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France is the most influential wine-producing area in the world and has developed superfine natural still wines and the finest sparkling wine : champagne. The Bordeaux region furnishes red wine known as claret (or simply Bordeaux) and white wine, both dry except for Sauternes. The best-known Bordeaux wines are those of MEdoc (red), classified and known by the vineyard names, as ChAteau Lafite-Rothschild, ChAteau Margaux, and ChAteau Latour; Graves (red or white); Sauternes (white), sweet, made from overripe grapes and including the noted ChAteau d'Yquem; and St.-Emilion and Pomerol.
Burgundy wines, red and white, are somewhat lighter in body than the Bordeaux. Connoisseurs prize the Burgundies of the COte d'Or, especially the white Montrachet, and red Clos Vougeot and RomanEe. The Chablis area produces fine, white Burgundy. Good wines are made in the Loire valley (Vouvray), the RhOne valley (Hermitage and ChAteauneuf-du-Pape), Alsace, and the Jura Mts. A great quantity of wine is produced in S France, some of it made into vermouth, distilled into brandy, or used for blending, and some of it of superior quality.
Bibliography
See A. Lichine, Alexis Lichine's Guide to the Wines and Vineyards of France (4th ed. 1989); N. Faith, The Winemasters of Bordeaux (rev. ed. 1999).
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