France While France is just barely the largest producer of wine, it produces more great wine than any other country. The wines of Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Rhône and Champagne all testify to the centuries-old reputation of quality French wine. The French have their own unique Appelation Controllée laws, which are key to understanding their wines. While perceived as a guarantee of quality, what they really are is a guarantee of authenticity – that the wine in the bottle came from the place stated on the bottle (250 recognized AC wine types in all).
The foundation of French winemaking is that soils are unique and the character and quality of wine comes from the interaction of soil, climate, grape variety, and the human element. What is exciting about recent developments in France, is the quality of wines coming from a category created in 1973, called vin de pays (VDP). Formerly thought of as simple table wines, this category now accounts for one-fifth of total wine production and over one-hundred defined areas. Many of the VDP wines are sold under their varietal names (such as Chardonnay) as in the United States, and heavily invested by large, established AC firms such as Latour and Rothschild.
| Primary Grapes: |
Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Semillon, Syrah, Muscadet |
| Secondary Grapes: |
Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Marsanne, Viognier, Grenache, Mourvedre, Chenin Blanc |
| Production: |
1.4 billion gallons annually |
Primary Wine
Region(s): |
Loire, Champagne, Alsace, Chablis, Cote d'Or, Macon, Beaujolais, Bordeaux, Languedoc-Roussillion, Rhone, Provence |
| Premium Labels: |
See links below |
| Best Values: |
See links below |
Click Any of the Links Below to Learn More About French Wines From These Specific Regions:
- Bordeaux
- Burgundy
- Champagne
- Loire Valley
- Rhone Valley
- Alsace
- Provence
- Languedoc-Roussillon
- The Southwest
- Jura & Savoie
Click Here For Official Web Site for French Wines |
