Where to start with the wineries of France? After all, this is the country where the soil, climate, terrain and vine have all magically combined to produce a multitude of terroirs, and where the variety of wines is only surpassed by their excellence - wine truly is the lifeblood of France.
There are seven classic wine growing regions in France, although many interesting and sadly neglected appellations may be found outside of them. They are, in no particular order, Champagne, Alsace, the Loire Valley, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Provence and the Rhone valley. Each brings something different to the table, so lets run through some of them.
The wide dry chalk plains of the Champagne region, east of Paris, are home to that most famous of sparkling white wines. Here you will find wineries dedicated to the luxurious lightness of Moët et Chandon, Ruinart, Krug, Pommery, and Dom Pérignon.
The capital of the area, Rheims, is home to most of the champagne houses and several are free to visit, and taste, including Maxims, Taittinger and Piper-Heidsieck.
In Burgundy, in the eastern valleys of France, you'll find the many small vineyards that grow the famous Burgundy red of Pinot Noir and the even more famous Burgundy white of Chardonnay. There are many excellent wine tasting cellars in the historic town of Beaune, which also houses the Burgundy Wine Museum.
Running down into the warmer climate of the Rhone Valley, you will discover appellations where the red varieties of Grenache, Syrah and Viognier grapes dominate; less grand and more affordable than some other regions, but still eminently drinkable. Wineries are relatively few and far between in the Upper Rhone Valley, but the welcome received more than compensates for your exertions; in the town of Mauves, on the sweeping left bank of the Rhone, you'll be able to taste the superb St. Joseph appellation from Pierre Coursodon's winery.
Then there is the winery constellation that spills across the broad region of Bordeaux, where most appellations are classic reds derived from the Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes. This area produces some of the finest and most delicately nuanced wines in France, such as Mouton Rothschild, Château-Margaux, and Haut-Brion, and it is supremely well furnished with classic wineries.
In Medoc, two fantastic estates are Chateau Palmer and Chateau Margaux; in St-Émilion, try the Chateau Belair. But whereever you travel in Bordeaux, you will be spoilt for choice, with every town and village winery hanging out invites to dégustation.
For those who love the nectar of the vine, the idea of being able to tour the wineries of France is less a holiday, more a pilgrimage, in which the essence of France is swilled around a glass and experienced with ardour; a votre santé!
There are seven classic wine growing regions in France, although many interesting and sadly neglected appellations may be found outside of them. They are, in no particular order, Champagne, Alsace, the Loire Valley, Burgundy, Bordeaux, Provence and the Rhone valley. Each brings something different to the table, so lets run through some of them.
The wide dry chalk plains of the Champagne region, east of Paris, are home to that most famous of sparkling white wines. Here you will find wineries dedicated to the luxurious lightness of Moët et Chandon, Ruinart, Krug, Pommery, and Dom Pérignon.
The capital of the area, Rheims, is home to most of the champagne houses and several are free to visit, and taste, including Maxims, Taittinger and Piper-Heidsieck.
In Burgundy, in the eastern valleys of France, you'll find the many small vineyards that grow the famous Burgundy red of Pinot Noir and the even more famous Burgundy white of Chardonnay. There are many excellent wine tasting cellars in the historic town of Beaune, which also houses the Burgundy Wine Museum.
Running down into the warmer climate of the Rhone Valley, you will discover appellations where the red varieties of Grenache, Syrah and Viognier grapes dominate; less grand and more affordable than some other regions, but still eminently drinkable. Wineries are relatively few and far between in the Upper Rhone Valley, but the welcome received more than compensates for your exertions; in the town of Mauves, on the sweeping left bank of the Rhone, you'll be able to taste the superb St. Joseph appellation from Pierre Coursodon's winery.
Then there is the winery constellation that spills across the broad region of Bordeaux, where most appellations are classic reds derived from the Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes. This area produces some of the finest and most delicately nuanced wines in France, such as Mouton Rothschild, Château-Margaux, and Haut-Brion, and it is supremely well furnished with classic wineries.
In Medoc, two fantastic estates are Chateau Palmer and Chateau Margaux; in St-Émilion, try the Chateau Belair. But whereever you travel in Bordeaux, you will be spoilt for choice, with every town and village winery hanging out invites to dégustation.
For those who love the nectar of the vine, the idea of being able to tour the wineries of France is less a holiday, more a pilgrimage, in which the essence of France is swilled around a glass and experienced with ardour; a votre santé!
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