French wines are made in a way that other countries just can't seem to duplicate. There seems to have been extra care sealed into every bottle of French wine. This thoughtful consideration adds a unique quality to the fine French wines that continue to lead today's wine market.



In making French wine, the winemakers begin by crushing the grapes as soon as they get to the cellar. In this way, winemakers are able to extract the most flavor from every grape. The result is a fine French wine that's rich in taste and sure to please the most discriminating palate.

Once the grapes have been crushed, the resulting "must" is transported to specialized tanks for the fermentation process to take place. This is an essential step in which alcohol is created. Without fermentation, the result would be no more than French grape juice.

The grapes used in the creation of French wine have naturally-occurring yeasts, sugars and chemicals. A change takes place in the chemical balance of the grapes during the fermentation process. This chemical change is what makes the wines of France so unique.

Optimal fermentation is reached when the must is kept at a steady temperature of 25 to 30 degrees Celsius. Smooth processing during this stage also requires proper ventilation. With these conditions in place, the winemakers can lay the foundation to create the French wines that have earned their places among the finest in the world.

Maceration is the next processing stage in the making of classic French wines. During this step, the wine takes on a rich color and body. A wine's color comes from the peel and natural tannin of the grapes. The "body" is determined by the length of time the wine spends in maceration. A longer maceration results in a more full-bodied wine. Many of the better French wines will spend several weeks in maceration to reach their full potential.

The final processing stage is known as raking. All solids are removed, and more than one type of wine can be created from the mixture during this final phase. The pulped that has been "raked" from the wine can be squeezed to create pressed wine, or used in its natural form as free run French wine.

No one can deny that fine wines are created around the world. Still, there's something extra special about French wines. Whether the secret is in the grapes of France or the methods use to process them, no one can quite match the unique flavors and qualities of fine French wines.