It’s impossible to have a discussion about wine without mentioning France. While new world producers like Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and Argentina have grown into formidable wine regions in their own right and there’s an emerging interest in lesser explored old world producers like Armenia, Hungary, Lebanon, Cyprus, and Georgia—the birthplace of wine—France continues to be a reference point for oenophiles and the wine industry at large. Grape varietals such as cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, and pinot noir are planted around the world—all with their origins in France—while ageing in oak barrels has also become quotidian practice globally. Indeed, the nation seems to loom over the very vernacular of wine, with wines often analogised to their French ‘counterparts’ for illustrative purposes — “this Adelaide Hills sparkling is like Champagne.”
The forefather of modern day winemaking, some of France’s wine regions are better known than others — Champagne, Bordeaux, Burgundy, and the Loire Valley spring to mind. But with the nation home to 11 major wine regions, there’s a profusion of sensory surprises to be had around the country. From the cool climate wines of the north to the ripe, earthy styles of the Mediterranean south, these are the key wine regions in France to know about. And, what’s worth pouring from each.
Alsace
Sitting on the French-German border in the northeastern region of France, the cool climate French wine region of Alsace is known for its riesling, gewürztraminer, silvaner, pinot gris, pinot blanc, and muscat. While it’s possible to find pinot noir here, the majority of the wines produced in the Alsace region are white, and characterised by their dry, aromatic style with notes of honey and smoke on the nose. Notably, Alsace is the only region in France that labels wines with their grape varietal rather than their appellation — following the German nomenclature.
One of the most picturesque regions in the country, Alsace is home to several storybook villages—one of which was the inspiration for Belle’s home in Beauty and the Beast!—as well as scenic mountains and architecture that reflects the French-German confluence, making it an ideal road trip destination for wine lovers.
Main subregions: Haut-Rhin, Bas-Rhin
Top red grape varietals: pinot noir
Top white grape varietals: riesling, gewürztraminer, silvaner, pinot gris, pinot blanc, muscat
Beaujolais
A formerly maligned region (and technically part of Burgundy), Beaujolais was once associated with cheap wine that underwent little to no ageing. Now, it’s being embraced for its eminently drinkable, approachable, affordable, and—quite frankly—fun wines. Proving not all wine has to make a complex statement to taste good, wines from the Beaujolais region of France are known for their simple, fruit-forward flavours and unpretentious character. It’s also become one of the country’s early adopters in the natural wine movement. While you can find decent white wines here, it’s the gamays that are most worth seeking out here; defined by their vibrant red fruit flavours and light bodied style.
Main appellations: Saint-Amour, Juliénas, Chénas, Moulin-à-Vent, Fleurie, Chiroubles, Morgon, Régnié, Brouilly, Côte de Brouilly, Beaujolais, Beaujolais Villiages
Top red grape varietals: gamay
Top white grape varietals: chardonnay, aligoté
Burgundy (Bourgogne)
With a pursuit for elegance and excellence in every pour, Burgundy is considered the holy grail for many a wine lover. The birthplace of both pinot noir and chardonnay, Burgundy is home to some of the world’s best wines — not to mention, some of the most expensive. Rather than a focus on powerful wines, the Burgundy wine style is defined by its complexity in the glass, with complex and aromatic wines that reflect their terroir.
The Burgundy wine region of France is the country’s most complicated. Located in the central-east part of the country, Burgundy (or ‘Bourgogne’ in French) is divided into five primary subregions; Chablis, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise, and Mâconnais, each with its own distinct terroir and character.
Despite being home to some of the most expensive wines in the world, the region’s obsessive dedication to quality means Burgundy boasts good wines at every price point. While many of Burgundy’s Grand Cru and Premier Cru pours are last meal worthy, there are several ‘Bourgogne blanc’ and ‘Bourgogne rouge’ wines from unclassified vineyards that represent solid accessible starting points.
Main subregions: Chablis, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais
Top red grape varietals: pinot noir
Top white grape varietals: chardonnay, aligoté
Bordeaux
The second-largest wine growing region in France, Bordeaux is known for its big, bold reds. Not quite as difficult to decipher as Burgundy, Bordeaux is divided into the Left Bank, with an emphasis on cabernet sauvignon and home to a number of large luxury conglomerates, and the Right Bank, which focuses on merlot and is home to several small, artisanal producers. There’s also Entre-Deux-Mers. Sitting in between the Left and Right Banks (the name itself means “between the two seas”), the subregion is known for its inexpensive dry whites, but also has some hidden gems when it comes to reds and sweet white wines.
While Bordeaux is celebrated for its full-bodied red wines, its Sauternes dessert wines—made from sauvignon blanc, sémillon, and muscadelle that have been affected by noble rot—are equally worth exploring.
Main subregions: Left Bank, Right Bank, Entre-Deux-Mers
Main appellations: Saint-Julien, Pauillac, Saint-Estèphe, Margaux, Pessac-Léognan, Pomerol, Saint-Émilion
Top red grape varietals: cabernet sauvignon, merlot
Top white grape varietals: sauvignon blanc, sémillon, muscadelle
Champagne
White often associated with celebration or special occasions, for many, Champagne is a way of life. The term ‘Champagne’ is exclusively reserved for use for sparkling wines produced in the specifically designated appellation of the same name, located north-east of Paris. Sparkling wines produced outside this area are simply labelled sparkling wine (or crémant, if produced in one of nine designated regions across France and Luxembourg, which use the same technique as Champagne).
Champagne is predominantly made from a blend of pinot noir, pinot meunier, and chardonnay, however pinot blanc, pinot gris, arbane, chardonnay rose, and petit meslier are also permissible. While Champagne is home to many household names from luxury conglomerates—think Dom Pérignon, Moët & Chandon, Krug, and Veuve Clicquot—there are still major players that have remained independent, like the family-owned Louis Roederer, as well as numerous emerging grower-producers worth looking into.
Main subregions: Aube, Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne, Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne
Top red grape varietals: pinot noir, pinot meunier
Top white grape varietals: chardonnay
Corsica
Technically under French rule, the Mediterranean island of Corsica’s geographical closeness to Italy gives it distinct character from both countries — here, it’s possible to find pinot noir, tempranillo, and barbarossa growing alongside each other. Best worth seeking out though is the region’s nielluccio, in both red and rosé form, as well as its herbal-led vermentinos.
Main appellations: Cap Corse, Patrimonio, Calvi, Ajaccio, Sartène, Figari, Porto-Vecchio, Greater Vin de Corse region, Muscat du Cap Corse
Top red grape varietals: nielluccio, sciacarello
Top white grape varietals: vermentino
Languedoc-Roussillon
This underrated region is a gem for lovers of a good bargain. As France’s largest wine region, Languedoc-Roussillon has often been dismissed for its bulk production and relatively cheap output — it’s not only the country’s largest wine region, but the single largest wine-producing region in the world and alone accounts for a third of the country’s production. Located in southern France, it’s informed by a sunny climate and an abundance of limestone-based soils, which lend the wines here a certain degree of heft. It’s known for inexpensive wines, but it does take a fair amount of trial—not to mention quite a bit of error—to find the ones worth drinking. Try the grenache and Crémant de Limoux.
Main subregions: Minervois, St Chinian, Faugères, Picpoul de Pinet, Corbières, Limoux, Blanquette de Limoux
Top red grape varietals: shiraz, grenache, mourvèdre, carignan
Top white grape varietals: picpoul, grenache blanc
Loire Valley
Studded with castles and chateaus, the Loire Valley is one of the most scenic places in the country. This wine region in central France is spread across the Loire River and divided into four distinct regions; lower, middle, centre, and upper. The region is best known for its white wines, with chenin blanc reigning supreme in the wines around Vouvray and Montlouis, while in the central vineyards it’s all about sauvignon blanc and vibrant rosé. In the Muscadet region, the native melon de Bourgogne (no relation to Burgundy) stars in bone-dry, savoury whites.
Main subregions: Pays Nantais, Anjou, Saumur, Touraine, Sancerre, Auvergne, Menetou-Salon
Top red grape varietals: gamay, cabernet franc, pinot noir, malbec
Top white grape varietals: sauvignon blanc, chenin blanc, pinot blanc, pinot gris, melon de Bourgogne
Provence
Best known for its easy—sometimes a little too easy—drinking rosés, Provence has more to offer oenophiles than millennial pink pours. Aside from executing elegantly restrained rosé to perfection, the sunny region produces light yet rich and smoky reds from its mourvèdre grapes as well as a smattering of quality whites from its vermentino and clairette blanche. That said, rosé lovers will be content exploring Provence’s multivarious offerings, from the signature pale, dry style to less common complex oak-aged varieties.
Main appellations: Côtes de Provence, Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence, Coteaux Varois en Provence
Top red grape varietals: shiraz, grenache, mourvèdre, cinsault, cabernet sauvignon
Top white grape varietals: vermentino, clairette blanche, marsanne, roussanne, ugni blanc
Rhône Valley
The Rhône Valley has been making wine for millennia. The second-largest wine-growing region in France, it’s divided into Northern Rhône and Southern Rhône. The former is home to smaller wineries and best known for its rich, complex shiraz and low-acidity whites.
Meanwhile, Southern Rhône is dominated by grenache, with wines produced here shaped by cold winds and warm, sandy soil. The Châteauneuf-du-Pape is perhaps the most well regarded here, known for its grenache-based blends that produce high-alcohol reds. There’s also Tavel, a rosé appellation with rich pours made from cinsault and grenache.
Main subregions: Northern Rhône, Southern Rhône
Top red grape varietals: shiraz, grenach, cinsault
Top white grape varietals: viognier, marsanne, roussane, grenache blanc
South West (Sud Ouest)
Known as the ‘hidden corner’ of France, the South West wine region is located inland from and south to Bordeaux and next to the Pyrénées mountains. As a result, many wines have similar varietals to those from Bordeaux, however the South West boasts its own unique terroir, not to mention some unique grape varietals like mérille and ondenc. The Cahors appellation is the birthplace of malbec, and is revered for its inky black wines characterised by their dark fruit and spice notes. There’s also the rare tannat wines, a tanninic style with notes of liquorice, black currant, and smoke produced in Madiran, as well as Gascogne Blanc, a crisp, juicy white blend made with ugni blanc and colombard grapes.
Main subregions: Bergerac and Dordogne River, Garonne, Gascony, Pyrénées
Top red grape varietals: cabernet sauvignon, tannat, cabernet franc, merlot, malbec, mérille
Top white grape varietals: sauvignon blanc, ugni blanc, sémillon, muscadelle, ondenc
Enjoyed this guide to the best wine regions in France? Explore more on our drinks section.
Words by Theo Rosen & T. Angel
