation Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (VDQS) on their label, which was the second highest category out of four. The VDQS category was abolished by December 31, 2011, when the number of categories for French wine were reduced four to three as part of a general overhaul of the European Union-wide classification of wine. Then-existing VDQS wines were either promoted to AOC/AOP status or demoted to Vin de pays/IGP status.
List of VDQS wines | Introduction
Traditionally New World wine used names of well-known European regions, such as Burgundy, Champagne, Sherry, Port, and Hock. This gave consumers a general idea of how the wine might taste. This changed as winemakers developed the confidence to develop their own styles of wine such as Grange. Europeans producers objected to the use of their regional names, and writers such as Frank Schoonmaker in the US encouraged the use of varietal names as used on Alsace wine. One reason was that unlike Europe, there was no history of particular localities being associated with particular styles of wine, and winemakers might buy in grapes from many sources.
New World wine | Varietal labelling
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown; other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical boundaries, such as what grapes may be grown, maximum grape yields, alcohol level, and other quality factors, may also apply before an appellation name may legally appear on a wine bottle label. The rules that govern appellations are dependent on the country in which the wine was produced.
Appellation | Introduction
Wines from all three zones can use the Béarn appellation; Jurançon for its red wines, Madiran for its rosés, and Bellocq for any wine (though wines of the latter are only entitled to use it under the Béarn-Bellocq appellation). Reds and rosés account for the majority of Béarn's production. They are clean and light in taste, and should ideally be drunk within a year of their production. Dry whites are known under the name "Rousselet de Béarn".
Béarn AOC | Terroir and Wines
In Beerse, Belgium, a variety of jenever called "beers vlierke" is made from the berries.
Sambucus nigra | Culinary uses
While in modern times, water is often drunk with a meal, in the Middle Ages, however, concerns over purity, medical recommendations and its low prestige value made it less favored, and alcoholic beverages were preferred. They were seen as more nutritious and beneficial to digestion than water, with the invaluable bonus of being less prone to putrefaction due to the alcohol content. Wine was consumed on a daily basis in most of France and all over the Western Mediterranean wherever grapes were cultivated. Further north it remained the preferred drink of the bourgeoisie and the nobility who could afford it, and far less common among peasants and workers.
Medieval cuisine | Drink
South West France includes the following Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) and Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (VDQS) designations.
South West France (wine region) | Appellations in South West France
European Union wine growing zones are used in the common European Union wine regulations to regulate certain aspects of winemaking. The zones differ in terms of climate and examples of what is regulated by wine growing zone are required grape maturity at harvest and allowed levels of chaptalisation. There are 21 wine producing countries in the European Union, with 14 of them having significant levels of production. In the 2004-2005 vintage, total European Union wine production was around 184 million hectoliters (4.8 billion gallons) which accounted for nearly 70% of total worldwide production. Of that total, nearly 55% was classified as table wine with 4% used in the production of grape-based distilled spirits such as Armagnac and Cognac.
European Union wine growing zones | Introduction
The influence of terroir means that wines from a particular region are unique, incapable of being reproduced outside that area, even if the grape variety and winemaking techniques are painstakingly duplicated. Winemakers in Burgundy do not believe that they are producing Pinot noir that happens to be grown in Burgundy, but that they are producing unique Burgundian wines that happen to be made from Pinot noir. Appellation systems, such as the French AOC systems, have developed around the concepts of "unique wines from a unique area". These systems have also developed into protected designation of origin across the European Union so that, for example, winemakers from outside a region like Tuscany can not produce a Sangiovese wine and call it a Chianti.
Terroir | Appellation systems
Across the Alps, the French make 'straw wine' ("vin de paille") in the Jura, Rhone and Alsace; the Spanish start off making a raisin wine with Pedro Ximénez before fortifying it; the Cypriots have their ancient Commandaria; and there have been recent experiments with the style in South Africa and the US.
Dessert wine | Raisin wine
Vin de France is the lowest level of three in the overhauled wine classification system of France, ranked below the intermediate category "indication géographique protégée" (IGP) and the highest category "Appellation d'origine protégée" (AOP). Unlike Vin de France, IGP and AOP wines indicate the wine's geographical origin within France. This system of three levels replaces the former system of four levels - "vin de table", "vin de pays", "vin délimité de qualité supérieure" (VDQS), and "appellation d'origine contrôlée" (AOC) - and was fully introduced by 2012.
Vin de France | Position in the wine classification of France
However, there is some overlap, particularly with American products adopting a European way of viewing the matter. The most notable of these are crops: Vidalia onions, Florida oranges, and Idaho potatoes. In each of these cases, the state governments of Georgia, Florida, and Idaho registered trademarks, and then allowed their growers—or in the case of the Vidalia onion, only those in a certain, well-defined geographical area within the state—to use the term, while denying its use to others. The European conception is increasingly gaining acceptance in American viticulture; also, vintners in the various American Viticultural Areas are attempting to form well-developed and unique identities as New World wine gains acceptance in the wine community.
Geographical indication | Differences in philosophy
The United States' American Viticultural Areas also follows the model set by the French AOC. The United States Department of the Treasury's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau even uses the legal terminology "Appellation of Wine Origin" to describe a vintage wine's location of origin. The AVA indication on a label indicates that 85% of the grapes for wine are grown in the designated AVA. Overall, the appellation of a wine simply says where the grapes are from, although there are some particularities. If the appellation is a state, 100% of the grapes which go into the wine must come from the specific state.
Appellation d'origine contrôlée | United States
The second and third pressings were subsequently of lower quality and alcohol content. Common folk usually had to settle for a cheap white or rosé from a second or even third pressing, meaning that it could be consumed in quite generous amounts without leading to heavy intoxication. For the poorest (or the most pious), watered-down vinegar (similar to Ancient Roman "posca") would often be the only available choice. The aging of high quality red wine required specialized knowledge as well as expensive storage and equipment, and resulted in an even more expensive end product. Judging from the advice given in many medieval documents on how to salvage wine that bore signs of going bad, preservation must have been a widespread problem.
Medieval cuisine | Wine
The authors of "The Medieval Kitchen: Recipes from France and Italy" write that the grape seeds preserved in salts were also called "verjus" during the Middle Ages. In the French region of Ardèche, a cider fermented from crab apple juice is called "verjus". In medieval and early modern English cookery texts "verjuice" sometimes means apple juice or crab-apple juice.
Verjuice | Other uses of the word "verjus"
With the exception of wines from the Alsace region, France had no tradition of labelling wines with details of the grape varieties used. Since New World wines made the names of individual grape varieties familiar to international consumers in the late 20th century, more French wineries started to use varietal labelling. In general, varietal labelling is most common for the Vin de Pays category, although some AOC wines now also display varietal names. For most AOC wines, if grape varieties are mentioned, they will be in small print on a back label. Labels will also indicate where the wine was bottled, which can be an indication as to the quality level of the wine, and whether it was bottled by a single producer, or more anonymously and in larger quantities: If varietal names are displayed, common EU rules apply:
French wine | Labelling practices
The appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC; ; "controlled designation of origin") is French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau "Institut national des appellations d'origine", now called Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO). It is based on the concept of "terroir" and a form of geographic protectionism.
Appellation d'origine contrôlée | Introduction
The mainstream quality wine regions in Spain are referred to as "denominaciones de origen protegidas (DOP)" (similar to the French Appellations) and the wine they produce is regulated for quality according to specific laws, and in compliance with European Commission Regulation (CE) 753/2002. In 2016, the use of the term "Denominación de Origen" (DO) was updated to "Denominación de Origen Protegida" (DOP) by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA – "Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación"); the traditional term of DO can still be used legally on labels, but it will eventually be replaced by DOP. The wine region classification in Spain takes a quite complex hierarchical form in which the "denominación de origen protegida" is a mainstream grading, equivalent to the French AOC and the Italian DOC.
Spanish wine regions | Introduction
Although it is recognized as a traditional Italian food product ("PAT") by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, it cannot be sold as ‘wine’ and very little is produced commercially. EU rules prohibit the use of the description “wine" for drinks produced by heating the wort unless they are Marsala, a more recent innovation than vino cotto.
Vino cotto | Legal status
In 2014, Italy produced 6.9 million tonnes (mt) of grapes, Spain 6.2 mt, France 6.2 mt, Turkey 4.2 mt, and Germany 1.2 mt. Wine production for Southern Europe was 37% of the world total in 2014, with Italy producing 4.8 mt, Spain 4.6 mt, France 4.3 mt, and Germany 0.9 mt.
Mediterranean cuisine | Grape
Additionally, plain wine itself without any further preparation may be used as a sauce on foods, such as on pears or on desserts such as ice cream.
Wine sauce | Use in dishes
In Switzerland, the appellation d'origine protégée (AOP, protected designation of origin) is a geographical indication protecting the origin and the quality of traditional food products other than wines (wines have another label called "appellation d'origine contrôlée", AOC). In the past, the "appellation d'origine contrôlée" certification was used for both wines and other food products. In 2013, to match the system of the European Union, the "appellation d'origine contrôlée" was replaced by the "appellation d'origine protégée" for agricultural products other than wine.
Appellation d'origine protégée (Switzerland) | Introduction
Other dishes include pork casserole, Sage Derby cheese and Lincolnshire sausages. Despite the common use of traditional and available herbs in French cuisine, sage never found favor there. In the Levant and Egypt it is commonly used as a flavor for hot black tea, or boiled and served as an herbal drink in its own right.
Salvia officinalis | Culinary use
Some of this area was used for red wines in 2007. The amount produced corresponds to almost 2.5 million bottles, of which slightly less than 50,000 bottles were red wine. For white wines, the AOC regulations allow both Chardonnay and Pinot blanc to be used, but most wines are 100% Chardonnay. The AOC regulations also allow up to 15 per cent total of Chardonnay, Pinot blanc and Pinot gris as accessory grapes in the red wines, but this is not very often practiced. The allowed base yield is 40 hectoliters per hectare of red wine and 45 hectoliters per hectare for white wine.
Meursault wine | Introduction
The "Denominazione di origine controllata" classification was created to be roughly equivalent to the French "Appellation d'origine contrôlée" (AOC). It requires that a wine satisfy a defined quality standard, and be produced within the specified region. Unlike IGT, the DOC definitions will usually specify additional more stringent rules regarding permitted grape varieties, harvest yields, minimum ageing including use of barrels, minimum alcohol content, and other factors. Wines labelled DOC or DOCG must be sold in bottles holding no more than . Historically the DOC status has been used to classify other food products such as cheeses, olive oil and vinegar, but the "Denominazione di origine protetta" (DOP) is now used instead.
Denominazione di origine controllata | Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC)
Various wine laws, however, may include appellation-based regulations that cover boundaries as well as permitted grape varieties and winemaking practice-such as the French "Appellation d'origine contrôlée" (AOC), Italian "Denominazione di origine controllata" (DOC), Spanish "Denominación de Origen" (DO) and Portuguese "Denominação de Origem Controlada" (DOC). In some New World wine regions, such as the United States and Australia, the wine laws of the appellation systems (American Viticultural Area (AVA) and Australian Geographical Indication (GIs)) only pertain to boundary specifics and guaranteeing that a certain percentage of grapes come from the area listed on the wine label. Some wine laws are established by local governments and are specific to that wine region, such as the 1954 municipal decree in the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape that banned the overhead flying, landing or taking off of flying saucers in the commune which could negatively affect the region's vineyards and wine production.
Wine law | Introduction
A common harvest technique used in the Condrieu is known as "à l'assiette" where a plate is held underneath a Viognier vine that is then shaken to allow the overripe grapes to drop onto the plate. Fermentation is then stopped early through the use of sulphur dioxide to allow the wine to retain a high level of residual sugar. The wine is then chilled and put through sterile filtration to ensure that the wine is stable and will not start fermenting again in the bottle.
Viognier | Wine
A system of appellations was implemented to assure consumers the origins of their wine purchases. The appellation system categorizes wines as: The main wine growing regions – so called appellations of Greece – are:
Greek wine | Wine regions
Montevertine's Pergole Torte). In 1992, Italy created the Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) specifically to permit Super Tuscans to leave the table wine classification and become quality wine. Still, wherever legitimacy in a given appellation is stipulated by something more than a geographic boundary, one may find producers willing to ignore limitations in pursuit of extreme quality.
Table wine | Naming contradictions
Cheese and wine are a major part of the cuisine. They play different roles regionally and nationally, with many variations and "appellation d'origine contrôlée" (AOC) (regulated appellation) laws. French cuisine was made important in the 20th century by Auguste Escoffier to become the modern "haute cuisine"; Escoffier, however, left out much of the local culinary character to be found in the regions of France and was considered difficult to execute by home cooks. Culinary tourism and the "Guide Michelin" helped to acquaint people with the "cuisine bourgeoise" of the urban elites and the peasant cuisine of the French countryside starting in the 20th century.
French cuisine | Introduction
Under this system, many areas of France were enthusiastically and efficiently planted with little cost to the land owner; such as the Poitou region near La Rochelle. The modern day Loire Valley wine of Quarts de Chaume derives its name from the use of this practice back in the 15th century when the Abbey of Ronceray d'Angers owned a large portion of uncultivated land (chaume) which it contracted out to growers in exchange for a fourth (quart) of the wine produced on the land. In the Middle Ages, transportation of heavy wooden barrels of wine over land was a costly and risky proposition.
History of French wine | Middle Ages through the Age of Enlightenment
In the Middle Ages, wine was the common drink of all social classes in the south, where grapes were cultivated. In the north and east, where few if any grapes were grown, beer and ale were the usual beverages of both commoners and nobility. Wine was exported to the northern regions, but because of its relatively high expense was seldom consumed by the lower classes. Since wine was necessary, however, for the celebration of the Catholic Mass, assuring a supply was crucial. The Benedictine monks became one of the largest producers of wine in France and Germany, followed closely by the Cistercians.
History of wine | Medieval Europe
As an example of the rules, although climatic conditions would appear to be favorable, no Cabernet Sauvignon wines are produced in Rhône, Riesling wines in Loire, or Chardonnay wines in Bordeaux. (If such wines were produced, they would have to be declassified to Vin de Pays or French table wine. They would not be allowed to display any appellation name or even region of origin.) Traditionally, many French wines have been blended from several grape varieties. Varietal white wines have been, and are still, more common than varietal red wines.
French wine | Grape varieties
The amount of information included on French wine labels varies depending on which region the wine was made in, and what level of classification the wine carries. As a minimum, labels will usually state that classification, as well as the name of the producer, and, for wines above the Vin De Table level, will also include the geographical area where the wine was made. Sometimes that will simply be the wider region where the wine was made, but some labels, especially for higher quality wines, will also include details of the individual village or commune, and even the specific vineyard where the wine was sourced.
French wine | Labelling practices
The grape was domesticated between 7,000 and 4,000 BC between the Black Sea and Persia; archaeological evidence shows that wine was being made there by 6,000 BC, reaching Greece and Crete in the fifth millennium BC and Spain by the last millennium BC. Winemaking started in Italy in the ninth century BC, and in France around 600 BC. Grapes are mostly grown for making wine and vinegar as basic components of the Mediterranean diet, as well for drying as raisins or for eating as table grapes. Raisins and table grape varieties are chosen for their flavour. Grape production remains important in the Mediterranean area, with Southern Europe accounting for 21% of the world's harvest.
Mediterranean cuisine | Grape
Table wine is a wine term with two different meanings: a style of wine and a quality level within wine classification. In the United States, "table wine" primarily designates a wine style: ordinary wine which is neither fortified nor sparkling nor expensive. In the European Union wine regulations, "table wine" (TW) is the lower of two overall quality categories, the higher of which is "Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions" (QWPSR). All levels of national wine classification systems within the EU correspond to either TW or the QWPSR, although the terms that actually appear on wine labels are defined by national wine laws with the EU regulations as a framework.
Table wine | Introduction
France has traditionally been the largest consumer of its own wines. However, wine consumption has been dropping in France for 40 years. During the decade of the 1990s, per capita consumption dropped by nearly 20 percent. Therefore, French wine producers must rely increasingly on foreign markets. However, consumption has also been dropping in other potential markets such as Italy, Spain and Portugal. The result has been a continuing wine glut, often called the wine lake. This has led to the distillation of wine into industrial alcohol as well as a government program to pay farmers to pull up their grape vines through vine pull schemes.
French wine | Trends
Germany is unusual among wine-producing countries in that its most prestigious classifications, the various grades of Prädikatswein, are based on the ripeness of the grapes, though their geographical origins are also legally defined. Thus Germany's geographical classification, Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (QbA), is akin to France's defunct Vin Délimité de Qualité Superieure, which has been subsumed into the current Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée system.
Appellation | Germany
Some artisanal crops for which terroir is studied include wine, coffee, tobacco, chocolate, chili peppers, hops, agave (for making tequila and mezcal), tomatoes, heritage wheat, maple syrup, tea, and cannabis. Terroir is the basis of the French wine "appellation d'origine contrôlée" (AOC) system, which is a model for wine appellation and regulation in France and around the world. The AOC system presumes that the land from which the grapes are grown imparts a unique quality that is specific to that growing site (the plants' habitat). The extent of terroir's significance is debated in the wine industry.
Terroir | Introduction
Appellation rules closely define which grape varieties and winemaking practices are approved for classification in each of France's several hundred geographically defined appellations, which can cover regions, villages or vineyards. France is the source of many grape varieties (such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Sauvignon blanc, Syrah) that are now planted throughout the world, as well as wine-making practices and styles of wine that have been adopted in other producing countries. Although some producers have benefited in recent years from rising prices and increased demand for some of the prestige wines from Burgundy and Bordeaux, the French wine industry has seen a decline in domestic consumption and internationally, it has had to compete with many new world wines.
French wine | Introduction
In French cuisine, beverages that precede a meal are called apéritifs (literally: "that opens the appetite"), and can be served with amuse-bouches (literally: "mouth amuser"). Those that end it are called digestifs. The apéritif varies from region to region: Pastis is popular in the south of France, Crémant d'Alsace in the eastern region. Champagne can also be served. Kir, also called "Blanc-cassis", is a common and popular apéritif-cocktail made with a measure of crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) topped up with white wine. The phrase "Kir Royal" is used when white wine is replaced with a "Champagne" wine. A simple glass of red wine, such as Beaujolais nouveau, can also be presented as an apéritif, accompanied by amuse-bouches.
French cuisine | Beverages and drinks
Vin jaune is often served at cellar temperature 13–15 °C (55–60 °F) and the wine is sometimes decanted, exposing it to more oxygen prior to serving in order to stimulate the wine's unique aromas. The wine can be paired with savory food dishes with local Jura cuisine often including chicken recipes where the wine is cooked with the chicken itself and as a sauce component. Another common pairing is the local Comté cheese that is produced in the Franche-Comté region.
Vin jaune | Wine style and serving
The Central European vineyards reached 100,000 hectares which was three and a half times the area in the 1990s. From the 13th century traders distinguished "vinum hunicum" (wine of the Huns), which was drunk by the people, from "vinum francium" (Wine of the Franks) which was the wine for the wealthy aristocracy. There was recognition of varieties of Riesling and Sylvaner from the late Middle Ages.
White wine | Middle Ages
One medieval application of wine was the use of snake-stones (banded agate resembling the figural rings on a snake) dissolved in wine as a remedy for snake bites, which shows an early understanding of the effects of alcohol on the central nervous system in such situations.
History of wine | Medieval Europe
Perhaps most importantly, the regulations define wine as "the product obtained exclusively from the total or partial alcoholic fermentation of fresh grapes, whether or not crushed, or of grape must". Furthermore, wine can only be made from grape varieties listed as allowed, and only those vine varieties may be planted for commercial purposes. Each EU member state draws up such lists of varieties, which may only contain purebred "Vitis vinifera" varieties, and certain crosses between "V. vinifera" and other species of the "Vitis" genus. Thus, uncrossed so-called American vines, such as "Vitis labrusca", may not be used for wine and are not allowed in EU vineyards.
European Union wine regulations | Winemaking practices
The Condrieu AOC can only be used for still white wines made from Viognier. The planting density must be at least 6 500 vines per hectare, and the base yield is 41 hectoliter per hectare. The grape must reach a maturity giving at least 178 g/l sugar in the must (corresponding to 10.5 per cent potential alcohol) and the finished wines must have at least 11.5 per cent alcohol by volume, but no more than 14 per cent after any chaptalisation. If the wine has more than 45 grams per liter of sugar (only applicable for rare sweet Condrieu wines), it must not have been chaptalised to reach that sugar level.
Condrieu AOC | Appellation regulations
French wine is produced all throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France is one of the largest wine producers in the world, along with Italian, Spanish, and American wine-producing regions. French wine traces its history to the 6th century BC, with many of France's regions dating their wine-making history to Roman times. The wines produced range from expensive wines sold internationally to modest wines usually only seen within France such as the Margnat wines were during the post war period. Two concepts central to the better French wines are the notion of "terroir", which links the style of the wines to the locations where the grapes are grown and the wine is made, and the "Appellation d'origine contrôlée" (AOC) system, replaced by the Appellation d'Origin Protégée (AOP) system in 2012.
French wine | Introduction
Food and wine are inseparable from Spanish culture, historically bound to the social, economic, literary and even mystical fabric of society over thousands of years, so it is perhaps not surprising that attempts to regulate and normalise activities related to them have proven highly elusive. It was not until the seventeenth century, when legislative authorities became sufficiently interested in issues such as public health, public order and economic regulation, that laws begin to be formulated with regard to wine, initially prohibiting, later encouraging and ultimately regulating its production, commercialisation and consumption. Food regulation waited even longer, until Spain's entry into the EU and signing up to the Common Agricultural Policy during the latter part of the twentieth century.
Denominación de origen | History
For white wines, the AOC regulations allow both Chardonnay and Pinot blanc to be used, but most wines are 100% Chardonnay. The AOC regulations also allow up to 15 per cent total of Chardonnay, Pinot blanc and Pinot gris as accessory grapes in the red wines, but this not very often practiced. The allowed base yield is 50 hectoliter per hectare of red wine and 55 hectoliter per hectare for white wine. The grapes must reach a maturity of at least 10 per cent potential alcohol for red wine, 10.5 per cent for white wine and wine.
Hautes-Côtes de Nuits | AOC regulations
The French ""appellations d'origine"" (designation of origin) for wine at first just indicated where the wine had been made, with no restrictions on the types of grape used or the way the wine was made. They reduced fraud but had little effect on quality. In 1906 Capus spoke at a congress of the "Société des Viticulteurs de France" in which attendees tried to describe the distinctive qualities of the wines from their regions. Capus represented growers of the Gironde, and when he spoke made the case for adding ""controllée"" (controlled) to ""appellation d'origine"". In his view the existing system, which simply identified the place of origin of the wine, was unable to prevent fraud.
Joseph Capus | "Appellations d'Origine Contrôlée"