Soft copies

I'm taking stock of the last year and have decided to start compiling some of the documentation accumalated over the last 11 months. And whats the best way to start but the notes of my wine classes.
So today we'll start with the general introduction to french wines and their classification system. Well, most french wines have an A.O.C., that is their Appellation D'Origin Controllee. About 50% of the wines produced are AOC graded, which means their quality is graded and they are named by their place of origin. All kinds of rules apply for AOC grading such as a stated grape variety grown within a specified area, with a maximum yield per hectare, obey a maximum alchohol strength of the appellation, keep the maximum density of the wines, follow the pruning methods laid down, use only permitted additives for acidifying, deacidifying and sugar content. since 1979, they must also pass a taste panel. Within AOC, of course, you can have higher levels like Grand, Premier etc.
Vin Delimite De Qualite Superieure (V.D.Q.S) - Similar rules, incentivising for maintaining good standards so that they can be upgraded.
Vin de Pays - About 14% of the production. Meant to give regional definition to wines. More grapes allowed with higher yields and minimum alchohol.
Vin de Table - All the others. If ever, urgent need to buy, stick to Languedoc-Roussillion.

Now the fun part. How can you crinkle up your nose and play the part of a wine afficiado. Some terminologies:
APPEARANCE
Clarity - Bright/ Clear/ Dull/ Hazy/ Cloudy
Colour - White: Green(?)/ Lemon/ Straw/ Gold/ Amber
Rose: Pink/ Salmon/ Orange/ Onion skin
Red: Purple/ Ruby/ Garnet/ Mahogany/ Tawny
Intensity - White: Water white/ pale/ Medium/ Deep
Rose: Pale/ Deep/ Medium
Red: Pale/ Medium/ Deep/ Opaque
Other things to see: Legs/ Bubbles/ Rim colour vs core/ Deposits (?)
NOSE
Condition - Clean/ Unclean
Intensity - Weak/ Medium/ Pronounced
Development - Youthful/ Grape Aromas/ Mature Bouquet/ Tired/ Oxidised
Ripeness - Green/ Ripe/ Over ripe/ Noble rot
Fruit character - Fruity/Floral/ Vegetal/ Spicy/ Woods/ Smokey/ animal/ Fermentation aromas
PALATE
Sweetness - Dry/ Off dry/ Medium dry/Medium sweet/ Sweet/ Luscious
Acidity - Flabby/ balanced/ crisp/ acidic
Tannin - Astringent/ hard/ balanced/ soft
Body - Thin/ light/ medium/ full/ heavy
Fruit Intensity - Weak/ medium/ pronounced
Fruit Character - Groups as for nose
Alchohol - Light/ Medium/ High
Length - Short/ Medium/ Long
CONCLUSIONS
Quality - Faulty/ poor/ acceptable/ good/ outstanding
Maturity - Immature/ youthful/ mature/ declining/ over-mature
Provenance - Location/ Grape variety

And here's something which can prove to be very useful - the tastes of various grapes.
Aligote - Acidic, apples, citric
Cabernet franc - Strawberries, green peppers, potato peeklings, blackcurrant, chocolate
Cabernet sauvignon - Blackcurrants, toffee-mint, cedar, lead pencils, green papper, dark chocolate, tobacco, olives
Carignane - Strawberries
Cinsault - Pepper, damsons
Chardonnay - Lemon, capsicums, musk, vanilla, wetwool, honey, toffee, minerals and flint, melon
Chenin Blanc - Honeysuckle, lemon, apples, apricots, nuts, honey
Gamay - Strawberry, cherry, ripe bananas, bubblegum, pears
Grenache - Rasberry, pepper, herbs
Gewurztraminer - Lychees, herbs, spices (ginger and cinnamon)
Gros Plant - Apples, pears, acidic
Malbec - Black-berried fruits
Merlot - Blackberries, blackcurrants, plums, roses, spice, fruit cake
Muscadet - Apples, lemon, yeast
Muscat - Honey, oranges and rose (Alsace), demerara sugar, raisins(fortified wine)
Pinot Gris - Spicy, perfumed
Pinot Noir - Rasberries, strawberries, cherries, game, compost, manure, boiled beetroot
Riesling - Elderflower, peach, pineapple, green apples, petrol, toast
Sauvignon Blanc - Freshly cut grass, basil, elderflower, gooseberries, stony, cats pee, tinned asparagus
Semillon - Apricots, grass, citrus, toast, honey
Sylvaner - flowers, perfume
Syrah - Pepper, thyme, raspberries, blackberries, tar, blackcurrants
Viognier - apricots, almonds, peaches, musk, lime blossom

...happy drinking!