I was browsing that forum and saw this old post of yours.
I just had to respond. As it is dated 2003, i am e-mailing this to uyou hoping you still use this mail.
First of all, i think that you are right. Most french wines that will reach you have a very high chance of being inferior. Why is this so ?
First, french wines are in general quite expensive, especially Bordeaux and Bourgogne. Add in tax, duty etc it becomes horrible. Therefore, within the same price range, you will get an inferior french wine, usually a "Vin de Pays" or just a generic "Bordeaux". In France, we do not really drink such wine in a dinner setting.
Second, French wine are labelled by region and not by grape type. New world wine is "tailormade" and segmented to suit the general public taste. French wines (good ones at least) must follow tradition and protocol to keep their "Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée", and their "Etiquette". You can therefore get some surprises as the taste is definetely not "easy".
Third, good french wine is made to be kept five years or so. Modern world are usually drinkable after one-two years. So when you buy a french wine, you are planning for the dinner in three years ...
So what to do ?? :p
Climb the price range ! Look for labels mentionning "Cru Classé" or "Cru Bourgeois", marks of quality.
Forget Bordeaux and try the "Nouvelles Régions". Look for "Minervois" and "Corbières", "Madiran" showing 3 years age. They have reached great quality and prices have kept quite low compared to the Bordeaux folly.
Buy a guide...or look at this site (http://www.wineandco.fr)
I have no commercial interest in it and it is Europe anyway, but their wine list gives you a very good idea of what to buy, and what to expect.
A fellow wine lover
Kerry, from Paris France
PS : if you find those : (prices in Paris), in * * the main label
* Chateau Larrivet-Haut Brion, *Pessac Léognan *
a Graves/Bordeaux , in red or white 45€ approx
* Villerambert Julien, *Minervois*
South of France, in red 14 € approx
* Le Clos de l'Anhel or La Combe des Oliviers, Corbières
South West France, in red 10 € approx
* Les Terrasses Grillées, Saint Chinian
South West France, in red 20 € approx
Taste, Drink and then tell me about inferior french wines
PS2 : email me anytime kerry.morgane@laposte.net
In reply of :
I have been drinking wines for about thirty years on the a glass-a-day sort of things. I have organized a wine tasting club, which meets once a month. Over the years, we have tasted all kind of wines. But strangely enough. Everytime when we have the French wines, almost everybody disappointed. French Wines (Red) are usually too dry, too harsh, too sour, and too thin, as compared to the Napa's, the Australian, or even the Chilian. All French wines we've had were less than $30/bottle. Now I have a question: Does French wines in general of poor quality? Which I don't think so. Does all good French wine must cost more than $50/bottle or $100++? I have tasted some French wine of over $100/bottle with same disappointment. Do you believe the French wines are less cost effective, or less value when compared with the Australian. Or I have a BIG problem that my taste bud was killed by the cheap wines that I had over the years.