French wines

Italy is a country that in the minds of many of us is associated with a resort, where the mild climate, excellent cuisine and the unique taste of wine. In France, the word terroir has recently appeared, which means a grape variety, a collection of soil, a method of production and climatic conditions.

The terroir of French wine is the uniqueness of taste, and at the same time its recognition. Tuscany in Italy is an agrarian region with very diverse natural conditions, but the production of wine is excellent. The food in Tuscany is very simple yet satisfying. Basically, these are vegetables, mushrooms and meat. One of the most revered delicacies in Tuscany is wild boar meat.

The capital of this region is Florence. It is with her that such outstanding people are associated as Michelangelo, Petrarch, Leonardo da Vinci. In Florence, man was glorified as an integral personality, and the Renaissance also began here. France adopted many of the influences from Italy, after the marriage of Henry II of Valois to Catherine de Medici. In France, Italian art, language and winemaking began to be revered. This period can be considered as something like a heyday in wine production.

Time passed and the peasants, in order to pay the tax, began to give away part of their harvest as a means of paying taxes. Gradually it became unprofitable to plant good varieties in Tuscany, which gave little harvest, their alternative was to replace them with high-yielding varieties, which in turn yield simple unexpressed watery wines.

In Tuscany, one of the main red grapes is Sangiovese. This variety, despite being capricious enough, produces an excellent wine that is spicy, versatile and lively. Sangiovese has many varieties. It could be Malvasia or Trebiano.

The most famous wine-growing regions of Tuscany are Chianti, Montepulcino, Montepulciano, Bolgheri. Chianti is a sour wine with little alcohol. Once the peasants washed down their lunch with them, so it was simple and inexpensive, they also added white grapes... Now Chianti from Tuscany is a wine that corresponds to a certain territory, in compliance with all the rules for its production and harvest.

Historic area for Chianti Is Chianti Classico. Many believe that the Chianti bottle must have a black rooster. In fact, it is just a symbol of the consortium, which includes not all Chianti producers. Modern Chianti is one of the best wines in Tuscany, distinguished by its fruitiness and balanced tannins.

In Tuscany, in the Chianti area, a very good wine is produced - Vin Santo, for the creation of which white grapes are used. The berries are harvested late, when they have already gained the necessary sweetness, after which they lie in wooden boxes for several months. The result is a sweet wine with a prune flavor and vanilla flavor.

Semenov D.S.