Now back to the subject of French wines.

[whiskystone]

Now back to the subject of French wines.

Wine Classification.

France has legally defined four national wine classifications that presumably help the consumer make a selection when faced dozens of unfamiliar choices. Some regions such as Bordeaux define additional classifications that will be discussed in the appropriate articles. The French national classifications were first introduced in 1935 with the goal of regulating wine production in given geographical areas and helping the areas to develop their own specific identity. Starting with the lowest level, these four classifications are vin de table, vin de pays, Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure-VDQS, and Appellation d'Origine Contrôlé-AOC.

Vin de table may be translated as table wine. Table wine production has been severely reduced during the last decade or so. At present, only about 12% of French wine carries this plebian classification. Almost all table wines are red. Table wines follow few rules, except that their labels may not indicate the grape varieties used, the vintage year, or the specific area that the grapes came from. You won't find many French table wines for sale in North America.

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