Labeling French Wine

Ever wonder what makes French wines so different from American ones? No, it's not the hundreds of years of added experience or the steady, old-world style of cultivation on some of the most amazing soil in the world . . . really it's all about the label. OK, maybe not exactly, but this article from mLive.com has an interesting assessment of the different practices used by the French when creating labels for their bottles. The main departure from the American labeling system is that French wines are recognized by region first, type of grape second. The interesting bit from the mLive piece, however, is that a handful of vintners are bottling for straight-to-America sales and flipping the switch.

From mLive.com:

Most French wine labels carry the region where the wines were made as an indication of the grapes used for the wines. The French government allows certain grapes to be grown in certain areas. French wine drinkers, therefore, must learn what grapes are grown in the various regions of France. Growers can't plant Chardonnay grapes in Bordeaux, for instance, or grow Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in Burgundy. Bordeaux yields Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes. Burgundy yields Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Gamay grapes.