The wine guys at Frugal’s have made many trips to California looking for new vintages and brands to introduce to their customers, but this past June, Jeff Warzynski, the Wine Manager, made his first visit to France. We thought our readers would be interested in the results of this trip.
EY: Where did you go in France?
JW: We went to Provence and the Cote d’Azur in southeastern France. We visited wineries near the villages of Orange, Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, and eight other villages in the Rhone Valley.
EY: Why did you go there instead of to some of the more famous regions such as Bordeaux and Burgundy?
JW: One of our customers had visited this area and raved about the wines he discovered there, so we were curious to find some wines that might not be as well known.
EY: I understand this was your first trip to France, so what stands out as different from your experiences in California?
JW: I think what stands out is pride, and a real passion for making wine. Tradition is so important. The vines we saw growing are descendents of those that were brought to the area two thousand years ago by the Romans. Wine makers learn the business from their fathers and grandfathers, and the whole family is likely to be involved in every step of the process. The art of wine making is handed down from generation to generation as a natural course of events. Their passion for what they do isn’t just an afterthought for marketing purposes. Their primary concern is to do everything possible to allow the wine to fulfill its potential and to show its best. You don’t see a whole lot of new wineries springing up all over the place like you do over here. In California many wine makers are college graduates with degrees in viniculture, and the business side is so much more important.
EY: Any other differences?
JW: Well, they just have a different philosophy over there about growing grapes. For example, the wineries don’t use pesticides in the Rhone region where we were. They don’t have the bugs that plague California growers, so the grapes are grown organically. Organic is cheaper, and this may be one reason why Rhones are reasonably priced.
EY: That seems to be a gift of nature. What about the philosophy you mentioned?
JW: Their philosophy is that stress is good. They believe wines are better when the grapes have to struggle. In California, wineries use trellises to encourage the grapes to grow more abundantly. You won’t see trellising in France-at least not where we were. Only plantings younger than three years old can be watered, by special order of a government-controlled regulatory agency. This would be unimaginable anywhere in the U.S.
EY: What about the soil?
JW: In Provence the soils are very rocky, so making the grapes struggle isn’t so difficult. And something about the unique soil finds its way into the taste of the wines- what the French call “terroir”. We toured the Beaucastel winery and the first thing I noticed was the “galets”, which are large rounded stones that extend as deep as fifteen feet underground. These stones play a critical role in maintaining heat and moisture for the vines, whose roots must find their way down to the limestone base underneath.
EY: What about differences in climate?
JW: There are more annual variations in France. Variations in rain, sunshine, flooding, and temperature affect the grapes tremendously from year to year. In California, you have more consistent climatic conditions and there is less of an element of risk to wine making. Another big factor is the wind. We experienced the famous Mistral winds that blow through the Rhone valley. One day they were so strong that we had to lean forward to keep from losing our balance.
EY: What about the use of oak?
JW: In France, they don’t use as much oak, and the oak barrels that are used are likely to be so old that they are neutral as far as taste enhancement goes. We saw some huge barrels-some as big as swimming pools-that were upwards of 80 years old.
EY: What else sets France apart from California?
JW: At the Guigal winery we learned that all the planting, tending and harvesting is done by hand. Producing wine is very labor intensive. France has a 33-hour work week, and for each hour of overtime, each employee receives an additional hour of pay, and an hour of vacation. By the end of the harvest, many workers have accumulated about four months of vacation in addition to the five weeks they already have!
EY: Well, did you find any wines to bring back for your Nashville customers?
JW: We toured three wineries and made many stops along the roads to sample local wines. We did find one wine maker that we are particularly interested in, and we are hoping to negotiate something so we can offer his wines in our store.
EY: Did you find any unexpected or unusual wines?
JW: Yes, we did. In Avignon.The Papacy was moved from Rome to Avignon for a time in the 14th Century. That is how the famous red wine Chateauneuf du Pape got its name. We were surprised to find that there is a white Chateauneuf also!
EY: Relations between France and the U.S. have been strained in recent years. How did this affect the way you were treated?
JW: Frankly, that made things a little awkward, and the French were stand-offish at first. But when they saw that we had come there just to learn about their wines, they loosened up and were very friendly and hospitable. Most of the people we encountered were very nice and accommodating. Some were very generous, and just as interested in us and life in the U.S as we were in them. For the most part, we were welcomed and accepted. We made typical tourist mistakes. We didn’t know about the sacred two-hour lunch, we went round and round several roundabouts, got lost, drove too slowly, and acted like tourists, but we emerged with a new appreciation of French culture, and French wines.
EY: Was the language barrier much of a problem?
JW: Yes, because some of the French won’t speak English even though they can. It was sometimes difficult to communicate with people in the small shops. We got a parking ticket in one village, and were unable to get out of it because we couldn’t speak enough of the language. But it was only about $8 and we were able to pay it at the local tobacco shop!
EY: What was your overall impression of the wines you sampled?
JW: Very good. Outstanding. The wines were better than we expected, in fact. I think some of the wonderful fruit and freshness of wines at the vineyard are diminished by the long delays in shipping and the uncertain conditions they are subjected to before they arrive on the shelves in this country. I have a new appreciation for the wines we experienced. The whites were vibrant and refreshing and the reds were intense, well balanced, and tasted of terroir. With the fresh produce and fabulous cheeses and breads we had with the delicious wines, we were living in a dream!