🗺️ French wine
The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grapes and appellations.
French wine is the wine and winemaking of France. The country has long been counted among the world's main wine places. There are many different areas, grapes and appellations, and French rules of origin became a model for other countries.
The main regions are Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Alsace, the Loire Valley, the Rhône Valley, Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence, Corsica, the South-West and Beaujolais. Each area has its own climate and soils. Bordeaux is known for red blends, Burgundy for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Champagne for sparkling wine, Alsace for aromatic whites. Provence makes a lot of rosé.
In France wines are named after the place, not the grape: labels more often show the name of a village or a plot. A system of appellations protects these names. French wine is part of the wines of Europe. Because of its variety, it is easiest to study by region, which helps one understand what stands behind a name on a bottle.
What it includes
- 📜 Atlantique
- 📍 Beaujolais
- 📍 Bordeaux
- 📍 Burgundy
- 📜 Bugey
- 📜 Haute-Vienne
- 📍 Loire Valley
- 📍 Rhône Valley
- 📜 Isère
- 📜 Île-de-France
- 📜 Calvados
- 📍 Corsica
- 📜 Coteaux de Coiffy
- 📜 Coteaux de l'Ain
- 📍 Languedoc-Roussillon
- 📍 Lorraine
- 📜 Haute-Marne
- 📜 Pineau des Charentes
- 📍 Provence
- 📜 Puy-de-Dôme
- 📜 Roussette du Bugey
- 📍 Savoie
- 📜 Méditerranée
- 📜 Franche-Comté
- 📍 Champagne
- 📜 Charentais
- 📍 Alsace
- 📍 South West France
- 📍 Jura
Links
- Part of
- 🗺️ Wines of Europe
- Native grapes
- 🍇 Cabernet Sauvignon, 🍇 Pinot Gris, 🍇 Gamay, 🍇 Pinot Blanc, 🍇 Pinot Noir, 🍇 Merlot, 🍇 Cabernet Franc, 🍇 Malbec, 🍇 Carménère, 🍇 Pinot Meunier, 🍇 Chardonnay, 🍇 Syrah, 🍇 Viognier, 🍇 Sauvignon Blanc, 🍇 Chenin Blanc, 🍇 Sémillon, 🍇 Carignan, 🍇 Aligoté, 🍇 Petit Verdot, 🍇 Alicante Bouschet, 🍇 Roussanne, 🍇 Marsanne, 🍇 Durif, 🍇 Vidal Blanc, 🍇 Piquepoul, 🍇 Chambourcin, 🍇 Clairette, 🍇 Rupestris du Lot, 🍇 Cinsaut, 🍇 St. Laurent, 🍇 Muscat Ottonel, 🍇 Melon de Bourgogne, 🍇 Marselan, 🍇 Folle Blanche, 🍇 Muscadelle, 🍇 Grolleau, 🍇 Bourboulenc, 🍇 Petit Manseng, 🍇 Altesse, 🍇 Mauzac, 🍇 Alphonse Lavallée, 🍇 Sauvignon Gris, 🍇 101-14 Millardet et de Grasset, 🍇 Richter 110, 🍇 Douce Noire, 🍇 41 B Millardet et de Grasset, 🍇 Riparia Gloire de Montpellier, 🍇 Colombard, 🍇 Tannat, 🍇 Savagnin, 🍇 Bastardo, 🍇 Baco Noir, 🍇 Pinot Noir Précoce, 🍇 Poulsard, 🍇 Clairette Blanche, 🍇 Gros Manseng, 🍇 Hondarrabi Zuri, 🍇 Mondeuse Noire, 🍇 Millardet et Grasset 420 A, 🍇 Couderc 161-49 … +306
- Wines made here
- 🍷 Rosé, 🍷 Saignée rosé, 🍷 Blended rosé, 🍷 Blanc de blancs, 🍷 Blanc de noirs, 🍷 Vin gris, 🍷 Claret, 🍷 Clairet, 🍷 Black wine, 🍷 Moelleux, 🍷 Brut nature, 🍷 Extra brut, 🍷 Brut, 🍷 Extra dry, 🍷 Sec, 🍷 Demi-sec, 🍷 Doux, 🍷 Perlant, 🍷 Pétillant, 🍷 Mousseux, 🍷 Crémant, 🍷 Champagne, 🍷 Vintage Champagne, 🍷 Non-vintage Champagne, 🍷 Prestige cuvée, 🍷 Grower Champagne, 🍷 Rosé Champagne, 🍷 Pét-nat, 🍷 Blanquette de Limoux, 🍷 Clairette de Die, 🍷 Mutage, 🍷 Mistelle, 🍷 Pineau des Charentes, 🍷 Floc de Gascogne, 🍷 Macvin du Jura, 🍷 Ratafia de Champagne, 🍷 Vin doux naturel, 🍷 Banyuls, 🍷 Maury, 🍷 Rivesaltes, 🍷 Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, 🍷 Rasteau VDN, 🍷 Rancio, 🍷 Vermouth, 🍷 Dry vermouth, 🍷 Bianco vermouth, 🍷 Quinquina, 🍷 Vin jaune, 🍷 Château-Chalon, 🍷 Flor wines, 🍷 Natural wine, 🍷 Biodynamic wine, 🍷 Kosher wine, 🍷 Alcohol-free wine, 🍷 Kir, 🍷 Kir royal, 🍷 Bordeaux blend, 🍷 GSM blend, 🍷 Vin nouveau, 🍷 Beaujolais nouveau … +4
- Related to
- 🍷 Traditional method, 🍷 Charmat method, 🍷 Ancestral method, 🍷 Tirage, 🍷 Lees ageing, 🍷 Riddling, 🍷 Gyropalette, 🍷 Pupitre, 🍷 Disgorgement, 🍷 Dosage, 🍷 Liqueur d'expédition, 🍷 Cuvée, 🍷 Assemblage, 🍷 Reserve wine, 🍷 Late harvest wine, 🍷 Vendanges tardives, 🍷 Sélection de grains nobles, 🍷 Noble rot, 🍷 Botrytised wine, 🍷 Sauternes, 🍷 Cryoextraction, 🍷 Straw wine, 🍷 Vin de paille, 🍷 Passerillage, 🍷 Jurançon
- Classifications
- 🏷️ Vin de garde, 🏷️ Appellation d'origine contrôlée, 🏷️ Vin de pays / IGP, 🏷️ Vin de France, 🏷️ VDQS, 🏷️ Grand cru, 🏷️ Premier cru, 🏷️ Burgundy Grand Cru, 🏷️ Village appellation, 🏷️ Regional appellation, 🏷️ Alsace Grand Cru, 🏷️ Échelle des crus, 🏷️ Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, 🏷️ Grand cru classé, 🏷️ Saint-Émilion classification, 🏷️ Graves classification, 🏷️ Cru Bourgeois, 🏷️ Cru Artisan, 🏷️ Beaujolais cru, 🏷️ Villages, 🏷️ Barrique, 🏷️ Biological ageing, 🏷️ Oxidative ageing
- Grape products
- 🥃 Cognac, 🥃 VS, VSOP, XO, 🥃 Armagnac, 🥃 Marc, 🥃 Verjuice
Frequently asked questions
What are the main wine regions of France?
Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Alsace, the Loire, the Rhône, Languedoc-Roussillon, Provence and the South-West.
Why are French wines named after places, not grapes?
In France origin matters most: labels show the name of a village, plot or region.
What is French wine known for?
The variety of its areas and its system of appellations, which became a model for other countries.
Similar
🗺️ Spanish wine · 🗺️ Italian wine · 🗺️ Austrian wine · 🗺️ German wine · 🗺️ Hungarian wine · 🗺️ Portuguese wine
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.