The Wine Diplomacy

  (Personal tasting notes — to be updated regularly) France is one of those wine countries that almost resists summary. Its vineyards are not merely extensive, they are civilisational. Bordeaux gave the world one language of structure and blending, Burgundy another of terroir and nuance, Champagne transformed sparkling wine into a category of prestige, while the Loire, Rhône, Alsace, Provence and the South each preserve their own distinct grammar of taste. The diversity is not theoretical. It is something one feels immediately in the glass. Official regional bodies still present France through that very diversity: Bordeaux through its classic red blends, Burgundy through Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the Rhône through northern and southern contrasts, the Loire through freshness and precision, Champagne through Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier, and Alsace through its aromatic whites. These notes, like my reflections on Georgian wines, are personal in spirit rather than encyclopae...