Whether or not you agree or disagree with the primacy of French wine, it’s an area that, at some point, every lover of wine will have to explore – if only to taste where the classic benchmarks are.
We owe the French so much. The Italians and the Spanish may seem to have a more relaxed idea about how and where wine fits into their lives, but the French have infused it with a sense of ritual, of High Culture, High Art even. Some find the proud French and their wines intimidating. The reality is that they are no different to anyone else. They love it if you appreciate what they do. You don’t need to be a Master of Wine to appreciate the sensual pleasure, the fascinating, sometimes difficult, sometimes sublime world that emerges from the glass.
