French Wines

The Greeks and the Romans have been accredited for being the first to plant and cultivate vineyards. Later on, around the 5th Century, the church became the primary keeper of the vine and the main wine producers, which was used primarily for the Holy Sacrament. As time went by and foreign trade began develop so were the vineyards in France. 

Nevertheless, in the 1800s, phylloxera – a small insect that destroys the root of the vines – destroyed the country’s dominating wine production. Then in the 1900s, after France had suffered economically under two world wars, partly contributing to the decrease in quality of French wines, the A.O.C., which stands for Appellation d’Origine Controlee (“regulated origin name”) was developed to summarize a set of rules for today’s modern wine policies and laws that serve both to identify grape growing regions as well as protect the quality of wines. The A.O.C. redeemed the reputation of the country’s wine and set a structure for protocol for quality and consistency within the French wine market.

There are nine main wine producing regions in France:
Alsace   
Bordeaux
Burgundy  
Champagne
Cotes du Rhone  
Languedoc-Roussillon
Loire Valley  
Provence-Corsica
South West

Great wines to taste:
La Grande Reserve De La Comtesse Chardonnay Vin De Pay D’OC 2006 – “The Dove of Gold” is 100% Chardonnay.

Messina Hof Unoaked Chardonnay – Harvested from our northern most vineyards.

LaBoure’-Roi St. Armand Beaujolais-Villages – is 100% Gamay.  It always tastes lively and fruity.

Messina Hof Beau – Perfect red wine for semisweet white wine palates.

LaBoure’-Roi Pinot Noir 2006 – Black cherry, raspberry and blueberry bouquet.  Attractively lively fruit, generous finish.

Messina Hof Barrel Reserve Pinot Noir – Medium-bodied with clean, fruit flavors, ripe plum and cherries. 100% Pinot Noir.