16th November 2020 | Top Drops | 3 minute read
It’s been ten years since the launch of Vin De France as the official French national denomination. For those of you who aren’t already in the know, Vin De France is set apart from the traditional appellation system which gives winemakers, and wine drinkers, some exciting opportunities! We take a look at what makes these wines so great, and highlight some of the best bottles in the range.
First and foremost is the freedom to break the established rules and get creative. Wines can be single varietal or blends, sourced from a single region or blended from the best grapes across all regions in France. France boats a vast number of original varieties and Vin De France wines allow wine lovers to explore this treasure trove alongside the well-known varieties they already love.
The Vin De France umbrella also allows producers to label their wines by grape variety, rather than region. The bottles can show the varietal and the vintage, alongside the wine brand and the national origin: France. These clear labels mean that you don’t have be a wine expert to find out what kind of wine you are buying!
Vin De France makes quality French wines more accessible than they ever have been. Vin De France wines are undeniably food friendly and can be paired with a whole host of different meats, seafood, cheeses, pretty much anything you want to cook!
Today there are over 700 producers who include Vin De France wines in their portfolios, taking advantage of the more flexible regulations to craft their wines rather than have to stick to the sometimes over-rigid rules of the appellation system.
We’ve been working with some of our favourite winemakers to launch a fantastic selection of new Vin De France wines in time for Christmas. Here are a few of our top picks!
Les Arbousiers Trio 2019 is a lively white that brings together a trio of grapes. Sauvignon Blanc, Colombard and Gros Manseng are all used in equal measures to make what winemaker Eric Lanxade calls ‘a liquid embodiment of our region’.
The Les Arbousiers Trio is super versatile so will hold its own with a wide range of foods including grilled fish, salads and roast chicken.
Winemaker Jean-Phillippe Alquier relishes the freedom that Vin De France gives him to create ‘great, new wine styles’. His outstanding Le Zeitgeist Syrah Grenache 2019 is blended with Grenache to create a delightfully soft and juicy red wine.
The easy-going character of this blend means it works wonders with cheeses, stews and casseroles, all the lovely wintery comfort foods for this time of year!
For those who love elegant Sancerre, Les Trois Calices Sauvignon Blanc 2018 is a cracking wallet-friendly alternative! Fresh, crisp, and full of lovely vibrant citrus fruit flavours, this is a lively Sauvignon Blanc that’s perfect with fresh seafood, especially mussels.
The Trois Calices Essentiel 2019 is another fantastic white wine that brings together three grape varieties from the south of France to make something special. The perfume of the Gros Manseng and Colombard perfectly complement the zestiness of the popular Sauvignon Blanc.
The elegance and refreshing quality of this wine means that it works very well as an aperitif but it’ll be great with all kinds of cheese and seafood too.
Le Zeitgeist Sauvignon Blanc 2019 is a delicious Savvy B in a modern style: fruit-forward, tasty and engaging. A brilliant example of the kind of flavourful white wines Vin De France has to offer. And at just 11.5% ABV it combines good flavour with fashionably lower levels of alcohol.
A rouleur is a type of racing cyclist considered a good all-rounder. And that’s exactly what this wine is – a great white for all occasions! A blend of Gros Manseng and Sauvignon Blanc, it’s half tasty and half refreshing with notes of lime and lemon and a mouth-watering saline finish.
This is certainly one to pair with seafood, and also goes rather nicely with goats’ cheese.
