The Principal Wine Regions of France
 Geographically France covers a land area of around 547,000 sq kilometres with a correspondingly large difference in topography, weather and temperatures. It shares it's borders with Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Andorra. With such influences it should be no wonder that French food and wine has such a wide variation. The south, wonderfully Mediterranean, evoking the sun, herbs, and fresh tomatoes. The classic food and wine to be experienced travelling up the Rhone valley to the cream, butter, apples and calvados of Normandy.
Bordeaux
The city of Bordeaux is on the River Garonne just before it widens into the Gironde estaury where it is joined by the waters of the River Dordogne. The wine region places Médoc on the left bank of the Garonne (southern side of the estuary) with Côtes de Bourg to the north. Moving inland south west of the city brings us to the region to find Graves and Sauternes; the right bank of the Dordogne (towards the north) finds the smaller but very important areas of Pomerol and St Emilion.
It is characteristic of Bordeaux that the majority of its wines are marketed under the name of the chateau (could be a cottage to a mansion) in which they were grown and produced; there are numerous names to look out for. Cabernet Sauvignon is the main grape varity in Medoc wines from communes such as Margaux and St-Estephes and it brings crispness to the wines of Graves. These wines are deep cloured purple, silky smooth, well balanced, have the aroma of blackcurrants and very often are oaky. Other grape varieties are the Cabernet Franc and Merlot, used in differing amounts.
The Loire
At 635 miles the Loire is the longest river in France, it rises in the Ardéche as a clear mountain stream and joins the Atlantic as a broad grey-brown mass of water. It travels through 12 départements and through or close to the towns of Pouilly-sur-Loire, Orléans, Tours, Angers and Nantes before joining the Atlantic by St Nazaire.
The Loire valley produces a huge number of different wines from a plentiful variety of grapes. Beginning with white, the most important grapes are Chenin Blanc or Pineau de la Loire giving very diverse wines from chalk-dry to heavenly sweet. The Sauvignon grape was probably imported from the south west and produces fresh tasting wines often with a marked bouquet of asparagus, fennel, fruit and flowers. Cabernet Franc or Breton which produces a milder more congenial grape than Cabernet Sauvignon. The Pineau d'Aunis: Aunis is a village in the area of Saumur and this grape makes mostly fresh, dry roses with an occasional red wine. Other grape varieties to look out for are:
| Pinot Gris |
Less productive grape, makes a robust supple wine ranging from dry to semi sweet |
| Gamay Noir a Jus Blanc |
Of Beaujolais origin:common in the Loire valley |
| Muscadet or Melon de Bourgogne |
A hardy frost resistant grape, related to the Gamay Noir a Jus Blanc of Beaujolais. The basis of all Muscadets |
| Romorantin |
Predominantly found in the Touraine but originally from Burgundy. Important in Cheverny |
Burgundy
 Bourgogne is the French for Burgundy; greater Burgundy includes the Cote Chalonnaise and Maconnaise to the south and even further south, almost into the suburbs of Lyon, Beaujolais; Chablis is to the north of Beaune, Burgundy's wine capital. The architecture, gothic gables and steep scalloped roofs make Beaune a major tourist attraction but many of the wine villages in the area look unchanged since the Middle Ages when the Dukes of Burgundy ran the region as a self governing state. Today it is still a land of peasant farmers, many running around in Mercedes but retaining the mentality of a smallholder.
Cote d'Or is the Burgundy heartland; Cote de Beaune in the south where all the great white burgundy and some fine red is made and the smaller Cote de Nuits in the north which produces the most concentrated reds. There are four levels of appellation amongst the Cote d'Or's total of more than 60.
Below are a selection of wines from these principal wine regions in France:
Related Wine Shop Products
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Marino Wine Box |
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This pair of tasty wines from the Bordeau region arrive snugly fitted into a pretty painted wooden box. The delightful Bordeaux Rouge is made from vines grown on the hills overlooking the Garonne River, a region producing particularly elegant wines. The... |
| £27.00 | Virginia Hayward |  |
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Macon Blanc Villages Caves de Lugny - 2009 |
| Burgundy White Wine 75 cl Bottle
State of the art temperature control and vinification facilities have enable the winemakers at the Caves de Lugny to capture the crisp Chardonnay flavours and rip... |
| £7.99 | Winehound | |
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Bourgogne Aligote Domaine du Prieure - 2008 |
| Burgundy White Wine 75 cl Bottle
From the village of Savigny in the Côte de Beaune, Jean Michel Maurice takes pride in preserving the subtle influence of the terroir and varietal character ... |
| £9.49 | Winehound | |
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Petit Chablis Domaine Alain Gautheron - 2008 |
| Chablis White Wine 75 cl Bottle
The excellent Gautheron estate of only 18 hectares in Fleys has been in the Gautheron family for five generations. Using well-ripened Chardonnay, which is grown on... |
| £9.99 | Winehound | |
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Bourgogne Pinot Noir Domaine du Prieure - 2008 |
| Burgundy Red Wine 75 cl Bottle
This Bourgogne Pinot Noir is from a tiny 2 hectare plot just outside the Savigny appellation. It extols the virtues of pure Pinot fruit with captivating ripe perfum... |
| £10.49 | Winehound | |
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Hautes Cotes de Beaune Domaine du Prieure - 2008 |
| Burgundy Red Wine 75 cl Bottle
From the village of Savigny in the Côte de Beaune, Jean Michel Maurice takes pride in preserving the subtle influence of the terroir and pure essence of Pinot... |
| £12.49 | Winehound | |
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Rose d'Anjou ' l'Ambroisie' - 2008 |
| Loire Valley Rose Wine 75 cl Bottle
A bright salmon pink rosé made from the Groslot grape variety, grown on the gravel soils of the central Loire. It is a medium dry rosé, the sweet... |
| £7.49 | Winehound | |
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Muscadet Sur Lie Domaine des Herbauges - 2009 |
| Loire Valley White Wine 75 cl Bottle
Muscadet, made from the Melon de Bourgogne, is widely produced around the town of Nantes in the western Loire. These are crisp, refreshing dry wines, ideal wi... |
| £7.99 | Winehound | |
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Muscadet Cotes de Grandlieu sur Lie 'Cuvee Prestige' - 2009 |
| Loire Valley White Wine 75 cl Bottle
The Cotes de Grandlieu is considered a superior region of Muscadet producing intense wines. This prestige single vineyard 'Clos de la Fine' produces w... |
| £9.49 | Winehound | |
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Chinon Rose Domaine Rene Couly - 2009 |
| Loire Valley Rose Wine 75 cl Bottle
Made from Cabernet Franc grown on these beautiful vineyards on the slopes near Tours in the central Loire.Lovely pale rose colour, it has a fresh and fruity no... |
| £11.49 | Winehound | |
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Chinon Rouge Domaine Rene Couly - 2007 |
| Loire Valley Red Wine 75 cl Bottle
It is perfumed with violets and subtle oak aromas with pepper and red berry flavours on the palate. Soft and fruity on the palate with harmonious tannins. There... |
| £11.99 | Winehound | |
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Special Reserve Claret - 2006 |
| Bordeaux Red Wine 75 cl Bottle
The vineyards are predominately situated mainly near Castillon la Bataille, where chalky clay soils are well suited to Merlot. The colour is a deep red with a touch... |
| £7.99 | Winehound | |
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Chateau Bel Air - 2007 |
| Bordeaux Red Wine 75 cl Bottle
Chateau Belair is an excellent Petit Chateau, located on terraces overlooking the Gironde River, and their Bordeaux wine is a classic blend of 50% each of Cabernet ... |
| £9.49 | Winehound | |
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Chateau du Cros - 2002 |
| Bordeaux White Wine 75 cl Bottle
A rich and concentrated dessert wine from a blend of Semillon, Sauvignon and Muscadelle grapes affected by noble rot and aged in barrel like classic Sauternes. It... |
| £19.99 | Winehound | |
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Chateau Brown - 2004 |
| Bordeaux White Wine 75 cl Bottle
The lively flavours of Sauvignon are restrained by the fullness of the Semillon which both thrive on excellent gravel soils of the northern Graves. Situated to th... |
| £28.99 | Winehound | |
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