Riches and Romance From France’s Wine Harvest ! B# l% Y* O$ }+ C! R
September is harvest time. And with bunches of grapes swinging (摇摆) in the wind, the vineyards of southern France are getting ready to celebrate it.
: k! K) M! a! H1 i The yearly wine festival is held in honor of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine. It’s a fun time with parties, music, and dancing, big meals and, of course, lots of wine.
' V4 {% Y' o$ j; I E C French wine-making began more than 2,500 years ago. The world’s oldest type of vine grows in France and always produces a good quality wine. Today France produces one-fifth of the world’s wine, and some of the most famous varieties.
+ i2 c; ]+ ]% s The top wine-producing areas are Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Loire Valley.
( B- B: ]4 s6 ~6 K Champagne, a drink used in celebrations, is named after the place where sparkling (有汽泡的) wine was first produced in 1700. & j# k$ `+ p% P/ I5 G/ F
Wine is made from the juice of freshly picked grapes. It is the sugars that turn into alcohol. 5 m* ~; R9 {7 o" ^
Traditionally, people used to take off their shoes and crush the grapes with their bare feet to bring out the juice. Nowadays, this practice is usually carried out by machines. " [! C! E( [% s( k( L
Each wine producing region has its own character, based on its type of grapes and soil. 6 s/ P, t. d5 w# J9 q1 n
The taste of wine changes with time. Until 1850, all French champagne was sweet. 1 v% f W6 Y) F$ Y% c
Now, both wine and champagne taste slightly bitter.
# L1 f6 p8 P+ ]2 Q4 d8 d The drink has always been linked with riches, romance and nobleness. Yet the 1 ~& B- U8 e( F, }
French think of it in more ordinary terms. ( e$ v C/ t/ x$ n9 i
They believe it makes daily living easier, less hurried and with fewer problems.
{) Q' A% Z6 W* D; r9 @ K "Its entire links are with times when people are at their best; with relaxation, happiness, long slow meals and the free flow of ideas," wrote wine expert Hugh Johnson. 6 z2 j) G5 y' U5 M
1 All French people celebrate the grape harvest every September. 9 Q; o# w, [% p% l8 l
A Right # `+ m1 p \8 [8 w
B Wrong 2 O$ L3 t% R& E, Q# ?' Z% v
C Not mentioned |