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Vins de Table (French Table Wine)
These wines must have an alcohol content of
not less than 8.5 % or 9 % by volume according to the area of
production, and not more than 15 %.
If they are of French origin, whether from a single region or a
blend of wines from several regions, they are entitled to be
called "Vin de Table français''.
If made from wines originating within the European Union, they
are classified as "Mélange de vins de différents pays de la
Communauté Européenne", blend of wines from various European
Union countries.
If they contain must originating from within the European Union
and are vinified in France the label will read "Vin obtenu. en
France à partir
de raisin récolté en ...- (Wine made in France with grapes from
... ) followed by the name of the country or countries of origin
of the must.
Blending (coupage) with wines imported from countries
outside the European Union is not allowed.
The character and quality of "Vins de Table", which are often
sold under a trade name, vary with the brand. Through blending,
the firms that produce these wines aim for consistent quality
from year to year, and a style, which suits their market.
Vins de Pays (French Regional Wine)
Wines classified as "Vlns de Pays" are the
élite of "Vins de Table" with the
right to show their origin on the label.
In order to be classified as "Vins de Pays" a wine must meet the
following quality standards
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It must be made only from approved grapes and
must originate from a delimited area whose name it carries
(department, separate area within a department or a region
covering several departments)
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It must have a natural minimum alcohol
content of 10 % by volume in Mediterranean regions and 9 % to
9.5 % by volume in other regions
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Under analysis, it must have the appropriate
characteristics for its type, and it must also have satisfactory
taste and aroma. Tasting committees approved by the "Office
National Interprofessionnel des Vins" (ONIVINS) test these
wines.
Pays de Cépages
Those wines are elaborated from a single vine
that means from a single grape. They represent 10 % of the
French production of "Vins de Pays".
CEPAGES is a new range of ten products, composed with
rosé, white and red colour wines. Each of them contains a single
"cépage", and originating from a particular region.
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