The French Wine Regions

If you have tipped a glass of wine in the last decade--or at least watched an old black and white movie featuring rich folks--you're likely to have heard the names of at least three of France's great wine regions--Burgundy, Champagne, and Bordeaux. There are other regions to consider when you're motoring around France as well. Here are some highlights:

Burgundy - Many of the vines here have been cultivated by monks since at least the 500s. The names of the religious orders became the names of some of France's most renouned wines: Chambertin, Santenay, Pommard, Meursault. You'll be surprised how small the great vineyards are if you decide to walk around them. Each property is made up of a many of small, disconnected parcels of land. 3500 properties are responsible for two thirds of the 24,000 hectares of vines planted.

Champagne - Less then 200 km north-east of Paris (a long day trip) starts the Champagne region. Think Veuve Clicquot, Moët et Chandon, Ruinart, Krug, Pommery, Dom Pérignon. Originally the wines of this region weren't sparkling wines. Dom Pérignon started it all by realizing that it was carbon dioxide that made the bubbles and he could make good use of it by bottling the wine before it had fully fermented.

Bordeaux - The most extensive wine producing region of France. Think Petrus, Yquem, Cheval-Blanc, Mouton Rothschild, Château-Margaux, Haut-Brion. Mostly reds made up of a blend of red grapes. But there's also the sweet sauternes of Yquem that go surprisingly well with foie gras.

Alsace - Mostly white wines produced near picturesque villages in France's northeast boundary. Twelve different varieties of grape are grown in Alsace: gewürztraminer, riesling, pinot gris (or tokay; the common current name is tokay-pinot gris), small-fruited white and pink muscat, muscat ottonel, pinot blanc, white auxerrois, pinot noir, white sylvaner, white and pink chasselas, klevener d'Heiligenstein (or pink savagnin), and chardonnay.

Loire - A diverse region in which you'll find my favorite version of Savignon Blanc: Sancerre. And there are reds as well, try a Chinon.


Article from About.com Europe and Wine touring.