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Why not try going to a wine tasting session which can be great
fun experiencing different varieties, yet for some it can also be a little daunting,
especially if it is not on an arranged tour, however, there are some general pointers that
will get you through.
When wine tasting, you should always start off with
the lightest wines such as sparkling wines and work through to full bodied whites, then
through the reds from the light to the full bodied and end on dessert wines. This
will help to keep your taste buds more sensitive so you can better appreciate each wine.
In some places they even supply water in between so as to get the full flavour and texture
of each wine you are tasting.
You should start with swilling the wine round in the glass a couple of times, which will
help aerate it and provide you with the full aroma, plus it is customary to spit out most
wine, rather than swallow it, although you can swallow a small amount on occasions to
experience what it is like after it has gone down.
The Loire Valley is a massive wine producing
region with a variety of wines such as Muscadet, Cabernet Franc, Gamay reds and even
reasonably priced Sauvignon Blancs. And with the beautiful chateaux plus the
tranquil winding river it makes the Loire region one of the most visited areas in France
for experiencing wines and fine French food to accompany them with the stunning backdrops
so synonymous with this region.
For hundreds of years Bordeaux has had a long and internationally famous history of high
quality wines and is also a very popular place to go, although you can still pick up a
good value Bordeaux wine if you travel to the outskirts of the region.
And who could not think about champagne, which is so tightly controlled for what can be
classed as a true champagne, you will get to appreciate why some varieties are so
expensive and are only produced in this region for consumption throughout the world.
But, there are some vineyards that will charge less for a bottle of their champagne with
the same finesse, compared to famous brands we have all come to know.
The Languedoc region in France is one of the
biggest wine producing regions and to put this into perspective, it has over two times
more land planted to vines than the whole of Australia! In the past, they
concentrated more on quantity rather than quality, but this is changing and you can pick
up a reasonably priced wine that can match up to some at double or even triple the cost.
So France is a country that has such a different range of wines from the many wine regions and each one will provide a taste, aroma
and body like no other and some regions themselves offer such a diverse range it can be a
fascinating experience.
Obviously, white wine has long been associated with fish and chicken, whereas red wine is
normally paired with red meats and game, yet when you are in France experiencing the
fantastic culinary delights of speciality French food, take the time to choose a wine that
will enhance the experience or ask for advice and enjoy!
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