France’s vineyards stretch across river valleys, hills and coasts, from Champagne in the north to Provence and Languedoc beside the Mediterranean. Those place names often tell you what is in the bottle: sparkling wine from Champagne, a red blend from Bordeaux or a rosé from Provence.
The grapes change as you cross France
Geography
In Bourgogne, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the two grape names to recognise. Bordeaux reds usually combine Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier are Champagne’s main grapes.
Follow the Loire and you move from Muscadet near the Atlantic to areas known for Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc farther inland. The Rhône changes too: Syrah is important in the narrow northern valley, while Grenache-led blends are common in the wider, warmer south. Provence is especially known for rosé. Languedoc makes red and white wines as well as sparkling wines around Limoux.
French labels often lead with a place
Read the label
An appellation identifies a defined place and the rules used to make its wine. French labels often put that name ahead of the grape variety. Pauillac points towards a Bordeaux red led by Cabernet Sauvignon. Sauternes means a sweet white, while Pessac-Léognan can be red or dry white.
Read the full name: a smaller place within a region may have its own rules and wines. The producer and vintage, the year the grapes were harvested, tell you more about the particular bottle.
Bordeaux introduces red blends; Champagne introduces sparkling wine
Where to begin
For red blends, begin with Bordeaux and compare a wine from its Left Bank with one from its Right Bank. For sparkling wine, Champagne explains the grapes, the bubbles and the names on the label. If Pinot Noir or Chardonnay interests you, explore Bourgogne.
The regions of France
Choose a region to read about its wines and explore the smaller growing areas within it.
- 01Alsace45 producersAlsace is a wine region in France between the Vosges Mountains and the Rhine plain. Its white wines include Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer, each named after its grape and made in styles ranging from dry to sweet. It also makes Pinot Noir reds and rosés, and sparkling Crémant d'Alsace.
- 02Beaujolais22 producersBeaujolais is a French wine region south of Burgundy, known for reds made from the Gamay grape. Alongside the broad Beaujolais and Beaujolais-Villages names, ten smaller areas have their own appellations, known as crus. These include Morgon, Fleurie and Moulin-à-Vent, whose wines differ in aroma, firmness and ageing potential.
- 03Bordeaux167 producersBordeaux is a wine region in France around the Gironde estuary and the Garonne and Dordogne rivers. It is best known for red blends made mainly from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Dry whites use Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, while Sauternes and Barsac are known for sweet white wines.
- 04Bourgogne195 producersBourgogne is a wine region in France stretching from Chablis in the north to the Mâconnais in the south. Most reds are made from Pinot Noir and most whites from Chardonnay. Wines usually take their names from where the grapes grow: the wider region, a village or an individual vineyard.
- 05Champagne262 producersChampagne is a wine region in northern France, best known for the sparkling wine of the same name. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier are its main grapes. Some wines blend several places and harvests; others come from one village or year. A second fermentation in the bottle creates the bubbles.
- 06Corse10 producersCorse is a French island wine region with granite hillsides, limestone pockets and vineyards exposed to sea winds. Niellucciu is a red grape associated with firm wines from Patrimonio; Sciaccarellu gives floral, spicy reds around Ajaccio. Vermentinu is the island's main white grape.
- 07Jura31 producersBetween Burgundy and the Alps in France lies the Jura wine region. The white grape Savagnin makes Vin Jaune, aged under a layer of yeast called voile. Chardonnay wines range from fresh styles to those deliberately exposed to oxygen during ageing. Poulsard and Trousseau are grapes used for pale, aromatic reds.
- 08Languedoc62 producersLanguedoc is a large Mediterranean wine region in France, extending from coastal vineyards to cooler foothills. Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Carignan are grapes used in many reds, while Limoux produces white and sparkling wines. Smaller wine areas include Pic Saint-Loup, Terrasses du Larzac, Faugères and Corbières.
- 09Loire126 producersThe Loire is a wine region in France following the river from the Atlantic towards the centre of the country. Its whites include Muscadet made from Melon, Chenin Blanc in styles from dry to sweet, and Sauvignon Blanc from places such as Sancerre. Cabernet Franc is an important red grape.
- 10Other producers105 producersThese producers are based in France, with no more specific region listed.
- 11Provence39 producersProvence is a Mediterranean wine region in France, best known for pale rosé. It also makes reds led by the Mourvèdre grape in Bandol, coastal whites in Cassis and inland reds around Les Baux-de-Provence.
- 12Roussillon5 producersRoussillon is a French wine region between the Pyrenees, the Mediterranean and Catalonia. Grenache and Carignan are important red grapes, used for dry wines alongside the region's sweet fortified styles. The Côte Vermeille has steep, sea-facing terraces supplying wines labelled Collioure and Banyuls.
- 13Savoie23 producersIn the French Alps, the Savoie wine region has vineyards below peaks, beside lakes and on steep slopes. The white grape Jacquère makes light, crisp wines; Altesse can give fuller textures. Mondeuse is a red grape associated with peppery wines and firm tannins, the drying grip felt in the mouth.
- 14Sud-Ouest27 producersSud-Ouest covers wine areas south and east of Bordeaux in France. Cahors is known for reds made from Malbec, while Madiran uses the Tannat grape. Jurançon makes dry and sweet whites from Manseng grapes, and Gaillac grows local varieties including Duras, Braucol, Mauzac and Len de l'El.
- 15Vallée du Rhône125 producersThe Rhône is a wine region in France with two distinct parts. In the north, Syrah is the main red grape and vineyards follow steep river slopes. The broader, warmer south is known for red blends led by Grenache. Both areas also make whites, and Tavel is known for rosé.