Nicola researched and wrote the Champagne chapter for the latest France guidebook. Here she shares all you need to know about France’s most famous wine regions.
Gastronomy and wine go hand in hand. And it’s no surprise that in a country famed for its cuisine, wine is also celebrated as another of life’s great pleasures.
Since the Greeks and Romans introduced vine-growing to France circa the 6th century BCE, France has been one of the most important places in the world for winemaking, from creating the famed Bordeaux blend to the legendary “discovery” of champagne by Dom Pérignon. It is now the second biggest wine-producing country in the world after Italy, although its wines are arguably more revered. Between 7 and 8 billion bottles of wine are produced annually from French vineyards as far north as Champagne, all the way down to Languedoc and the Côte d’Azur on the southern coastline.
Wine producers frequently talk about terroir, which not only includes the soil of a vineyard but also its geography, climate, and microclimate. These factors are part of what gives each wine its own distinct properties, and unlike other countries, French wines are usually named after the vineyard’s location rather than the grape.
You’ll also come across AOC (meaning Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée; the French equivalent to the Europe-wide AOP, Appellation d’Origine Protégée), often just called appellation, which indicates a quality wine from a region, sub-region, commune or village. Each appellation has its own strict rules about how the wine there can be made, from which grapes can be used to how long bottles must be aged before they can be opened.
Many wine producers happily open their doors for cellar visits and tastings (called a dégustation in French), from small family producers to world-famous houses. It’s interesting to do a mix of both if you can, but wherever you choose it’s always best to contact producers in advance to make a reservation – many have set times when they’re available to greet guests. Start prepping your palate now with our guide to France’s wine regions and how to visit them.
1. Bordeaux
Best for world-famous reds
Home to centuries of winemaking, beautiful châteaux, and some of the most prestigious names in the world of fine wine, Bordeaux is one of the most famous wine regions in in the world. This region is known for its medium- to full-bodied red wines with fruity notes of blackcurrant and plums that can range from tart to sweet, and earthy aromas of wet gravel or pencil lead. However, you don’t need to panic if you’re visiting France on a budget – despite its esteemed reputation, you can find wines in Bordeaux at every price point.
There are 13 grape varieties allowed to be grown in the region although the famous Bordeaux blend, which has been copied around the world, incorporates up to just six of these grapes: Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon (which must be present for it to be considered a Bordeaux blend), Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carménère. White wines are usually a blend of Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc, with a small percentage of Muscadelle.
The three rivers that run through the region – the Gironde, the Garonne and the Dordogne – split Bordeaux into three main areas: the Left Bank, the Right Bank and Entre Deux Mers (“between two seas” in English). In general, the Left Bank, which comprises Medoc, Graves, and Sauternes, is known for its Cabernet Sauvignon whilst on the Right Bank, which is where you’ll find the villages of Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, Merlot is the dominant grape.
Entre Deux Mers is known for its white wines which tend to be made from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. If you like sweet dessert wines, the best come from Sauternes – Sémillon is the most important grape, blended with Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle.
As well as the region being one of the most famous in the world for wine, the city of Bordeaux is one of France’s loveliest, noted for its neoclassical architecture. Whilst there you can also check out Cité du Vin, a relatively new wine museum that introduces you to the world of wine (think sniffing scents to identify wine aromas), and offers tastings with a 360-degree view of the city.
Getting to Bordeaux: You can get to Bordeaux city center by train, which if you’re coming from Paris takes around 2.5 hours. If you plan to see Bordeaux’s famous vineyards, it’s best to hire a car.
Wineries we recommend: On the Left Bank, Cos d’Estournel is open for tastings by appointment and has its own hotel, Maison d’Estournel, if you want to spend a night surrounded by vineyards. Over on the Right Bank, the beautiful Château Angelus isn’t open for visits or wine tastings, but you can stay at the winery’s hotel Le Logis de la Cadène or enjoy the wines as part of a pairing at the Michelin-star restaurant – the oldest restaurant in Saint-Émilion.
Also in Saint-Émilion is Château Troplong Mondot, another luxe hotel (with a Michelin star restaurant) that is also open to the public for a guided tour of the Premier Grand Cru Classé vineyard (the highest spot in Saint-Émilion) and a tasting session. Some of the historic world-famous châteaux are only open to professionals but a few, such as Château d’Yquem, Château Margaux, Château Mouton Rothschild and Château Lafite Rothschild (closed until 2026 for renovation) are open to the public.
2. Burgundy
Best region for fans of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
Along with Bordeaux, Burgundy is another of France’s most well-known and respected red wine regions. With more than one hundred appellations this region can seem complicated at first but to keep it simple, remember that most red wines here are usually made from Pinot Noir and most white wines from Chardonnay.
The Côte-d’Or is the region at the heart of Burgundy and is split into two parts. In the Côte de Nuits, you find fuller-bodied Pinot Noirs and all but one of Burgundy’s red grand cru vineyards. The Côte de Beane produces a fruitier Pinot Noir and is better known for its Chardonnays – this is where you’ll find all the white grands crus vineyards except one. The other famous Chardonnay village is Chablis, where it’s the only grape that is allowed to grow.
However, Burgundy is a region where many winemakers are actually closed to the public, as they simply don’t have big enough teams to host visitors, or big enough yields to spare the bottles; this is partly due to increasing temperatures because of climate change. Make sure to always check with each domain if they are open to guests or use our recommendations below.
Situated to the south of Burgundy is Beaujolais, best known for its bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau which can be opened at midnight on the third Thursday of November each year. Administratively speaking it is a part of Burgundy but it’s considered a standalone wine region, and its location close to the Rhône means you’ll find a different climate here, as well as a different grape, Gamay, which produces fruity, low-tannin reds which should be drunk when the wine is young.
Burgundy’s capital Dijon is better known for its mustard than wine but it’s well worth spending a couple of days here. Admire the medieval architecture, visit the Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin, which celebrates French gastronomy and Burgundy wine through a series of exhibitions, masterclasses and events, and browse the huge market hall Les Halles de Dijon to fill up on even more food and wine.
Getting to Burgundy: There are frequent high-speed trains from Paris to Dijon, which will get you there in around 1 hour and 40 minutes. From here you can jump on a local train to visit smaller towns such as Beaune, Mâcon, and Auxerre but for other wine destinations such as Chablis, you’ll need a car.
Wineries we recommend: Despite many houses being closed to tourists, Maison Louis Jadot, Bouchard Ainé Et Fils, and Patriarche Père et Fils all happily welcome visitors for cellar tours and/or tastings.
3. Champagne
Best region for bubbles (of course!)
Champagne produces the most famous sparkling wine in the world, long associated with glamour, celebration, and fun. But creating champagne is a serious business, and a trip to the region can really deepen your appreciation of what goes into a bottle of bubbles.
Only wines produced in the Champagne region can be called Champagne, and there are some specific rules about how to make it. Seven grape varieties are allowed to be used in the region, although the main ones you’ll see are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier (the other four varieties are Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris). The three grapes are often blended together but if you see Blanc des Blancs (literally, “white of whites”) on the label that means the champagne is 100 percent Chardonnay (a white grape), whilst Blanc des Noirs (literally “white of blacks”) is 100 percent Pinot Noir (a black grape).
Champagne also produces rosé wines and is the only region in France where the producers can blend white and red wine together. Wine made in Champagne is produced using the “traditional method” (also called Méthode Champenoise in French) which means the wine has undergone a second stage of fermentation in the bottle and it’s what gives champagne its bubbles. Bottles must then spend at least 15 months maturing in the cellars before they can be released, and if it’s a vintage, they have to spend at least three years down there – a time-intensive process that helps explain champagne’s usually higher price tag.
When you’re not sipping on champagne at a tasting or touring the historic houses or crayères, it’s worth spending some time exploring Reims. The city’s cathedral is probably the most famous in France after Paris’ Notre Dame and is known for its spectacular stained glass windows. Design fans can book a tour through the tourist office to find out more about Reims’ Art Nouveau architecture.
Getting to Champagne: Champagne is easily accessible by train from Paris. It takes around 45 minutes to get to Reims and around 1 hour and 15 minutes to get to Épernay, where you can walk to many of the big houses. From these stations, you can travel around to villages such as Aÿ, although it’s best to have a car to visit smaller producers around the region.
Wineries we recommend: Ruinart, Veuve Clicquot, Taittinger, and Champagne Pommery are big-name houses in Reims that offer tours of their spectacular UNESCO-protected crayères. Other famous champagne houses well worth a visit include Champagne Bollinger in Aÿ and Billecart-Salmon in the neighboring village, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. In Épernay you can follow in Napoleon’s steps at Moët & Chandon and see what innovative techniques are being used in champagne making at Leclerc Briant.
4. Provence
Best region for rosé
If you think sitting in the summer sun with a glass of rosé in hand is one of the ultimate French experiences, you’re not wrong. Some may think it’s a cliché but that romantic image of the picturesque countryside, endless days of sunshine and classic Provençal cuisine really do make for a charming French holiday.
If you’re planning a trip around wine, there are nine appellations for you to explore. The largest by far is Côtes de Provence, which sits between the historical capital of Aix-en-Provence and Nice on the French Riviera. Rosé in Provence is usually pale in color, dry, light-bodied, and with delicate aromas of grapefruit and red fruits which make it so refreshing on a summer’s day. Reds tend to range from fresh and fruity to fuller-bodied wines, such as those in Bandol, which is considered the most important appellation in Provence for red wine. If you prefer white wine, then the main appellation is the pretty port town of Cassis.
With so many of France’s most popular coastal towns and cities within a 1- to 2.5-hour drive away, it’s easy to tag a trip to somewhere like Marseille, St-Tropez, Cannes or Nice onto a Provencal countryside jaunt. And if you travel between May and early August, then you have a chance of catching the lavender fields in full bloom.
Getting to Provence: Many of the major cities in Provence such as Arles, Avignon and Aix-en-Provence are easy to get to by train, but it’s best to hire a car to explore the vineyards and the more rural side of the region.
Wineries we recommend: Château Gassier in Côtes-de-Provence is surrounded by the same picturesque views that once inspired French painter Paul Cézanne. In addition to tastings, the estate also organizes picnics amongst the vineyards and puts on a full program every summer with delights such as outdoor cinema showings and live jazz nights. Surrounded by stone walls and olive trees, Château La Mascaronne is a traditional Provencal mas (farmhouse) and produces white and red wine as well as rosé.
5. Languedoc-Roussillon
Best region for all styles of wine at an affordable price
Sitting just next to Provence, Languedoc-Roussillon, or just Languedoc as it’s commonly called, is France’s largest wine region with more than 220,000 hectares (543,632 acres) of vineyards producing one-third of all French wine. As a vast, varied and often sunny region, all types of still and sparkling wines are produced here and for wine enthusiasts on a budget, Languedoc is also known as a great value region with quality bottles available at a fair price point.
As there are a lot of different grape varieties here, which are almost always blended, and a diverse range of wine styles, you’re also in the right place to try something new. The majority of wines produced in Languedoc are red and are usually a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, and Mourvèdre but you’ll find Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cinsault.
Common white grapes include Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Piquepoul, Marsanne, and Roussanne. Rosé is also an important wine in Languedoc, with more than a third of all rosé wines sold in France coming from the region. You can also find several sweet wines, the best known being Muscat de Frontignan, as well as the lesser known sparkling wine Blanquette de Limoux, which is thought to date back to 1531 when it was made by monks at the Abbaye de St-Hilaire, long before Dom Pérignon started experimenting with bubbles in Champagne.
If you’re looking to add a city break onto your trip then head to Montpellier, where you can visit one of the region’s best art galleries, Musée Fabre, or Nîmes to explore the city’s well-preserved Roman remains such as the Maison Carrée. Explore Roman antiquity further by heading to the archeological museum Narbo Via in Narbonne, which was designed by British architects Foster + Partners. The medieval city of Carcassonne and the charming hilltop village of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert are both well worth a day trip.
Getting to Languedoc: Languedoc is a quick and easy train ride from Paris; you can reach Nîmes in around three hours, Montpellier in around 3.5 hours and Narbonne in four.
Wineries we recommend: Biodynamic wine producer Gérard Bertrand is one of the biggest names in the region with one of the most impressive estates to visit, Château L’Hospitalet. The “wine resort” comprises a five-star hotel, a spa, various restaurants (including one with a green Michelin star), and a beach club but if you’re here simply for the wine, book a vineyard tour, a wine masterclass, or half- and full-day visits including lunch.
Domaine de la Dourbie has a stylish space for tastings and organizes cellar and vineyard tours and picnics, whilst Domaine Gayda can also do tours as well as blending workshops and wine and food pairing workshops. At Château de Jonquières, you can not only do a tasting and guided visit of the 900-year-old chateau but even stay the night in one of the historic turrets.
6. The Loire Valley
Best region for white wines
With its rolling green hills, medieval towns, and fairytale châteaux that line the riverside, the Loire Valley is one of the most picture-perfect parts of France. For wine lovers, it’s also one of France’s most diverse regions, with all types of wine produced here and no one signature style dominating the scene.
Although the region produces red, white and rosé, and still and sparkling, it’s probably best known for its white wines. If you like Sauvignon Blanc, then two of the most prestigious appellations to visit are Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. If you’re on a budget, then Menetou-Salon produces wines in the same style as these two appellations, but at a more affordable price.
Other notable grapes here are Chenin Blanc, which can be found in a variety of styles from dry to sweet and still to sparkling, and Melon Blanc (sometimes called Muscadet or Melon de Bourgogne). For fans of rosé, Cabernet’ d’Anjou produces what is considered to be some of the best in the region, whilst for sweet wine, head to Coteaux du Layon. Two sites here, Quarts de Chaume and Bonnezeaux, make what are considered to be some of the greatest sweet wines in the world. For bubbles, look out for Crémant de Loire – like champagne, it’s made using the traditional method.
In addition to wine, the region is famous for its many châteaux, including the Clos Lucé, which is now a museum celebrating the work of Leonardo da Vinci – he lived here from 1516 until his death in 1519. If you want to explore some of the region’s major towns and cities then the Loire Valley is also home to Orléans, which Joan of Arc defended during the Siege of Orléans, Tours, noted for its half-timbered houses and culinary scene, and Nantes, with its thriving artistic scene.
Getting to the Loire Valley: If you’re taking the train from Paris, then the quickest option is a train to Tours, which takes around 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Wineries we recommend: If you like a glass of Chenin Blanc and Crémant de Loire, head to the small, family-owned Clos des Vignes de Cray. Those interested in biodynamic winemaking should try Château de Plaisance in the heart of Anjou.
This article was first published Jul 23, 2013 and updated Sep 19, 2024.
