I have been slowly becoming a red wine fan over the last few years and now I
love it.
We went to France in August (Dordogne - Bergerac area) and picked up several
bottles of local red wine from wine fairs. The wines I picked up were
lovely - full of flavour and very smooth.

On the label they all specify "Methode Traditionnelle". When I look for
French wines here in the UK non of them specify this. Exactly what does
"Methode Traditionnelle" entail ?
Is it the same as being aged for 12 Months in Oak Barrels ?

Any info greatly appreciated, and any tips on what to look out for on the
labels to get a good quality bottle.

Cheers

DJ