Battle of the Wines
Encyclopedia
The Battle of the Wines (fr. La Bataille des Vins), sometimes called "The Battle of the Blends" was a notable poem written by Henry d'Andeli
in 1224 and tells the story of a famous wine
tasting organized by the French king Philip Augustus
. Over 70 samples from France
and across Europe, including Cyprus, Spain
and the Mosel region, were tasted and judged by an English priest. The priest classified the wines he tasted as either Celebrated for those which pleased him or Excommunicated for those that did not meet his standards. In the end a sweet wine from Cyprus (widely believed to be Commandaria
) won the overall tasting.
Henry d'Andeli
Henry d'Andeli was a 13th century Norman poet notable for his works Lai d'Aristote and La Bataille des Vins . He also wrote Dit du Chancelier Philippe on the subject of his contemporary Philip the Chancellor....
in 1224 and tells the story of a famous wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
tasting organized by the French king Philip Augustus
Philip II of France
Philip II Augustus was the King of France from 1180 until his death. A member of the House of Capet, Philip Augustus was born at Gonesse in the Val-d'Oise, the son of Louis VII and his third wife, Adela of Champagne...
. Over 70 samples from France
French wine
French wine is produced in several regions throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France has the world's second-largest total vineyard area, behind Spain, and is in the position of being the world's largest wine producer...
and across Europe, including Cyprus, Spain
Spanish wine
Spanish wines are wines produced in the southwestern European country of Spain. Located on the Iberian Peninsula, Spain has over 2.9 million acres planted—making it the most widely planted wine producing nation but it is the third largest producer of wine in the world, the largest...
and the Mosel region, were tasted and judged by an English priest. The priest classified the wines he tasted as either Celebrated for those which pleased him or Excommunicated for those that did not meet his standards. In the end a sweet wine from Cyprus (widely believed to be Commandaria
Commandaria
Commandaria is an amber-coloured sweet dessert wine made in the Commandaria region of Cyprus on the foothills of the Troödos mountains. Commandaria is made from sun-dried grapes of the varieties Xynisteri and Mavro. While often a fortified wine, through its production method it often reaches high...
) won the overall tasting.
Celebrated wines
- LaonLaonLaon is the capital city of the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-History:The hilly district of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held strategic importance...
- ClermontClermont-In Canada:*Clermont, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec*Clermont, Capitale-Nationale, Quebec-In France:* Clermont, Ariège, in the Ariège département* Clermont, Haute-Savoie, in the Haute-Savoie département* Clermont, Landes, in the Landes département...
- CrouyCrouyCrouy is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Population:...
- SoissonsSoissonsSoissons is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France, located on the Aisne River, about northeast of Paris. It is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital of the Suessiones...
- Montmorency
- HautvillersHautvillersHautvillers is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France....
- ÉpernayÉpernayÉpernay is a commune in the Marne department in northern France. Épernay is located some 130 km north-east of Paris on the main line of the Eastern railway to Strasbourg...
- ArgenteuilArgenteuilArgenteuil is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. Argenteuil is a sub-prefecture of the Val-d'Oise department, the seat of the arrondissement of Argenteuil....
- Deuil
- PierrefittePierrefittePierrefitte is the name of several communes in France:*Pierrefitte, Corrèze*Pierrefitte, Creuse*Pierrefitte, Deux-Sèvres*Pierrefitte, VosgesIt is also part of the name of several communes:*Pierrefitte-en-Auge, in the Calvados département...
- MarlyMarly-France:* Marly, in the Moselle département* Marly, in the Nord département* Marly-Gomont, in the Aisne département* Marly-la-Ville, in the Val-d'Oise département...
- TrilbardouTrilbardouTrilbardou is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-External links:* * *...
- SézanneSézanneSézanne is a commune in the Marne department and Champagne-Ardenne region in north-eastern France. Its inhabitants are called Sézannais.-See also:*Communes of the Marne department...
- Saint-YonSaint-YonSaint-Yon is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France.Inhabitants of Saint-Yon are known as Saint-Yonais.-References:** -External links:* * *...
- SamoisSamoisSamois was a lesbian-feminist BDSM organization based in San Francisco that existed from 1978 to 1983. It took its name from the fictional estate of Anne-Marie, a lesbian dominatrix character in Story of O, who pierces and brands O...
- OrléansOrléans-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
- JargeauJargeauJargeau is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.It lies about south of Paris.-External links:*...
- TonnerreTonnerreTonnerre is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.-Twin town:* Nenagh, North Tipperary, Ireland-References:*...
- AuxerreAuxerreAuxerre is a commune in the Bourgogne region in north-central France, between Paris and Dijon. It is the capital of the Yonne department.Auxerre's population today is about 45,000...
- Chablis
- Saint-BrisSaint-Bris-le-VineuxSaint-Bris-le-Vineux is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.It lies near Auxerre.-See also:* Saint-Bris AOC, a white wine from the area around Saint-Bris-le-Vineux, made from Sauvignon variety grapes....
- VermentonVermentonVermenton is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.The remains of the former Cistercian Reigny Abbey are situated here....
- OrchaiseOrchaiseOrchaise is a commune in the Loir-et-Cher department of central France....
- VézelayVézelayVézelay is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France. It is a defendable hill town famous for Vézelay Abbey. The town and the Basilica of St Magdelene are designated UNESCO World Heritage sites....
- MontrichardMontrichardMontrichard is a town and commune in the Loir-et-Cher département, in France.-Geography:The town lies on the north bank of the Cher river. south of Blois, west of Vierzon and east of Tours...
- LassayLassay-les-ChâteauxLassay-les-Châteaux is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France.-See also:*Communes of the Mayenne department*Parc naturel régional Normandie-Maine...
- SancerreSancerreSancerre is a medieval hilltop town , commune and canton in the Cher department of central France overlooking the Loire River. It is noted for its wine.-History:...
- SavignySavigny-In France:*Savigny, Manche, in the Manche département*Savigny, Haute-Marne, in the Haute-Marne département*Savigny, Rhône, in the Rhône département*Savigny, Haute-Savoie, in the Haute-Savoie département...
- BeauneBeauneBeaune is the wine capital of Burgundy in the Cote d'Or department in eastern France. It is located between Paris and Geneva.Beaune is one of the key wine centers in France and the annual wine auction of the Hospices de Beaune is the primary wine auction in France...
- NeversNeversNevers is a commune in – and the administrative capital of – the Nièvre department in the Bourgogne region in central France...
- IssoudunIssoudunIssoudun is a commune in the Indre department in central France. It is also referred to as Issoundun, which is the ancient name.-History:...
- ChâteaurouxChâteaurouxChâteauroux is the capital of the Indre department in central France and the second-largest town in the province of Berry, after Bourges. Its residents are called Castelroussines or Castelroussins....
- BuzançaisBuzançaisBuzançais is a commune in the Indre département in central France. It has an area of . It had a population of 4,604 as of the most recent census. It is situated northwest of Châteauroux, the nearest large city and is near the Brenne regional nature preserve. It is at an elevation of 114 meters or...
- PoitiersPoitiersPoitiers is a city on the Clain river in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and of the Poitou-Charentes region. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture, especially from the Romanesque...
- ChauvignyChauvignyChauvigny is a commune in the Vienne department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France.Chauvigny is located east of Poitiers by rail. The town is situated overlooking the Vienne River and a small brook. Chauvigny is twinned with Billericay in Essex, England.-Sights:Chauvigny features two...
- Saint-Pourçain
- La RochelleLa RochelleLa Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
- MontmorillonMontmorillonMontmorillon is a commune in the Vienne department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France.The clay mineral montmorillonite was named after Montmorillon after its discovery there in 1847.-External links:*...
- Saint-Jean-d'AngélySaint-Jean-d'AngélySaint-Jean-d'Angély is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.The commune has its historical origins in the Abbey of Saint-Jean-d'Angély.-Royal abbey:...
- TaillebourgTaillebourgTaillebourg may refer to:* Taillebourg, Charente-Maritime, a French commune* Taillebourg, Lot-et-Garonne, a French commune of the Lot-et-Garonne department* Battle of Taillebourg* Château de Taillebourg...
- SaintesSaintesSaintes is a French commune located in Poitou-Charentes, in the southwestern Charente-Maritime department of which it is a sub-prefecture. Its inhabitants are called Saintaises and Saintais....
- AngoulêmeAngoulême-Main sights:In place of its ancient fortifications, Angoulême is encircled by boulevards above the old city walls, known as the Remparts, from which fine views may be obtained in all directions. Within the town the streets are often narrow. Apart from the cathedral and the hôtel de ville, the...
- Saint-ÉmilionSaint-ÉmilionSaint-Émilion is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-History:Saint-Émilion's history goes back to prehistoric times and is a World Heritage site, with fascinating Romanesque churches and ruins stretching all along steep and narrow streets.The Romans planted...
- BordeauxBordeauxBordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
- MoissacMoissacMoissac is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in southern France. It is famous world-wide mostly for the artistic heritage handed down by the ancient Saint-Pierre Abbey.-History:...
- MontpellierMontpellier-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
- BéziersBéziersBéziers is a town in Languedoc in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Hérault department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event...
- CarcassonneCarcassonneCarcassonne is a fortified French town in the Aude department, of which it is the prefecture, in the former province of Languedoc.It is divided into the fortified Cité de Carcassonne and the more expansive lower city, the ville basse. Carcassone was founded by the Visigoths in the fifth century,...
- NarbonneNarbonneNarbonne is a commune in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Once a prosperous port, it is now located about from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea...
Excommunicated wines
- ChambillyChambillyChambilly is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France.-References:*...
- Le MansLe MansLe Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
- RennesRennesRennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
- ÉtampesÉtampesÉtampes is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southwest from the center of Paris . Étampes is a sub-prefecture of the Essonne department....
- ArgencesArgencesArgences is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in north-western France.-Population:-References:*...
- BeauvaisBeauvaisBeauvais is a city approximately by highway north of central Paris, in the northern French region of Picardie. It currently has a population of over 60,000 inhabitants.- History :...
- Châlons-sur-Marne