Origin
When the other countries debate about where the first wine has been produced, French people just keep
smiling. Nobody but they contributed so much to the world winemaking development. Starting from the times of
the Dukes of Burgundy and Anjou France winemakers did not only produce wines but also were in permanent
process of wine varieties selection and classification and technologies development.
Cupbearers were an integral part of French social life. The overlords appointed them from the most faithful
servants and gave them considerable power: manage the table, the wine cellar and the vineyards. The royal
cupbearer was also authorized to collect wine taxes.
The cupbearers travelled across the wine regions and selected the best wines for their lords: Chardonnay and
Pinot Noir from Burgundy, Rosé from Anjou, Riesling from Alsace, blends from the Rhone Valley, Bordeaux
Medoc. Trying hundreds of samples, they bought barrels and bottles, signing them with the word Cuvée as a
sign that this is a wine of a special taste, worthy of the table of the most noble people.
One of the most important skills for the cupbearer was the right way to serve wine. It was necessarily
poured into a decanter to get rid of sediment, and then carefully poured into glasses. After the Great
French Revolution, the cupbearers were out of work, but they managed to find their place in life as chefs,
tavern owners and sommeliers in the classic sense of the word: choosing and serving wines.
Keeping tradition of the of choosing special wines, we have created the Cuvée Decanter collection of wines,
including, on the recommendation of our sommeliers, iconic wines from famous regions of France. The highest
nobility, deserves it, you deserve it. Meet the classic of French winemaking, chosen by professionals!
History
France is a country with extremely diverse climatic zones. Driving it from north to south or from west to
east, you can meet a great variety of soils. Tasting wines from different vineyards you will feel the
importance of terroir for such a delicate process as wine production.
Winemaking came to France with the Galls, who planted the first vines on the territory of modern Marseille
in the 5th century BC. In the 1st century AD winemaking appears in the Rhone Valley, in the 2nd century in
Burgundy and Bordeaux, later in the Loire valley and in the territory of modern Alsace and later spread
further.
The ancestors of modern French people were the first to come up with the idea of using not clay amphoras but
wooden barrels for transporting wines, having noticed that aging in a barrel significantly improved the
taste of wine. The level of winemaking in Gaul by the 1st century AD was so high that the Romans, trying to
avoid a serious competition, cut down most of the local vineyards. Only two centuries later winemaking began
to develop again in the territory of modern France.
Christian religion played a significant role in the development of winemaking as a part of French culture.
The monasteries planted the vineyards, and the monks carefully followed all the processes in an attempt to
create either an elixir of eternal youth or living water, or simply the best wine in the region.
Permanent supervision, experiments and trials to sort the wines according to their style led to the
appearance of such concepts as «terroir», «appellation», «sommelier». You can’t imagine the modern world of
wine without these terms.
Principles
We have created the Cuvée Decanter collection of wines, including the best wines from the iconic regions of
France, on the recommendation of our professional sommeliers.
There is a tradition in different wine regions to grow different varieties of grapes and maintain the
historical style of wines. For example, Burgundy is famous for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Anjou for its
rosé, Alsace for its Riesling, the Rhone Valley for its Rhone blend consisting of Grenache, Syrah and
Mourvèdre. Bordeaux Medoc is widely known for red wines from Cabernet Sauvignon. We maintain this tradition
by choosing only wines produced in their regions of origin.
We carefully select suppliers, evaluating the quality of wine and personally inspecting production. Each
sample is not only checked for organoleptic, but also goes through laboratory tests. As a result, only the
best wineries in selected regions can produce wine for the Cuvée Decanter.
This approach allows us to present in our collection wines with a bright individuality. Each of them
reflects its original terroir, the historical traditions of winemaking in the region and the style of the
winemaker.
Consumption
The French say that their culture consists of 360 varieties of cheese and of winemaking. This can explain
such a style and flavor variety of French wine. The wines presented in the Cuvée Decanter collection are
highly gastronomic and universally attractive at the same time.
You can serve them as an aperitif with light snacks or simply offer a glass of wine before dinner to your
guests. They are the perfect complement to a picnic basket, becoming a universal accompaniment to
sandwiches, salads or grilled dishes.
A bottle of wine for dinner will also perfectly support any home-cooked dish, emphasizing its benefits.
You can simply open a bottle of Cuvée Decanter, cut cheese and fruits and spend an unforgettable evening in
the company of French wine.
