Paris Apartments > Travel Tips > French wine tasting > French wine

French Wine

There are dozens of wine-producing regions throughout France, but the seven principal regions are Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Languedoc-Roussillon, the Loire Valley and the Rhone. Areas such as Burgundy comprise many well-known districts, including Chablis, Beaujolais and Mâcon, while Bordeaux encompasses Médoc, St-Emilion and Sauternes - to name just a few ...

Alsace

Alsace's four most important varietal wines are Riesling, known for its subtlety; the more pungent and highly regarded Gewurztraminer; the robust, high-alcohol Pinot Gris; and Muscat d'Alsace, which is not as sweet as that made with Muscat grapes grown further south.

Bordeaux

The red of Bordeaux, which produces more fine wine than any other region in the world are often described as well balanced, a quality achieved by blending several grape varieties. The grapes predominantly used are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Bordeaux's foremost wine-growing areas are Médoc, Pomerol, St-Emilion and Graves; the sweet whites of the Sauternes area are the world's finest dessert wines.

Burgundy

Burgundy's red wines are produced with Pinot Noir grapes; the best vintages need 10 to 20 years to age. White wine is made from the Chardonnay grape. The five main wine-growing areas of Burgundy are Chablis, Cote d'Or, Cote Chalonnais, Macon and Beaujolais, which alone produces 13 different types of light Gamay-based red wine.

Champagne

The process of making Champagne is a long and complex one. If the final product is labelled brut, it is extra dry, with only 1.5% of sugar content. Extra-sec means it's very dry (but not as dry as brut), sec is dry and demi-sec is slightly sweet. The sweetest Champagne is called Doux.

Languedoc

This region is the country's most important wine growing area, with up to 40% of France's wine - mainly cheap wine.

Loire Region

The most common grapes are the Muscadet, Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc varieties. Wines tend to be light and delicate. The most celebrated areas are Pouilly-Fumé, Vouvray, Sancerre, Bourgueil, Chinon and Saumur.

Rhône Region

Set on steep hills beside the river, the northern vineyards make red wines exclusively from the ruby-red Syrah grape; the aromatic Viognier grape is the most popular for the white wines. The south is better known for the quantity rather than the quality of the wine it produces. The Grenache grape, which ages well when blended, is used in the reds, while the withes use the Ugni Blanc grape.

[Paris apartments in Paris]