A Taste of France: Wine

France has been making wine since during the time of the Greeks. In the beginning, wine was for nobility such as high clergy members or royalty until the French Revolution. Now vineyards can be found in every part of France, it's especially popular in Burgundy and Bourdeaux. The location of where the grapes are grown is very important because the soil, altitude, hills, and terrain can deeply effect how the grapes will taste. Wine is made from fermented grapes, which becomes alcohol over time. There are many types of wine such as red wine, white wine, sparkling, and fortified. Variables that make these many types of wine is temperature, light conditions, and amount of alcohol. Most wine is served in France with dinner or lunch and each type of wine goes with a certain dish. Red wine is best served with beef or pork. White wine tastes best with seafood like oysters or fish. Lighter wines are made sweeter such as champagne, which can be served with desserts. People in France savor the taste of their wine by using all of their senses to enjoy it. To properly drink wine you must first swish your wine glass to heighten the smell, then take small little sips to thoroughly taste all of the wine's flavors. You must also always keep your glass half full and never empty. Today many French don't drink as much wine as before, so now wine producers must sell in foreign markets like America or England to keep their business running. For special occasions, people drink vin chaud, which has a mildly spicy and warming flavor to it. Here's the recipe to make vin chaud:

Ingredients

1 bottle of red wine
4 cinnamon sticks
1 5-inch by ½-inch piece of orange zest (white pit removed)
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 cardamon pods
5 whole cloves
1/3 cup Cognac

Mix all the ingredients together in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to just under a simmer over the lowest heat setting on the stovetop. Do not allow the wine to boil. The mulled wine is hot enough when the sugar has dissolved and pulling and lifting a spoon from the wine brings up steam. If desired, strain the spices from the wine by pouring it through a fine-mesh sieve or a cheesecloth-lined collander. Add 1-2 teaspoons of Cognac to a mug and ladle the mulled wine over it. Serve with cheese, bread, or fruit.

Bon appetit!







sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_wine, http://www.ilikewine.com/wine-making-process.html, http://frenchfood.about.com/od/wineandwinerecipes/r/vinchaud.htm