Wine Regions of France
General Classifications
Grand Cru is the very highest classification of French wine and the term can refer to a wine either by the plot of land where the grapes are grown or, with Bordeaux wines, the chateau at which it is made. Premier Cru denotes either a vineyard plot of superior quality, or the very highest tier within a Grand Cru classification. Both wines are regulated by Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC), introduced in 1935.
Vin de Pays means wine of the land, although it is often referred to as country wine. Its EU equivalent is IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée).
Vin de France replaced the Vin de Table category in 2010 and is the most basic quality tier for French wine.
The Most Prominent Wine Regions of France:
CHAMPAGNE:
The Champagne wine region produces special wine for so many reasons. The region’s reputation dates back to when Pope Urban II declared that the wine of Aÿ (Champagne) was the best wine produced in the world, and as the region’s reputation grew, Pope Leo X, Francis I of France, Charles V of Spain and Henry VIII of England all owned vineyards in the region and thus its association with opulence was established. The Champagne house of Gosset was founded as a still wine producer in 1584 and is the oldest Champagne house still in operation today.
ALSACE:
Dominated by the Vosges Mountains, the Alsace landscape, architecture, climate and, not least, the wine has a Germanic feel. The vines grown are comparable those in the Rhine Valley in Germany, although the treatment by the winemakers has created a distinctive regional wine.
Alsace wines are powerful tending towards a dry, firm, clean flavour and are astonishingly spicy and fragrant, while the Rhine wines tend to be lighter in alcohol and fruitier.
Rhône
Although the Rhône is considered to be a single region, in reality it is two distinct parts based on different climate and grape varieties. The northern Rhône and southern Rhône wine areas are only a few miles apart, but each produces wine of significantly different styles and quantities.
BORDEAUX:
On the west coast, Bordeaux is unquestionably the most prestigious red wine producing region in the world today. While wineries in other areas produce equally great wines, no other area anywhere in the world has nearly as many wineries producing such large amounts of high-quality fine wines.Positioned by the sea and with a network of rivers, it has a stable climate, being protected from excessive rain and strong winds by the coastal forests.
LOIRE:
The Loire is the longest river in France, and the variations in soil, climate and grape varieties found along its banks are reflected in the wide range of wines grown throughout the four major wine-producing districts of the region: Nantes, Anjou-Saumur, Touraine and the Central Vineyards.
BURGUNDY:
Burgundy wines have a long history, dating back to the Roman Empire, but it was the Catholic monks that really established the vineyards in the Middle Ages, growing grapes for the church and the French aristocracy. The main grapes are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but because of its diverse landscape, the nature of the topsoil, even the drainage, infinite variables lead to significantly different characteristics between the various vineyards.
