Browsing the wine section at my local supermarket, I suddenly stopped as I found it interesting to come across these bottles with French idioms on their labels.
Varietals / Grape Varieties
More about their meanings below, meantime the varietal names, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay are by now so well known to wine consumers that they need no further explanation.
If it were a competition varietals would win among local consumers. In many establishments that's all that is offered. However, most of the wine in France is bottled with regional or estate names and may not immediately recommend themselves to those who select their wine according to grape variety - Chablis, for example is a Chardonnay.
We're getting there but it may take a while longer until outlets and the wine consuming public develop greater confidence with LaBel(le)France And that's why these labels are such a good idea. They create a splash of fun with the language and promote that much-needed familiarity.
So what do the idioms on the labels mean?
Tout un fromage
This is the whole cheese. A big cheese. It implies something strong and prominent.
Froid de canard
When the weather is very cold the French have an expression that runs "Il fait un froid de canard". Literally, Duck Cold! That seems a pretty good choice for a Sauvignon Blanc.
Avoir la pêche
Literally to have the peach implies to be in really good form, to be in high spirits. I wonder does it also refer to the taste characteristics of this Chardonnay. Only one way to find out!
Maybe time to get some of these in for La Fête Nationale on the 14th.
Remember those other wine-related expressions though! You know the ones that relate to good health. These ones:
Attention à l'abus d'alcool and Consommer avec modération !
Santé !
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