French revolution
Vins de pays vary greatly in quality and complexity
“It’s the New World coming to France,” a friend once said of a vin de pays d’ Oc Merlot served as a house red in a restaurant in the mid 90s. My friend’s words sum up the growing attraction of vins de pays (VDPs), or country wines: they are good value, with labels that are easy to understand. This factor has been crucial to the success of New World wines: the names are not hard to pronounce, and the labels concentrate on the grape variety. With most vines de pays the emphasis is on international varieties like Chardonnay and Merlot. They combine varietal simplicity with French prestige. And producers have far greater freedom to experiment with grape varieties than the rigid laws of appellation contr?l?e allow.
Curiously for a republican nation, the French love to create hierarchies and they make no exception for wine. Vin de pays is a fairly new category – the first vin de pays decree was in 1964 but the 1979 decree was the most important – meant to fill the gap between lowly vin de table and the prestige appellation contr?l?e. There are now more than 140 vin de pays denominations. However, the success of various varietals means vins de pays may be more expensive than a generic AC Bordeaux or AC Corbi?res.
The Midi is now one of the world’s most exciting wine regions. In 40 years it has been transformed from an area producing cheap, thin vin de table to the most dynamic region in France, making both fine appellations contr?ll?e wines and vins de pays.
New techniques and equipment, especially temperature-controlled stainless steel vats, have made a huge difference to the quality of the wine being made in France’s hottest climate. The region has attracted substantial new investment from both French and foreign companies.
Carefully chosen then, vins de pays make a very good house wine. Restaurants interested in quality have been trading up from vin de table. However, vins de pays should not be confined to house wine. They now vary greatly in quality and complexity.
Wines of the week
Our featured wines are from Castel wine merchants. Founded in 1949 in Bordeaux as a wine trading company by the four Castel brothers, the Castel group expanded in the 1950s and 1960s by establishing wine bottling plants.
The company then expanded through external growth in the 1960s, in particular through the acquisition of several dozen properties, thousands of hectares of vineyards and the development of wine making and maturing equipment. This rapid expansion was marked by the takeover of the wine merchants Nicolas in 1988. Since then Castel has acquired many more companies; the French no. 2 la Soci?t? de Vins de France, in 1992, the Domaines Virginie, a Languedoc wine specialist, in 1999, and the British wine merchants Oddbins.
2004 Chardonnay, Finest Reserve, Castel, Vin de Pays, Beziers, Alcohol Volume 13%
This Chardonnay has a brilliant golden colour. High quality fruit is brought into the high tech winery, where you can find the latest presses and cooling systems. Elegant and buttery at the same time, ripe but not blowsy. It has strong aromas of pear and peach, exotic mango and almond. The palate is ripe and crispy. A perfect accompaniment to elaborate starters, white meat and fish served in a sauce. The ideal partner of Chinese and Thai cuisine and some Italian and Creole fish and vegetable dishes served at 11?C.
2003 Syrah Rouge, Finest Reserve of Castel, Vin de Pays, Beziers, Alcohol Volume 12.5%
This year’s marketing innovations was ‘French wine without fuss’. This is a 100% Syrah with brilliant, mellow, dark red and is packed with lovely, juicy blackberry and plum aromas. There is also a hint of floral aromas and particularly violet, liquorices and cocoa. Full and enough tannin to give the wine grip but mellow on the palate. Served at 17?C with red meat in a sauce, or braised particularly successful with spice dishes from Mexico, Spain and Creole.
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, Finest Reserve of Castel, Vin de Pays, Beziers, Alcohol Volume 12.5%
This wine has a magnificent colour: intense, sparkling, dark red colour, with shades of violet. On the nose, ripe berry fruits, red fruit jams, spices, liquorices and garrigue.
Full mellow palate with no harsh tannins and it has a lovely length. A perfect accompaniment to grill or roasted red meat, spicy Mexican, Spanish cuisine and Creole stews, served at 18? C.
Castel wines are imported and distributed by Hartziotis Trading Co Ltd
