Last week I explained what ‘Old World’ wines were. Today, I give an overview of French wines and what bottles I found in three Kingston-based wine spots – the Jamaica Liquor Warehouse, CPJ Market and Uncorked.

Why my old world resurgence?

I am on this topic again for two reasons: (1) recently someone who just moved here from Europe said to me that they couldn’t find any decent Old World wines in Jamaica, and (2) in a Court of Master Sommeliers Level 1 Course I took a few years ago, I was reminded of how limited I have allowed my wine choices to become. Of the 20 wines in that course, 16 were from the Old World while the other four were from the New World. In my opinion, we are drinking too many similar styles of wine from the New World, maybe because of what is on the shelves, so it’s time to dig deeper and expand the range of wines we drink. A third reason would be to open the eyes of the wine newbies and their love for the New World red blends and show them that most centuries-old European wines are blends.

France

France did not become the most famous place in the world for wine just so. The French have been making wine for a very long time. One of the most important concepts to understand is ‘terroir’ — which comes from the French expression goût de terroir (“taste of the earth”) which asserts that every great vineyard’s distinct identity and sense of place is expressed in the aroma and flavour characteristics of its wines. France is the home of almost all the renowned varieties in the world — Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Sauvignon Blanc, just to name a few.

Many books have been written about the Old World and especially France and its amazing wines. Let me summarise why you should be experimenting with French wines. They have hundreds of official growing regions each with their own characteristics, culture, story and magic. It’s my mission to get us to try as many of the wines from these regions as possible. Let’s begin with the very basics:

France’s main wine-growing regions are: Bordeaux (famous for red wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot); Burgundy (famous for red wines like Pinot Noir and white wines like Chardonnay); Rhône Valley (famous for red wines like Syrah); Loire Valley (famous for white wines like Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc); Alsace (famous for white wines like Riesling and Gewurztraminer) and Champagne which is the most celebrated — for Champagne! Many of these regions have sub-regions, each with their own vineyard’s unique combination of soil, topography, climate and microclimate. Each region produces amazing wines each with its own nuances of style, taste and flavour. I think this tasting journey is more exciting than tasting another fruit bomb from the New World.

Tips for Reading French wine labels

Because most of the wine producers in Europe don’t list the grape varietals in the label, it’s confusing for many who learnt about wine the New World way; that is only liking certain grape varietals. Believe me, it’s equally confusing for Europeans when they see Merlot or Syrah on a label.

Here are some general guidelines when looking at the label of French wines: When the label on a bottle of French red wine says Bordeaux, you should think Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot blend. When the label on a French white wine says Burgundy, you should know that means Chardonnay is the grape from which this wine is made. If the label says Burgundy and it’s a red wine, think: Pinot Noir. If the label mentions Rhône, think: Syrah (shiraz) Grenache and Mourvèdre. If the label says Sancerre or Pouilly-FumÃ&Copy;, think: Sauvignon Blanc. If the label says Vouvray, think: Chenin Blanc. If the label says Riesling, think: Riesling! White wines from Alsace, France, like Riesling and Gewurztraminer, are allowed to mention the grape on the label.

Let the French wine-tasting journey begin!

Christopher Reckord – Information Technology Entrepreneur & Wine Enthusiast. Send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram @chrisreckord and on Twitter: @Reckord