Red wine

1. How red wine is made

During the harvest, the grapes are crushed to release their juice, and de-stemmed, i.e. removed from their stalks, before being placed in vats. However, this initial stage does not apply to primeur red wines, which are vatted in whole bunches, as in Beaujolais.

Next comes vatting, an essential stage in defining the wine's character.

The must obtained from crushing and de-stemming is put into vats. These large containers are generally oak barrels, or stainless steel or cement vats. Vatting lasts from a few days to several weeks, depending on the terroir and the options chosen by the winemaker. It is during this period that the alcoholic fermentation of the grapes takes place, thanks to the yeasts contained in the pulp, to which certain yeasts specific to each cru may be added. Temperature control is essential for good fermentation of the grape must.

During this same vatting period, the tannic elements in the must and the pigments in the grape skins give the juice its red hue through maceration. Maceration can be directed and controlled by a number of operations, influencing the wine's future personality.

Cuvaison is then brought to an end by racking the wine. The juice is in fact collected simply by running off, giving what is known as a "vin de goutte". The liquid elements remaining in the vats, known as marc, are then either distilled to produce eau de vie, or pressed to obtain a more tannic "vin de presse", which may be blended with the "vin de goutte", depending on the winemaker's practices and methods.

The wine is then transferred to other tanks, at a lower temperature, for lactic fermentation, a process that transforms malic acid into lactic acid, stabilizing the beverage.

The wine is then aged in the winery. Ageing is the more or less lengthy period during which the clarified and stabilized wine undergoes a number of operations designed to confirm its qualities and preserve its specificity: ageing in barrels or oak casks in a cellar or storeroom, topping up, racking... Blending is also an essential stage in the life of a wine, which consists, in appellations where several grape varieties are authorized, of composing the cru from different types of grapes. Blending can take place after ageing or before barrel ageing. Next comes bottling, enabling the wine lover to continue aging in his or her own wine cellar.

2. Red wine grape varieties

There are many different varieties of red wines some of which make an appellation unique. Cabernet Franc is widely used in Bordeaux wines, notably Fronsac and Saint-Emilion, and in the Loire Valley for Chinon and Bourgueil. Merlot is also widely used in the Bordeaux region, notably in Pomerol and Moulis-en-Médoc. Grenache noir is often used in Roussillon and Languedoc wines, as well as in some Rhône Valley wines. Gamay is the only grape variety used for Beaujolais, just as Pinot Noir is the main grape variety for Burgundy red wines. Of course, only a very small number of red grape varieties are mentioned here. Others include Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Cinsault, Folle Noire, Mondeuse, Malbec (or Côt), Mourverdre, Syrah and ZInfandel. Some grape varieties are used more specifically in certain foreign countries. These include Barbera and Sangiovese in Italy, and Tempranillo on the Iberian peninsula and in Argentina.

3. Red wine regions

Every wine-growing region in France produces red wine. A region cannot be summed up by the color of its production. Some Appellations d'Origine Contrôlée produce exclusively red wine, such as Pommard, Volnay or Gevrey-Chambertin in Burgundy, Margaux, Pomerol or Saint-Emilion in Bordeaux, Côte-Rôtie or Châteauneuf du Pape in the Rhône Valley, Cahors or Madiran in the South-West or Saumur-Champigny in the Loire Valley. These appellations are examples only, and obviously do not prejudge the quality of red wines that may be produced in more varied appellations, or in those exclusively red wines that have not been mentioned.

4. Some legendary red wines

Many estates have made a legend of their terroir, or vice versa. In Bordeaux, Pétrus is one of them. A cru made famous by its quality and appreciated by the greats of the world, its notoriety is all the more astonishing given that there is no Château Pétrus, but simply a winery in which the notion of excellence is pushed to such a degree that, in years when the quality of the grapes is insufficient, no production leaves the vats. The Bordeaux region is not short of legendary crus, and at the same level of excellence and history are undoubtedly Château Haut-Brion, Château Margaux, notably the 1961 vintage, and the other premier crus classés of the official 1855 classification. Burgundy also boasts a domain inaccessible to most, Romanée-Conti, which produces a red wine of exceptional quality from its namesake climat in the Vosne-Romanée appellation. It's the climats as much as the producers that make Burgundy so legendary: La Tâche, Richebourg, Grand Echezeaux...

5. Red wine pairings

Matching red wine with food is obviously not something that can be summed up in a few lines. Even if this is a general rule, the first thing to say is that it is sometimes interesting to match dishes or foods with wine according to the terroir. While this rule is not absolute, it can lead to more than interesting coherences. For example, Bresse poultry goes well with a Beaujolais or a Burgundy. Likewise, a goat's cheese from Provence will go well with a Bandol from the same region. However, it must be recognized that pairing is not systematic and that certain rules must guide the choice of red wines. Tannic red wines go well with red meats and certain cheeses, making them appear sweeter. On the other hand, they should be avoided with spicy dishes. Fruity wines go well with white meats and charcuterie. Full-bodied wines from the South-West, Provence or Rhône Valley, as well as Italian Barolos, can be drunk with slightly sweet foods, but will overwhelm the subtlety of refined dishes. Of course, the choice of wine must also be guided by experience and personal taste.