French Wine
France is the most famous wine-producing country in the world.
It has a long history of winemaking and a diverse range of wine regions.
Each region has its own unique terroir, unique grapes and unique winemaking traditions, contributing to the rich French wine culture.
The Wine Country
The French wine production has decreased from 70 million hl in 1990 to less than 50 million hl in 2020. Still, France is the second largest wine producer in the world (after Italy).
The wine districts are spread over almost all of France's 96 counties (departments).
France's geographical location and climatic conditions are ideal for growing grapes. Tradition and knowledge built up over centuries, combined with the resources and technology of our time, means that France's position at the top of the wine hierarchy is not accidental.
The breadth of French wine production is enormous, from simple everyday wines to the most sophisticated among the world's prestigious wines.
Travelling France
On the Atlantic coast you find the Bordeaux Castle Kingdom. Bordeaux left and right bank is the largest area in the world, for high quality wines.
East of Paris you find Champagne, the most prestigious wine district in the world.
On the German border you find Alsace, with its tasty white wines.
South of Paris you first meet Chablis with its dry white wines.
Then you go to Bourgogne with its great red and white wines.
Beaujolais separates Bougogne from the Rhône valley, with its fruity and full-bodied red wines.
The Loire district begins at the Atlatic sea where the Muscadet area produces dry and acidic white wines. Up the river you meet Rose d´Anjou (the quintessential off-dry rosé), and then at le Centre you meet the Sauvignon Blanc wines Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé.
On the Mediterranean coast you find beautiful Provence with its fresh and pink rosé wines.
Close to Spain you find Languedoc and Roussillon, the largest wine producing region in France.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is famous for producing some of the world's most prestigious red wines, blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec grapes.
The region is divided into the Left Bank with Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated wines, and the Right Bank with Merlot-dominated wines.
Bordeaux is also renowned for its dry white wines, such as those from the Graves and Pessac-Léognan appellations, as well as its sweet white wines from Sauternes and Barsac.
Bourgogne
Bourgogne is known for its terroir-driven Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines.
The region is divided into several sub-regions, including the Côte d'Or, which is further divided into the Côte de Nuits (famous for Pinot Noir) and the Côte de Beaune (famous for Chardonnay).
Burgundy's classification system is based on "climats," unique vineyard sites with specific geological and climatic characteristics. Some of the most prestigious appellations in Burgundy include Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, Meursault, and Puligny-Montrachet.
Champagne
Champagne is famous for its sparkling wine of the same name. Champagne is made primarily from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes using the traditional méthode champenoise, which involves a secondary fermentation in the bottle to create bubbles.
The region's cool climate and chalky soils contribute to the high acidity and finesse of Champagne wines. Champagne is divided into several sub-regions, including the Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, and Côte des Blancs.
Rhône Valley
The Rhône Valley is known for its diverse range of wines, including both red and white wines.
In the northern Rhône, Syrah is the dominant grape, producing iconic wines such as Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie, and Cornas. Viognier is also prominent in the northern Rhône, particularly in the Condrieu appellation.
In the southern Rhône, Grenache is the primary grape variety, used in blends such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, and Vacqueyras. The region is characterized by its Mediterranean climate, with warm, sunny days and Mistral winds.
Alsace
Alsace is bordering Germany. The region is known for its aromatic white wines, including Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Muscat.
Alsace wines are typically dry and full-bodied, with a strong emphasis on terroir expression. The region's unique geological formations, such as the Vosges Mountains and the Rhine River, contribute to its diverse range of soil types. Alsace is also known for its distinctive tall, slender bottles called "flûtes d'Alsace."
Vines were brought to Alsace by Roman legions, and planted on the sunny slopes of the Les Vosges Mountains. This area is characterized by its Germanic past.
The most typical grapes of Alsace is the aromatic Gewürztraminer, and the green German Riesling, but due to the climate, Alsatian Riesling has stronger taste and more body than in Germany.
Other grapes are Pinot Gris (earlier called Tokay d'Alsace), Pinot Blanc, Sylvaner and Muscat.
Alsatian wines are most often made from one grape, indicated on the label, with the name of the producer or the village.
Vendange Tardive on the label, indicates that the wine is produced from late-harvested (and ripe) grapes, we are often dealing with a wine with some residual sweetness. Sélection de Grains Nobles denotes a sweet wine, equivalent in quality to the German Beerenauslese.
About 60 vineyards in Alsace are classified as Grand Cru.
Loire Valley
The Loire Valley is known for its diverse range of wine styles, including crisp white wines, elegant red wines and sparkling wines.
The region's flagship white grapes include Sauvignon Blanc (used in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé), Chenin Blanc (used in Vouvray and Savennières), and Muscadet (made from Melon de Bourgogne grapes). The Loire Valley also produces notable red wines from Cabernet Franc (used in Chinon and Saumur-Champigny) and Gamay (used in Anjou and Touraine).
The Loire Valley - also called the Garden of France - is the place where the French kings built their finest castles. It is also the valley with an astonishingly varied range of wines, from the simple to the finest.
Grapes are grown along the entire length of the river. Here you can find both red, white and rosé, as well as significant quantities of sparkling wine.
Muscadet is located at the far end of the Atlantic Ocean, and here light, crisp dry white wines are made, which suit the sea's produce.
Further into the valley, Anjou, Saumur, Vouvray and Touraine should be mentioned in particular. Fresh, young wines with a white or pink color come from here, but sparkling wine is also made using the same fermentation method as in Champagne. Noble sweet wine is also produced in these areas. Sweet wines from Vouvray (with the sweetness designation Moelleux) and Coteaux du Layon are thus highly recognized.
In the eastern part are Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé, two areas known for relatively dry and full-bodied white wines made from the aromatic Sauvignon Blanc grape.
French Quality Hierarchy
The French wine law (1935) sets the standards for many wine-producing countries:
- AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée)
- VDQS (Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure)
- VdP (Vin de Pays) / IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée)
- VdT (Vin de Table) / VdF (Vin de France)
40% of French wines are AOC whith defined geographical origin, grapes, production method and alcohol content. The requirements for VDQS wines are less strict but still good.
Vin de Pays (country wine) are made in specific areas like Vin de Pays d'Oc from the Languedoc-Roussillon area in Mediterranean France.