One of the oldest wine growing countries in the world, France offers a variety of Old World wines made from a vast array of grapes in multiple styles. When most people think of French wines, two or three regions probably come to mind; however, French wine extends far beyond Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Champagne.
Wines from France
Throughout the French countryside, you will see verdant vineyards growing rows and rows of grapes. In 2009, only Spain outproduced France in acreage of wine grapes grown. Currently, France grows approximately 11 percent of the world's wine grapes, at about two million acres throughout the country. In spite of falling behind in acreage, however, France outpaces both Spain and Italy in production, producing a full 17.5 percent of the world's wine supply, or nearly 5 million liters.
Wines in France are named for the region and/or subregion from which they come, rather than the varietal of grape used. French law dictates what types of grapes can be blended into wines with an appellation designation. France has several regions.
Bordeaux
Perhaps the most well-known of all of France's wine regions, Bordeaux produces Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blends with other grapes added, including Petite Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, and Malbec. Red Bordeaux wines age well, and they are often powerfully tannic wines with bold flavors of dark fruits, plums, and chocolate. Some of the world's most famous wines come from the Bordeaux region, such as Chateau Lafite-Rothschilde, and the world's most expensive wine, Château Petrus. White Bordeaux wines are typically late harvest, sweet wines made from Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes. The dessert wines contain notes of caramel, vanilla and apricots. These wines are labeled for the sub-regions in which they are produced: Sauternes and Barsac.
Top Vintages
According to Robert Parker, the top Bordeaux vintages (90 points and above) over the past 20 years are:
- 2010
- 2009
- 2008
- 2005
- 2003
- 2001
- 2000
- 1998
- 1995 (Pommerol and Pauillac)
Highly Rated Wines
Wines from excellent vintages are typically very good. Some of Bordeaux's top rated wines recently include:
Rating key:
- RP=Robert Parker
- WS= Wine Spectator Magazine
- W&S= Wine and Spirits
- WE=Wine Enthusiast
| Vintage | Name | Release Price | Rating |
| 2004 | Château Pichon-Longueville-Lalande | $95 | 92 RP |
| 2005 | Michael Rolland Winemakers Collection Cuvee 1 | $60 | 94 RP |
| 2004 | Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron Pauillac | $85 | 91 WS |
| 2004 | Château Lascombes | $82 | 93 RP |
| 2005 | Château de Reignac Cuvee Special | $35 | 93 RP |
| 2003 | Château Monbousquet Saint-Emilion | $70 | 93 RP |
| 2004 | Château Pichon-Longueville-Lalande | $95 | 92 RP |
| 2001 | Château Hosanna Pomerol | $150 | 91 WS |
| 2004 | Clos Fourtet Saint-Emilion | $80 | 90 WS |
| 2005 | Chateau Carbonnieux Pessac-Léognan Blanc | $50 | 93 RP |
| 2006 | Vieux Château Certan Pomerol | $175 | 96 WS |
| 2006 | Château Léoville Barton St.-Julien | $75 | 94 WS |
| 2007 | Château Léoville Barton St.-Julien | $66 | 92 WS |
| 2007 | Château Malartic-Lagravière Pessac-Léognan White | $72 | 92 WS |
| 2008 | Château Canon-La Gaffelière St.-Emilion | $57 | 93 WS |
| 2009 | Château Canon-La Gaffelière St.-Emilion | $95 | 96 WS |
| 2009 | Château Peby Faugères St.-Emilion | $95 | 96 WS |
| 2010 | Château Haut Gravet St.-Emilion | $60 | 90 WS |
Burgundy/Bourgogne
This region is famous for its world class Pinot Noir wines, labeled simply as Burgundy. Pinot Noirs from Burgundy are deep purple wines with flavors of plums, tobacco, earth, and dark fruit. The wines are often delicate and subtle with flavors that unfold as you hold the wine in your mouth.
The region has 21 appellations, many that produce spectacular Pinot Noir wines. The region also produces Chablis wines, made from Chardonnay grapes. These crisp, acidic wines offer a dry fruitiness with flavors of apples and citrus. Another well-known wine from the Burgundy region comes from the Beaujolais appellation. Beaujolais Nouveau wines are quite different than other wines. Instead of benefiting from age, Beaujolais wines, made from the Gamay grape, are fresh and fruity, meant to be drunk while in their youth.
Top Vintages
Pinot Noir grapes are notoriously persnickety, so Burgundy typically has fewer top vintages. According to Robert Parker, these are some of the best:
- 2009
- 2005
- 2003
- 1999
- 1995
Highly Rated Wines
Even in less than stellar vintages, you can find a number of very good wines from the Burgundy region.
| Vintage | Name | Release Price | Rating |
| 2005 | William Fevre Bougros Bouguerots Grand Cru Chablis | $90 | 85 WE |
| 2005 | Louis Jadot Clos Vougeo | $149 | 95 RP |
| 2005 | Joseph Drouhin Clos des Mouches Premier Cru Blanc | $90 | 91 WS |
| 2005 | Louis Jadot Moulin-a-Vent Château des Jacques | $25 | 91 WS |
| 2005 | Louis Latour Marsannay | $29 | 90 WS |
| 2004 | Faiveley Montagny, Domaine de la Croix Jacquelet | $25 | 89 WS |
| 2003 | Louis Jadot Chambolle-Musigny | $50 | 90 WS |
| 2006 | Frédéric Esmonin Mazy-Chambertin | $100 | 94 WS |
| 2006 | Louis Jadot Corton Grèves | $95 | 94 WS |
| 2007 | Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Les Clos | $72 | 95 WS |
| 2007 | Blain-Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet La Boudriotte | $50 | 94 WS |
| 2008 | Christian Moreau Père & Fils Chablis Les Clos | $75 | 94 WS |
| 2008 | Bouchard Père & Fils Corton-Charlemagne Domaine | $122 | 94 WS |
| 2009 | Joseph Faiveley Volnay Santenots | $95 | 94 WS |
| 2009 | Domaine Chevillon-Chezeaux Nuits-St.-Georges Les St.-Georges | $85 | 93 WS |
Champagne
This wine region produces sparkling wines made in the methode champenoise. The wines contain blends or singular varietals made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. Sparklers from Champagne offer flavors of vanilla, biscuits and citrus, bubbling up with a refreshing effervescence. Only wines from the Champagne region can legally be labeled as Champagne.
Top Vintages
Although much Champagne is non-vintage, some of the best Champagnes come from great vintages. The following are Champagne's recent top vintages:
- 2004
- 2002
- 2000
- 1999
- 1998
- 1997
- 1995
Highly Rated Wines
Some of Champagne's top rated wines include:
| Vintage | Name | Release Price | Rating |
| 1996 | Drappier Brut Champagne Carte d'Or | $70 | 96 WS |
| 1995 | Piper-Heidsieck Brut Champagne | $55 | 96 WS |
| 2002 | Louis Barthélémy Brut Champagne Saphir | $45 | 95 WS |
| 1996 | Charles Ellner Brut Champagne Séduction | $65 | 95 WS |
| 2002 | Ayala Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne | $70 | 94 WS |
| NV | Bollinger Brut Champagne Special Cuvée | $65 | 94 WS |
| 2006 | Pierre Gimonnet & Fils Brut Champagne Paradoxe | $61 | 94 WS |
| NV | Charles Heidsieck Brut Rosé Champagne Réserve | $75 | 94 WS |
| 2004 | Piper-Heidsieck Brut Champagne | $75 | 94 WS |
| 2006 | Louis Roederer Brut Rosé Champagne | $70 | 94 WS |
| 2007 | Roland Champion Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Special Club | $80 | 92 WS |
| 2007 | Vilmart Brut Champagne Grand Cellier d'Or | $94 | 94 WS |
Rhône
Located in the Rhône River Valley, the region has multiple appellations that each produce uniquely styled wines with different grape compositions. In general, Rhône wines are spicy with hints of smoke and lush fruit flavors. Many age well. You can find the following major appellations in the Rhône:
- Côte-Rôtie produces red wines that blend Syrah with Viognier
- Crozes-Hermitage produces red wines that blend Syrah with Marsanne and Roussanne
- Hermitage produces Syrah, Marsanne and Roussanne blends
- Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Villages use a syrah base and blend up to 12 other red and white varietals to produce spicy, powerful, rustic red wines
- Châteauneuf-du-Pape uses a Grenache base and blends as many as 12 grape varieties to produce smoky, spicy, subtle wines of great finesse
- Gigondas blends Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre
Top Vintages
According to Robert Parker, some of the top Rhône vintages are:
- 2010
- 2009
- 2007
- 2005
- 2003
- 2001
- 2000
- 1999
- 1998
- 1995
Highly Rated Wines
The Rhône produces a number of highly rated wines.
| Vintage | Name | Release Price | Rating |
| 2005 | Domaine La Garrigue Cotes du Rhone Cuvee Romain | $15 | 91 RP |
| 2005 | Paul Autard Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée La Côte Ronde | $50 | 93 WS |
| 2005 | André Brunel Côtes du Rhône-Villages Cuvée Sabrine | $18 | 91 WS |
| 2006 | Domaine de Beaurenard Côtes du Rhône-Villages Rasteau Les Argiles Bleues | $45 | 91 WS |
| 2006 | Domaine La Barroche Châteauneuf-du-Pape Pure | $75 | 95 WS |
| 2007 | Domaine St.-Préfert Châteauneuf-du-Pape Collection Charles Giraud | $75 | 98 WS |
| 2007 | Domaine Les Aphillanthes Côtes du Rhône-Villages Vieilles Vignes | $25 | 92 WS |
| 2008 | Domaine Alary Côtes du Rhône-Villages White Cairanne La Font d'Estévenas | $21 | 90 WS |
| 2008 | Domaine de la Charbonnière Châteauneuf-du-Pape | $40 | 93 WS |
| 2009 | Domaine de Beaurenard Châteauneuf-du-Pape Boisrenard | $75 | 96 WS |
| 2009 | Domaine de l'Echevin Côtes du Rhône-Villages St.-Maurice Guillaume de Rouville | $29 | 92 WS |
| 2010 | Domaine Gramenon Côtes du Rhône La Sagesse | $36 | 92 WS |
| 2010 | Domaine St.-Préfert Châteauneuf-du-Pape Auguste Favier Réserve | $58 | 97 WS |
| 2011 | Domaine de Beaurenard Châteauneuf-du-Pape White | $42 | 91 WS |
Alsace
This region sits on the German border and shares a common winemaking tradition with its neighboring country. The Alsace wine region is known for its acidic, spicy whites with flavors of apples and citrus, made from traditional German winemaking grapes. The wines may be sweet dessert style wines or dry wines. Grapes made into wines in Alsace include:
- Riesling
- Gewurztraminer
- Pinot Blanc
- Pinot Gris
- Sylvaner
Top Vintages
The grapes grown in Alsace do best with cooler weather. Some of Alsace's best vintages include:
- 2008
- 2007
- 2001
- 2000
- 1998
- 1994
Highly Rated Wines
Alsatian wines often get lost in the shuffle because of their more popular German counterparts, but the region still makes some excellent wines.
| Vintage | Name | Release Price | Rating |
| 2008 | Barmès Buecher Riesling Alsace Grand Cru Hengst | $62 | 94 WS |
| 2008 | Zind-Humbrecht Gewürztraminer Alsace Wintzenheim | $36 | 93 WS |
| 2009 | Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Alsace Wintzenheim Clos Häuserer | $53 | 94 WS |
| 2009 | Ostertag Riesling Alsace Fronholz | $45 | 93 WS |
| 2010 | Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Gris Alsace Vendange Tardive Vieilles Vignes | $63 | 95 WS |
| 2010 | Jean Ginglinger & Fils Pinot Gris Alsace Cuvée Schneckenberg | $21 | 93 WS |
| 2011 | Albert Mann Gewürztraminer Alsace | $25 | 91 WS |
Loire
Situated along the Loire River in the valley, the Loire wine region is known predominately for its white wines. It has multiple subregions, including:
- Sancerre & Pouilly-Fumé: Growing mostly Sauvignon Blanc, these two regions produce crisp whites with floral and mineral notes
- Anjou-Saumur: Making primarily rosé wines from the Cabernet Franc grape, as well as white wines from Chenin Blanc, wines from Anjou are light and often crisp, while wines from Saumur are sparkling Crémant wines made in the methode champenoise
- Vouvray: Made from crisp, herbaceous Sauvignon blanc grapes, these light whites taste of citrus and herbs
- Muscadet: Known for white wines made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape, the region produces tangy, slightly effervescent whites.
Top Vintages
Loire wines drink young because they are predominately white. The top vintages in the past ten years include:
- 2005
- 2001
Highly Rated Wines
While Loire wines seldom garner 95+ point ratings, there are many respectable wines from this region.
| Vintage | Name | Release Price | Rating |
| 2005 | Pascal Jolivet Pouilly Fume | $30 | 90 W&S |
| 2005 | Michel Redde Pouilly Fume La Moynerie | $30 | 90 W&S |
| 2006 | Yannick Amirault Bourgueil Les Quartiers | $30 | 92 WS |
| 2006 | François Chidaine Vouvray Le Bouchet | $28 | 92 WS |
| 2007 | Domaine du Petit Métris Quarts de Chaume Les Guerches | $75 | 95 WS |
| 2007 | Domaine des Baumard Coteaux du Layon Clos de Ste.-Catherine | $50 | 92 WS |
| 2008 | Bernard Baudry Chinon Les Grézeaux | $28 | 92 WS |
| 2008 | Domaine d'Orfeuilles Vouvray Les Condraies | $18 | 91 WS |
| 2009 | Château de la Roulerie Coteaux du Layon-Chaume Les Aunis | $38 | 93 WS |
| 2009 | Yves Martin Sancerre Chavignol | $23 | 92 WS |
| 2010 | Domaine Huët Vouvray Sec Le Mont | $33 | 93 WS |
| 2010 | Eric Hérault Chinon Cuvée Tradition | $14 | 92 WS |
| 2011 | Claude Riffault Sancerre Les Denisottes | $30 | 91 WS |
| 2011 | Hubert Veneau Pouilly-Fumé | $25 | 90 WS |
Languedoc
This region produces many French table wines made from blends of red grapes such as Mourvèdre, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Grenache. The wines from the region range from whites and blush wines to full-bodied reds, depending on the blend of grapes used.
Top Vintages
Several of Languedoc's recent vintages have been good including:
- 2010
- 2008
- 2007
- 2006
Highly Rated Wines
Like the Loire, Languedoc wines don't pull in super high ratings, but there are some very good value wines from this region.
| Vintage | Name | Release Price | Rating |
| 2006 | Domaine de Nizas Rose | $20 | 90 WE |
| 2006 | Clos des Nines Coteaux du Languedoc | $35 | 92 WS |
| 2007 | Mas du Soleilla Coteaux du Languedoc La Clape Les Bartelles | $35 | 92 WS |
| 2007 | Gérard Bertrand Côtes du Roussillon-Villages Tautavel Grand Terroir | $19 | 91 WS |
| 2008 | Gérard Bertrand Syrah-Carignan Minervois | $16 | 91 WS |
| 2008 | Château de Lascaux Coteaux du Languedoc | $16 | 91 WS |
| 2009 | Clos des Nines Coteaux du Languedoc L'Orée | $20 | 90 WS |
| 2010 | Hecht & Bannier Languedoc | $14 | 90 WS |
| 2011 | Cave de Roquebrun Coteaux du Languedoc Terrasses du Frigoulet | $12 | 90 WS |
Provence
The Provence wine region produces dry, fruity reds and blush wines made from Syrah, Cinsault, Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Tibouren. Most are youthful drinkers with little aging potential, and many of the wines in this region are consumed as table wines in France.
Trends
Bordeaux, Champagne, Rhone wines, and Burgundies all remain popular with wine drinkers around the world, leading to higher prices for French wines. Many New World winemakers are making wines in the tradition of popular French varieties. Many of these wines are more affordable than wines from France.
Tips for Selecting French Wines
If you would like to try French wines, consider the following:
- Select wines from good to excellent vintages
- Don't be afraid to ask your local wine shop for recommendations
- Price doesn't always indicate the quality of wines. Read wine reviews from a respected source like Wine Spectator to discover quality wines in your budget.
- Expect to pay more for top tier wines from excellent vintages.
- Wine prices often increase after wines have been rated. A great place to price the wines you'd like to try is Wine Searcher.
Finding Your French Wine
Many French wines have a deserved stellar reputation for excellence around the world. Try multiple wines to find one you enjoy that fits within your budget.
