Vin de France, a World of Possibilities

A simple wine or an innovative wine? The designation Vin de France, without any geographical indication, is becoming a promising brand in France and internationally! Vinatis helps you to understand better this vast French designation.

OUR BEST-SELLING VIN DE FRANCE

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DON'T CONFUSE FRENCH WINE WITH VIN DE FRANCE

French wine, Vin de France, what's the difference? Vin de France is simply the designation for any wine produced in France that is not granted an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) or an Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP). It is possible to find sometimes the mention SIG, for Sans Indication Géographique (Without Geographical Indication). This designation was introduced in 2009 to replace the term vin de table (table wine). Thus, it is no longer possible to find a wine classified as a vin de table.

WINE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM IN FRANCE

In France, wine is much more than a simple consumer product. It is an integral part of the country's heritage and culture. A classification system in pyramid form exists to differentiate the different designations in the wine world, for any wine region.

WHAT DOES AOP MEAN?

AOP (PDO in English) is the acronym for Appellation d'Origine Protégée (Protected Designation of Origin). This designation is recognised throughout the European Union. All AOP wines meet a more or less strict set of specifications supervised by the INAO (Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité) and approved by the French Ministry of Agriculture. The specifications set out the rules for viticultural practices, such as vineyard yields, authorised grape varieties, but also winemaking and maturing practices.

WHAT DOES AOC MEAN?

AOC is the acronym for Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (Appellation of Controlled Origin). The difference with AOP? No difference at all. Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée is simply preferred by the French, whereas AOP (PDO in English), for Appellation d'Origine Protégée, is a European term. As France was the very first country to establish precise specifications to ensure the quality of its wines, the word 'controlled' would have been chosen at the time and would have remained for the French. Today, we find both names, depending on whether the point of view is French or European.

WHAT DOES IGP MEAN?

IGP (PGI in English) is the acronym for Indication Géographique Protégée (Protected Geographical Indication). This category is very close to the AOP. It is less strict, with a lighter specification, and normally designates a larger geographical production area than the AOP/AOC. IGP wines are simpler, normally of lower quality than AOC wines.

WHAT DOES VDF MEAN?

VDF is the acronym for Vin de France. Unlike AOP/AOC or IGP wines, wines of this designation do not meet any specifications, except that they are made in France and exclusively from French grapes. Each EU country has its own designation for wines that do not meet any AOP.

VIN DE FRANCE (VDF)

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WHAT TYPES OF WINE CAN BE FOUND UNDER THE APPELLATION VIN DE FRANCE?

This category of wine could be described as ungrateful, as it really does have everything from simple fermented grape juice with a very high yield to the more innovative and outstanding wines! Most of the wines in this category have been downgraded. That is to say that they could not claim the title of AOC or IGP. It is therefore often by default that wines are sold as Vin de France.

In the designation Vin de France, Merlot is a well-known grape variety in the vineyards of Bordeaux and the South West France. Merlot is indeed ideal for producing large volumes, since not only does it have very good yields, its flexibility makes it appreciated by many. In France, the South-West region is particularly known for its production of large volumes of inexpensive wines.

Until recently, the name Vin de France was used to describe simple, everyday wines, but in recent years some of the biggest names in the wine world have been making Vin de France wines.

VIN DE FRANCE PRODUCERS

The production of Vin de France remains marginal for the moment. For many years, these wines had a bad press, as they were associated with high volume wines without personality. It is for various reasons that large as well as smaller estates are marketing more and more wines as Vin de France. Among the well-known names are Chapoutier, Jeff Carrel, Xavier Vignon, and Puech Haut.

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VDF AN ASSERTIVE CHOICE, TOWARDS QUALITY FOR BETTER WINES

While the Vin de France designation includes a large majority of large volume wines as well as declassified cuvées, Vin de France also includes a third type of wine. These are wines which, for the following reasons, are not part of an AOC or IGP:

Grape varieties used: one or more grape varieties are not authorised in the specification.
Location of the vineyard: the vines from which the grapes are obtained are not located in the delimited territory of the AOC.
Choice of the winemaker: the winegrower refuses to comply with the production constraints decreed by the specifications.

TO BE FREE FROM SPECIFICATIONS

By choosing not to belong to the controlled appellations, the winegrower frees themself from the specifications. He is thus freed from all constraints, from the cultivation of the vine to the bottling. The winegrowers of Vin de France enjoy great freedom in the elaboration of their cuvées. They can be blended from grapes of different origins, regions and even vintages! Any rules to respect? Only one: at least 85% of the grapes must come from the same variety and the same harvest in order to have the right to indicate the type of grape and the vintage on the label.

For several winegrowers, it is not a question of producing Vin de France 'by default', far from it! They claim the absence of an appellation or label. This choice is assumed, with the idea of being able to offer unique cuvées of their kind. In this case, how can we help the consumer to identify the low and high quality Vin de France? There are many who claim to be part of a different kind of viticulture in France. A viticulture that is still different from the very restricted appellations and the very broad and generic name of Vin de France. For the main actors, there is a future in a modern, lively, eco-responsible and qualitative viticulture in Vin de France.

VITICULTURE AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Winegrowing is a victim of climate change year after year. Episodes of drought, heavy rainfall or frost on plots of land are major challenges for winegrowers who must ensure that they comply with very strict specifications, depending on whether they wish to see their wines classified in the appellation to which they are entitled.

Some winegrowers, however, choose to proceed differently. Since the Vin de France designation is only slightly limited, if at all, it offers the possibility for winegrowers to plant other grape varieties, perhaps more adapted to the current climatic conditions. As the weather is generally warmer, this changes the vine cycle somewhat. In many places in France, the harvest is getting earlier and earlier, which can have an influence on the maturation time of the wine, for example, which is governed by most specifications. Bringing other grape varieties into the blend also means bringing different tastes and thinking outside the box. It also meets the current market demands for alcoholic products.

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INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE VIN DE FRANCE

There are other reasons why some winegrowers want to make Vin de France. For many, the AOC system is less and less adapted to modern viticulture. Producing wines that will be sold under the name of Vin de France is therefore an opportunity to give free rein to one's imagination and creativity and to carry out experimental practices often motivated by climate change. For a handful of winegrowers, VDF means being able to work the vine and its grapes in a qualitative way, in complete freedom.

VINATIS: YOUR ONLINE WINE MERCHANT FOR VARIOUS WINES

Often the product of a particular experience or opportunity, these wines represent a confidential sale. The quantities are small and the references are not necessarily easy to find. Vinatis offers you the opportunity to discover some of these less known wines through online sales.

ARCANE XV LE DIABLE - XAVIER VIGNON

Among the beautiful range of Vin de France wines, discover the bewitching cuvées of Xavier Vignon. This time, plunge into the universe of the tarot game, with cuvées represented by arcana. The Diable is the ideal character to express what Xavier Vignon wishes to put forward: the forbidden, the surpassing of understanding, the mystical. This oenologist, a specialist in the southern Rhône Valley, blends Mourvèdre grapes from 17 different plots. This indigenous and ancient grape variety has characteristics that make it well suited to global warming.

GREAT WINES THAT CAN JUSTIFY THE PRICES

Under the designation of Vin de France, we find both entry-level wines and great wines. Some of these great wines are even praised by the international press, including the illustrious Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate, for example. The price of some of the wines may come as a surprise. These wines are in fact rare on the market, produced in small quantities. Although the absence of an appellation does not provide any information on viticulture and vinification practices, these wines are often made with the utmost care and precision. This pursuit of excellence through the use of costly practices justifies the prices of some Vin de France wines.

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CONSUMPTION OF VIN DE FRANCE WINES ABROAD

In recent years, an international craze has been created around Vin de France. In fact, it is because the absence of an appellation of origin corresponds to the reality of the market outside the European Union. The New World countries, for example, have been able to develop their range of wines by putting forward the grape variety and the brand. Indeed, New World winemakers have greater freedom in the development of their wines, as they are not obliged to meet restrictive specifications as in France and Europe. Beyond the European borders, people talk mainly in terms of grape variety and consumers prefer a simple label. This is precisely what the Vin de France designation proposes.

BRANDED WINES FROM ALL WINE REGIONS

Putting the brand first. This is how the big international wine estates have carved out a place for themselves in the wine market. In France, 'rebel' winemakers from all wine regions who want to stand out with their Vin de France work on their name, their brand, for optimal promotion.

MORILLON BLANC - BY JEFF CARREL

Jeff Carrel, a winemaker from the Languedoc, has understood this. Around his wines, he creates a whole universe with his name in the foreground, highlighting his strong personality, with an international communication, supported by the use of several terms in English, for example, which speaks to wine lovers from the four corners of the world. His brand 'By Jeff Carrel' is a good example of this adapted and worked marketing. Discover his white wine Morillon Blanc made from 100% Chardonnay grapes from the By Jeff Carrel range. This unique cuvée is distinguished by the fact that it was vinified dry from botrytised grapes, marked by noble rot.