Why are most wines named after regions in France?

Answer 1

In France, where they have been making wine since Roman times, each region makes a style of wine that is traditional to its place. In each region, the style of wine is (largely) consistent, so a wine from Bordeaux uses a combination of cabernet sauvignon and merlot grapes, with perhaps a few other additional varieties, because that's what has been planted there for centuries. Likewise, a Burgundy (Bourgogne in France) uses only pinot noir grapes because that's the variety that the winemakers in Burgundy feel is best suited for the climate and the soil. In short, the French believe that the place has the most significant effect on the wine; everything else -- the grapes, the style, the winemaker, the tradition -- springs from the location.

So the French have "appellation controllee" laws which guarantee that wine from, say, Pauillac or Medoc (two smaller regions inside the larger appellation of Bordeaux) really DID come from there. The appellation is the signifier of the style of wine -- which may include the grape(s) used, the degree of sweetness or dryness, the alcohol content, and more. There's also a French phrase that takes the regional nature of their wine into account: "gout de terroir," the flavor of the soil. Soil type (which, again, is regional) can have a HUGE impact on wine, even if made from the same grape variety.

This is quite distinct from US and Australian wine-growing traditions and laws. For one thing, notice that you can find US-made wines labeled "burgundy" or "champagne," in spite of having been made in a factory in Fresno out of grapes grown in Modesto. The reason? The French drafted an international treaty to grant legal recognition to wines from various legally defined appellations, and the major wine-drinking (and more important, wine-producing) nations of the world signed onto it.

Except the US -- because this treaty was written during Prohibition, when it was illegal to make, sell, buy, or consume alcohol in the US.

When Prohibition was repealed, US winemakers resumed producing wines in the style, and bearing the labels, of "burgundy," "champagne," and other regions -- many of them in bulk, and of poor quality. The US winemakers who were in search of quality products, however, focused on single grape varietals, and US consumers soon became convinced that a single-varietal wine was better than a blend. This is not always true; some of the greatest wines in the world -- notably those from Bordeaux and Champagne -- are blends of grapes whose whole is greater than the sum of their parts. But in the US, a wine labeled Cabernet Sauvignon is almost always superior to a domestically produced "Burgundy."

So viewed from the wider perspective of history and tradition, it's really a question of why most US wines are named after grape varieties rather than regions. The answer is twofold: first, because producers of quality wines in the US pursued varietally labeled wines to help them stand out from bulk, mediocre wines; but second, this is because US wine consumers began asking for varietally labeled wines and disdaining blends.

In recent years, there has been a move toward recognizing the effect of the region on US wines. It began in the Seventies with recognition of the Napa Valley as one of the premier US wine-growing regions, with a great combination of volcanic soil, good drainage, dry summers and wet winters. But in the past decade, a US equivalent to the "appellation controllee" has been brewing, and we're starting to see wines with the "American Viticultural Area" or AVA designation. These are wines produced within carefully defined regions, such as the Dundee Hills of Oregon's Willamette Valley, where conditions are sufficiently distinctive that the regional character is worth calling out, as with the wines of France. It'll take some time before consumers become aware of this, to the degree that they prefer (like me) a Pauillac over a Medoc or a St. Estephe. (And among Oregon pinots, I prefer regions with the Jory loam -- a thin layer of red volcanic soil that imparts the aroma of black truffles and Italian wild cherries to a great pinot noir -- to regions with Willakenzie soil -- a greyish-yellow topsoil left over from the ancient seabed when the Pacific plate rose up, forming the Cascades, and with them the Willamette Valley.)

But like so many things with wine and winemaking, it can be a lot of fun to find out! For example, I learned the Willakenzie/Jory distinction at Ken Wright's cellars outside McMinnville, Oregon. Ken did a barrel-tasting of two pinot noir wines from the same vintage, same county, but both different soil types. The Willakenzie was beautifully structured, layered with rich mineral strength and good fruit on a dry, velvety base. The Jory smelled like amarena -- Italian candied wild cherries -- with a hint of freshly sliced black truffles, the rich earthy scent of the forest floor. It gave me goosebumps, and still does.

But that's just what I like. How about you? Have fun finding out!

Answer 2

Your sampling is limited to French wines which are named after the region in which it is produced. Spanish wines are Spanish regions, Portuguese are Portuguese and Italian are Italian. In North America, the wines are named after the grapes that are used. Basically, old world wine regions use the region name while New World uses the grape name.

Answer 3

French wines are named after geographical regions in France due to AOC laws. Yes, believe it or not there are wine laws. AOC is the abbreviation for Appellation d'origine controlee.

This is a system that controls important geographically based wine names like Champagne & Bordeaux. I live in San Diego so if the U.S. used this same system any wines produced here would be called a San Diego ("Honey would you pick up a bottle of San Diego to go with our dinner tonight").

This system is not just used for wines, it is also used for spirits. Cognac can only be produced in the region of Cognac, France.

France is not the only country that has uses this type of system. Italy and Spain are two other countries that use a similar system but they are not called AOC.

Answer 4

Because most of the grapes used in making the wine comes from different regions in France, It probably helps winemakers to sell their products also.

Answer 5

In his respond, Richard N. wrote: > in simple terms approximately all wines in France are traditionally named > for the particular close by section they arrive from ... maximum concepts-blowing. French wine areas whose names tournament the white wines from that region (Appellation) incorporate: Chablis Pouilly-Fuisse Pouilly-Fume If I bear in mind properly, there are no longer any pink wines bearing those 3 appellation names. Many different French appellations are primarly ordinary for their pink wines, yet produce whites to boot. There are pink and white wines from Burgundy, from Bordeaux, from Hermitage, and distinctive different areas.

Answer 6

The French make a lot of wines.

Answer 7

Because most of the shelf wines you see are made from different grapes grown in different hillside/vineyards in france. France is bountiful when it comes to romance and vineyards. If your looking for a different kind of wine I suggest vampire...it's made in romania and it's so rich in flavor!

Answer 8

Because that is where the grapes were originally grown that made the specific wine.