Around the globe, particular regions are famous for the wines they produce. But no wines command as much respect as those created in France.
French wines are made in a special way that other countries just can't seem to match. There seems to be extra care poured into every bottle of French wine, and this thoughtful consideration adds a unique quality to every single French wine on the market today.
In the initial process, French winemakers crush the grapes as soon as they get to the cellar. This allows the winemakers to extract the most flavour from every grape, resulting in a French wine rich in taste and sure to please every palate. Once the grapes have been crushed, the crushed grapes, or "must" is then transported to specialized tanks to ferment. The fermentation process is an essential step in making fine French wine. Without fermentation there will be no alcohol, resulting in simple grape juice.
The grapes used in the making of French wine have their own yeasts, sugars and naturally occurring chemicals. During the fermentation process, a change takes place in the chemical balance of the grapes. It's that chemical change that makes French wines so unique.
In order to reach optimal fermentation, the must is kept at a steady temperature of 25 to 30 degrees Celsius. Proper ventilation is also required for smooth processing. Under these conditions, vintners are able to lay the foundation to create the types of French wines that have earned their place among the world's finest.
The maceration process is the next step in the making of classic French wine. The wine takes on a rich colour and body during this step. The colour of wine is developed from the peel and natural tannin of the grape. The amount of "body" is determined by the amount of time the wine spends in maceration. Longer maceration will result in a more full-bodied wine, and many of the better French wines will take several weeks of maceration to reach their full potential.
During the final processing stage, the solids are removed from the wine in a process called "raking". It's interesting to note that more than one type of wine can be created during this phase. After raking, the resulting pulp can be used in its natural form as free run French wine, or it can be squeezed to create pressed wine.
Wine lovers will agree that there are wines of exquisite quality that are created the world over. However, whether it's the grapes of France or the methods use to process them, no one can quite match the unique quality of a fine French wine.
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