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…and other France Wine Regions
The remarkable variety
of exceptional wines produced in the principal regions of France
sometimes casts a shadow on those which are not so well known
outside of France.
Because there are, in
France, so many very great wines, some people feel that those
which are not the greatest are worthless.
This is not so. Some of
the French wines which do not enjoy the same fame would be the
pride of a less fortunate country. Such are the wines of the
regions in the southwest and south of Bordeaux (BERGERAC, MONT
RAVEL, MONBAZILLAC) ; the Pyrénnées (JURANÇON) ; the Tarn (GAILLAC)
and LIMOUX.
In the southern part of
France, from the Rhône River to the Pyrénnées, spreads the
regions of the LANGUEDOC Province called the MIDI (the "south").
There, large quantities
of wine are produced. Most of the wine served day in and day out
on the French family table comes from the “Midi”. Those of
superior quality are labeled according to the V.D.Q.S.
regulations (Corbières, Minervois).
Up North, between
Burgundy and Alsace, the JURA produces some very good wines
(COTES DU JURA, ARBOIS, CHATEAU-CHALON, L'ETOILE) .
Many aperitifs are made
in France and sold under trade names. One of the most popular is
the French Vermouth, noted for its pleasant bitterness and
particular flavor. Vermouth made in the area of Chambéry (in the
French Alps) is entitled to the name "Chambéry".
France also
produces very fine fortified wines along the Mediterranean
coast. These are the sweet dessert wines of BANYULS, MAURY,
RIVESALTES, COTE D' AGLY, COTES du HAUT ROUSSILLON, and
especially the muscat wine of FRONTIGNAN.
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