Two of France’s top wine regions are in the process of introducing new wine terminology; one is the formalisation of the word claret for some Bordeaux red wines and the other, the elevation of a wine region to Grand Cru status in the Loire Valley.

styles of wine are light and fruity

In the Bordeaux region, during the Middle Ages, dark pink wine which was the region’s specialty at the time, was shipped in large quantities to England.

In mediaeval France, red wines went through a relatively short fermentation process, normally lasting no more than one or two days.

This short period of contact with the grape skins meant that the resulting wine was very pale in colour, more akin to the rosé wines of today.

The wine was known as vinum clarum, bin clar or clairet and from the latter, the English wine term evolved.

Some 500 years on, the once popular wine term which has now fallen somewhat out of fashion, is being revitalised and a new wine term has been created – Claret de Bordeaux which is to be used for wines under AOC Bordeaux, AOC Bordeaux Superieur and AOC Cotes de Bordeaux appellations.

These are all appellations where the styles of wine are light and fruity and easy to drink, similar to the original claret enjoyed by the English for centuries.

A spokesman for the Bordeaux trade body CIVB said the aim is to reinvigorate the everyday drinking category of Bordeaux wines. Before this, Claret was never an official term and has never been used by the French.

Meanwhile, further north, up in the Loire Valley, a new Grand Cru is awaiting ministerial approval.

Quarts de Chaume in Anjou is just awaiting the signature of the French minister of agriculture for its final approval to be elevated to Grand Cru status.

Hopefully for them it’s “third time lucky” as two previous attempts to elevate Chaume to Grand Cru status failed due to legal challenges by another Anjou producer.