French wine for beginners! with Anne-Laure from VinoLovers

Transcription:
 

• How are you?
   
• Hello Manon. I'm good, thank you, and how about you?
   
• I'm great, thank you again for accepting the invitation. I really wanted to have someone on my channel to talk more about wine because I really don't know anything about it. So, I'm glad to have an expert today.
   
• Well, listen, with pleasure!
   

• Before we start, can you introduce yourself?

• Sure. My name is Anne-Laure, I'm 32 years old and I'm the founder of VinoLovers. It's an online platform to learn about wine. I offer distance learning oenology courses, with videos, quizzes, diagrams, maps, etc. The courses are mainly designed for beginners who want to learn how to choose their wines better, how to taste them properly, how to set up a wine cellar at home, etc. In addition, I also have a YouTube channel and an Instagram account where I give free advice, make infographics, videos, etc. So, that's about it for VinoLovers. Regarding my background, I didn't originally come from the wine industry. I did a master's degree in communication and worked as a communication officer, community manager, that kind of thing. But I liked wine, so I thought it would be nice to find a job in communication within a winery or something like that. So, that's what I ended up doing and it allowed me to enter this world and start training myself in oenology, talking with winemakers, oenologists, etc.
   

• Have you always been attracted to the world of wine? Did you grow up in a wine region?

• Not at all, actually. I'm from Brittany, so it's more about cider and crepes there, not really wine. However, my parents enjoyed wine. We always had it on the table on Sundays, and even during the week. So, I got used to tasting wine when I was a young adult. It was really in my twenties that I started to take an interest in wine. I found it a beautiful product. Often, there are beautiful stories behind the bottles. Winemakers try to convey philosophies, values, through their wines. That's what really drew me to it.
   
• Le monde du vin, c'est toujours beau : les vignobles, c'est très joli. Il y a un aspect assez classe.
   
• However, it's true that it's a field that can seem a bit complex, even snobbish at times. Wine has a somewhat elitist image in France. Yet, it's fascinating. What I like in this field is that there's always something to learn. We'll never be an absolute expert in wine, we never stop learning. There will always be wines we don't know, techniques we don't know, grape varieties we don't know. That's what's great!
   
• A bit like the French language!
   

• So, for the novices, the beginners, how would you describe the main wine regions in France and their specificities? We often hear about Burgundy, Bordeaux... What makes the difference between these regions?

• Yes, it's true that in France, we have a lot of wine regions. But there are two or three, like Bordeaux and Burgundy, and also Champagne, which have a really international reputation. Yet, in France, we have lots of other great regions, like the Loire, Jura, Alsace, Provence, etc. Each region really has its own identity, what we also call terroir. And this means that each region will produce very different wines, and even, ultimately, within the same region, for example in Bordeaux, you will also find very different wines because they are not necessarily made with the same grapes or in the same way. So for me, the best way to get to know a wine region is simply to taste the different wines that the region offers. And then, if possible, to visit the region and meet the winemakers, because that will always be the best way to acquire new knowledge, discover wines, talk with them, etc. If we were to sum up a little the specificities of the different French regions, we could roughly say that the whole north of France, where we have a cooler climate, generally produces lighter wines. While the entire south, which has a warmer climate, produces slightly fuller-bodied, more structured wines. But afterwards, we can't generalize the characteristics of a region, because there is really a huge diversity. For example, in Burgundy, you have thousands of wines that are extremely different. So it's true that we can't really generalize the wine regions. It's very complex, very varied. So you really need to come on site, I think, or at least taste as many different wines from the region as possible to try and get a sort of overall picture of what it can offer.
   

• So, can you give us some tips on choosing a good French wine in a restaurant?
   

Because most, so my targets in my videos, are rather foreign people who love France and who want to visit France, discover gastronomy and wines. But it's true that I personally don't know anything about it and I wouldn't know which one to choose. But I think there are other people who are a bit in the same situation.
 

• It's true that choosing your wine at a restaurant can be a difficult exercise. There are several things to consider. The first thing is personal taste. That is, you have to know what style of wine you will like. For example, do you like red wine? If yes, do you like lighter and fruity red wines, or rather full-bodied, structured, etc.? Knowing this will help you say: "Ok, I like light wines, light red wines for example, so I'm going to choose a wine from a northern region of France, so to speak, so why not Burgundy, Beaujolais, Loire." Whereas if I prefer wines that are a bit more full-bodied, tannic, structured, I might choose a wine from Rhône or Bordeaux. That's the first thing. Then, the second thing is that the most expensive wine is not necessarily going to be the best, or at least the one you will like the most. So, it's not necessary to always choose the most expensive wine, it's not necessarily a guarantee that you will like this wine. Another thing is what we call food and wine pairing. So depending on the dish you eat, you can choose a wine that will pair well with it. For example, if you eat fish, you can choose a white wine. Whereas if you eat meat, especially red meat, a red wine will generally go better with it. That's not obvious, pairings are really a level when you already have basic knowledge. Otherwise, the wildcard is to ask the server or sommelier, if there is a sommelier in the restaurant. You share your tastes with him, for example you tell him: "So, I would like to have a slightly fruity white to accompany my dish." And then, he will also tell you based on your budget. He will advise you which wine will be the best according to him with your dish and your tastes.
   

• Is there a way to simply decode the label of a French wine bottle? Are there any important information?

• Yes, there is important information on the label. So already, when you look at the bottle, there is the label in front and there is also a label behind that we call the back label. You have to look at both. In general, the really important information will be the region of production. So, you know where the wine comes from. There is also what we call the appellation, for example it will be AOC Chablis, AOC Châteauneuf-du-Pape. These are protected areas with a very specific set of rules for making the wines. So, it will also give you some indications about the style of wine you are going to have. On the bottle, you also find the name of the estate. You will find the vintage, which is the year of production of the wine, quite simply. So, in fact, there are vintages that are better than others, simply because some years the weather makes the conditions were really ideal for the wine to be good. Then, you also have the grape varieties, so the variety of grapes. Often, this is information that you will find on the back of the bottle, so on the back label. And on this back label, often you also have a small description of the wine, its aromas. For example, they will also tell you the food and wine pairings. So, it's interesting to remember to also look at the information on the back, because it can also help you get a better idea of the wine you can choose. So, that's really the essential info to look at. After that, you also have the alcohol percentage. In fact, it's mandatory so it will be marked for example 12%, 13.5%, etc. And that's going to give you an idea of the alcohol content in the wine. That's it, I think that's pretty much the essential to look at on the label.
   

• So, earlier, you already answered this question a little bit about whether we can judge the quality of a French wine based on its price, is that true?

• Well indeed, it's not something that's straightforward. The price of a wine depends on several factors. Firstly, there's the reputation of the region or estate. This is why, for example, champagne is generally very expensive compared to other sparkling wines from other regions. Next, there's the quantity of bottles produced. Naturally, the more limited the quantity of wine produced, the higher the price will be. This creates a rarity effect. I've mentioned this already, but there's also the vintage, meaning the year of production. Some vintages will be better than others. So, often these years, the bottles will be more expensive. There's also what we call the yield. This is the amount of wine you get from the quantity of grapes you have. A good example of this is with Sauterne, I don't know if you're familiar, in Bordeaux. It's a very well-known sweet wine. To make this wine, they use grapes that have been botrytised, a noble rot that also dries them out. So, with these grapes, you have less juice, you make less wine, so it also costs more. There are also certain production methods that are going to cost more. For instance, for wines that are going to be aged in oak barrels. Some estates will use new oak barrels every year because they have other properties, so they're not going to reuse them from one year to the next, but buy new ones every year. So, that's going to cost them more too. So, there you have it, there are quite a few factors that come into play in the price of wine. Then, you also have marketing costs, the marketing expenses of the estate, etc. So, you can't just rely on price to say "Ok, this wine is better than another". There are really a set of factors to take into account. So, indeed, the question of price is not an easy one.
   

• And what are the steps to taste a wine? What do you need to do to taste it properly?

• So, to taste a wine properly, there are three main steps we're going to call: the eye, the nose, and the mouth. For the first step, the eye, this is simply when you're going to observe the wine. You're going to look at its color, its intensity, its brightness, etc. From this, you can already get some clues about the wine. For example, for red wines, their color will evolve with age. If the wine has a somewhat purple hue, it's probably a fairly young wine, whereas if it has more red, copper, amber, etc, hues, it's going to be a wine that has already aged well. Then, you move on to the second step, the nose. This is when you smell the wine. You smell it once to try to decipher what you smell. There might be an unpleasant odor, which would be a sign of a fault. Then, there's what we call the second nose. For this, you take your glass and swirl the wine a bit to aerate it, which will help release the aromas. You smell it a second time and usually, you're going to smell more things. Finally, the moment everyone's been waiting for, is the third step, the mouth. This is when you get to taste the wine. You're going to take a sip and you're going to be able to analyze what you're feeling. You're going to feel some acidity, aromas, and for red wines, what we call tannins, which give a sensation of dryness in the mouth. You'll see if overall, you find the wine is good and balanced, or if it seems too acidic or too heavy in alcohol, for example. So, this will allow you to make a final conclusion, where you ask yourself if you like this wine. To facilitate this tasting, I've made a tasting sheet for the students of my oenology courses. It's a small sheet that you fill out as you go along, guiding you. You take your little notes and it helps you to make your conclusion at the end. This sheet is free and available on my website, if people want to go download it. It's true that it's practical and it helps to progress. It also helps you keep track of the wines you taste, to remember what you've tasted. You can reread your notes, for example. So that's the main steps of the tasting. If we get into detail, it's a bit more complex. You can really go further, but to start, it's good to have these three main steps in mind. And then, as you go along, you improve and you get better at finding the aromas and all that.
   

• And are there lesser-known French wines that deserve to be discovered? We often talk about Bordeaux, Burgundy, but are there other regions to discover?

• Oh yes, there are plenty! Especially in the regions that are a bit less famous, which consequently allows for cheaper wine production. You get better value for money, and most importantly, enjoyment. For instance, there's Beaujolais, which is hugely underrated. Beaujolais is known for Beaujolais Nouveau, but that's not all they do. They also make what are known as Beaujolais Crus. These are controlled designation of origin wines, like Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie... They make red wines that are a bit better than Beaujolais Nouveau and are really worth discovering. Moreover, these wines are reasonably priced. You also have Jura, which isn't very well known, but it's truly a vineyard that is gaining in fame and prestige. Then there's the Loire, of course. I lived for a long time in the Loire valley, so I adore Loire wines. There's also Auvergne... In fact, all French wine regions deserve to be known and produce excellent wines. And then, depending on your tastes, you will discover what you prefer. You'll have favourites, regions that appeal to you more than others.
   

• Are there also myths or stereotypes about French wine that you would like to debunk?

• Oh yes, there are plenty! In fact, I made a YouTube video on this subject that did well, because it's a good topic. For instance, I'm thinking of the most known and stubborn one: red wine and cheese. It's the classic. When you eat cheese with friends or family, people often suggest a little red wine to go with it. In fact, in 90% of cases, white wine pairs much better with cheese. There's also another myth, I don't know if it's still as widespread, but a lot of people think that rosé is a blend of red and white wine. That's not how it's made at all. There's an exception in Champagne where they are allowed to blend to make rosé Champagne, but it's not the only permitted technique. There are also people who think that rosé wine isn't real wine. I don't know, there's a certain image around rosé that is a little worse than the other colours of wine. There's also a very common myth, the idea that all wines get better with age and that it's worth ageing all wines in a cellar. In fact, that's not true. Some wines are meant to be drunk in their youth, so within two or three years of bottling. And then, indeed, there are wines that are meant to age 10 years, 15 years, or even more in a cellar and will have the ability to improve. But not all wines have what it takes to age well from the outset. This is a very ingrained idea. Even I used to think that any wine should age before being drunk to be better, which is not true at all.
   

• What would be your advice for someone who wants to know more about French wine, who is a beginner but is still interested?

• Well, in terms of advice, I would say that if possible, you should taste as many wines from different regions as you can to start getting an idea of the different styles of wine. Then, there are plenty of free resources available if you want to improve your knowledge. There are lots of books, YouTube videos, I have more than a hundred on my channel, short 5-minute videos that each explain a small particular topic. And then, of course, the best way, when you can, is to come on-site, meet winemakers, go to exhibitions. Exhibitions are good because they bring together many winemakers. So, it allows you to taste many wines in one place. Otherwise, you can also take courses if you want to go a bit further and improve your knowledge. YouTube, Instagram, and all the documentation links on wine tasting, are good resources for anyone interested or who will be interested if they want to discover a bit more about French wine.
   
• In any case, thank you very much for all the information you have provided, it was very interesting. It allows us to discover a bit more about this world which, if it's not really part of our culture or just not part of our daily life, can seem complicated and intimidating.
   
• Don't hesitate to ask questions when you meet professionals, whether they are sommeliers, wine merchants, etc. Generally, they always enjoy talking about their profession, sharing advice. And if needed, feel free to contact me on Instagram or via my website if you have questions. I always respond with great pleasure.
• Thank you again for accepting the invitation and for talking to us about your world, the world of wine.
   
• And listen, thank you for having me on your channel in this little video.
   
• It was my pleasure, and we'll see you soon then. Have a great summer!
   
• Yeah, see you soon. Thanks a lot. Bye, bye.

Wine vocabulary exercise: