Alcohology - "French Wine"

In this Alcohology short, French wine! Our salute to the fine wine made by the host country of the 2024 Summer Olympics. Join Matt as he traces the story of French wine all the way back to the ancient Greeks and follows the remarkable journey of French viticulture through centuries of history and innovation. You'll learn how how it all started, the Catholic Church's role in preserving and perfecting winemaking techniques, and the historical milestones. Discover how these developments have shaped the standards and flawless reputation of French wines today.  

Whether you're a seasoned wine connoisseur or simply curious, grab a glass and tune in for an engaging and insightful journey into the world of French wine. Cheers!

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro and Welcome
• 0:36 History of French Wine
• 2:35 Châteaus
• 3:43 French Wine Regions
• 4:54 Fun Facts
• 5:54 Outro

Transcript

Matt: 0:00

Welcome to Alkohology.

Matt: 0:04

I wonder why they call it a cocktail.

Matt: 0:06

Yes, I'd like to know more about the Venus Vinifera. I'm very interested in the terroir.

Matt: 0:11

We talking about two carbon, six hydrogen and one oxygen atom. We talking about ethyl alcohol. This episode, French Wine. Welcome to Matt and Friends, Drink the Universe. Welcome to Matt and Friends, Drink the Universe. Today, we are going to talk all about the French wine and its rich history, which spans thousands of years, deeply entwined with the culture, economy and gastronomy of France.

Matt: 0:36

Okay, that's about enough of my bad French accent. The history of French wine can be traced back to the 6th century BC, when the Greeks founded the city of Marseille and introduced viticulture to the region. The practice of winemaking was further developed during the Roman era, with extensive vineyard planting throughout the Rhone Valley, burgundy and the Bordeaux. In medieval times, the Catholic Church played a significant role in the development of winemaking due to the need for wine for the celebration of Mass, monasteries owned vast areas of vineyards and monks became the custodians of viticulture techniques and wine storage methods, which they refined and passed on. The regents of Champagne and Burgundy became established as centers for quality wine production.

Matt: 1:17

The marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine to Henry Plantagenet, later Henry II of England, in 1152, marked the beginning of a long period of English rule in the Bordeaux. This led to a significant export market for Bordeaux wines in England, known as claret in English. The concept of terroir, the specific geographical and environmental characteristics that give wines unique properties, became important in the 17th century. In 1855, the Bordeaux wine official classification system was established, grading wines based on prices and quality. In the late 19th century, french vineyards were devastated by Phloxera, a pest that destroys root systems and vines Very annoying little bug. This solution, which involved grafting European vines onto resistant American rootstocks, saved the industry but dramatically altered the landscape of French viticulture. This was also not a popular decision, but it did solve the Phloxera crisis. The 20th century saw further formalization of the wine industry in France with the introduction of the Appellation d'Hérisienne Contrôlée in 1935. Take that anybody that says I can't pronounce anything on this podcast. The AOC system officially defined and regulated the geographical boundaries of wine production areas and the methods and types of grapes used.

Matt: 2:35

If you're looking for top-tier French wine, you may want to check out the world-class offerings from one of the Bordeaux's first growth estates. This designation was first given to the five following estates in 1855. They are Chateau Margaux, chateau Latour, chateau Mouton-Rochelle, chateau Ambrian and Chateau Lafitte-Rochelle. Don't forget your wallet, though, as the prices for these chateaus can range between $600 a bottle up to $50,000 for collector sets of historical vintages. If you have quite a bit of disposable income and want exclusive, look no further than Domaine de la Romanicanti in Burgundy and their Romanicanti Grand Cru, made with Pinot Noir grapes. It is one of the most prestigious and sought-after wines in the world. Depending on the vintage, a Romanicanti Grand Cru can go from between $24,000 to $30,000 a bottle. Now I know those prices sound really intimidating, especially if you're, like me, wondering where your next bottle of André's Cold Duck is coming from. But many of those chateaus also offer entry-level bottles starting at between $40,000 and $100,000.

Matt: 3:43

France produces a diverse range of wine types, each reflecting the unique terroir and winemaking traditions of the regions that they come from. For red wines, the Bordeaux, burgundy and the Rhone Valley lead the way. Bordeaux is known for its blends, primarily of Cabernet, sauvignon, merlot and Cabernet Franc. Burgundy is famous for its Pinot Noir, producing some of the most sought-after wines globally. The Rhone Valley is known for its Syrah and its blends of ganache and Mourvedri. The Burgundy region is also acclaimed for its white wines, primarily made from Chardonnay. The Lior Valley produces crisp and aromatic whites like Savignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc. Alsace is famous for its dry and sweet Rieslings and other aromatic varietals like Gewurztraminer. The Champagne region and this should be pretty obvious is most well known for its sparkling wine from its Pinot Noir and Pinot Mignon grapes. France also produces several notable dessert and sweet wines in the Sauternes and the Bordeaux, where Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadet grapes are affected by noble rot. Noble rot is where you leave a grape on the vine. When the temperature drops, the grapes freeze a little bit and the sugar concentration in the grapes greatly increases.

Matt: 4:54

A few fun facts about French wine. The birth of champagne was actually an accident. The cold winters in the champagne region caused the fermentation process to pause, which then resumed in the spring, creating natural carbonation in the bottles. This process, initially a problem, became the defining characteristic of Champagne. Historically, france has vied with Italy for the title of world's largest wine producer. The country's wine production can cover a wide range of volumes, but it is always significant in the global market, is always significant in the global market. And on the topic of wine and health, the term French paradox was coined in the 1980s and refers to the observation that the French suffer relatively low incidents of coronary heart disease, despite having a diet relatively high in saturated fats. Some researchers have attributed this phenomenon partly to regular, moderate wine consumption, especially red wine. So as the Olympics are getting started this year, grab a glass of good wine and toast the host nation, thank you to the French for the great wine.

Matt: 5:54

This podcast is a production of Unfiltered Studios. If you would like to know more about joining Unfiltered Studios, please visit our website at unfpodcom for more information.

Matt: 6:06

This episode is sponsored by the Poppins Travel Company.

Matt: 6:09

Where's there? You would like to see France. You would like to see France in Disney World or perhaps Disneyland in Paris. Call the Poppins Travel Company.

Matt: 6:19

If you enjoyed this short and want to spend more time with us, please check out our full-length episodes wherever you get your podcasts from. For more information about Matt Friends Drink the Universe, please visit us at mattandfriendsdtucom. That's mattandfriendsdtucom.