Julie Harrison - French Wines

To those of us from outside France French wines may appear to be rather complicated. Look at the label on many French wines and you will see a picture of a Chateau and the region the wine comes from.   This may seem confusing but fortunately you can get some idea of what you are drinking with a small amount of knowledge.  French winemaking in the traditional areas is steeped in history and rules.  Each traditional wine region focuses on particular varieties that are best suited to that area.  For this reason if you know what region produces what, you can have some idea about what you are drinking.

Burgundy (Bourgogne): These wines are very straightforward, as if it is white it is most likely to be Chardonnay and if it is red Pinot Noir, with Gamay (a light, red variety) being used in Beaujolais.

Alsace:  Located near the German border some wonderful aromatic wines come from this region such as Gewurztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Gris.

Bordeaux: Think Cabernet Sauvignon/ Merlot blends maybe with the addition of Cabernet Franc, Malbec or Petit Verdot as well as  sweet white wines.
Sweet white wines come from areas such as Sauternes (the most famous being Chateau d’Yquem) and Cadillac with some dry wines from Graves and  Entre-deux-mers.  White wines are usually a blend of Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc with maybe a touch of Muscadelle .   

The Loire Valley: Home of Sauvignon Blanc.  White wines labelled Sancerre or Pouilly Fume are Sauvignon Blanc but do expect a different style from what you are used to.  

Vouvray: This region is famous for its Chenin Blanc, Menetou-Salon - Sauvignon Blanc and Touraine - Sauvignon Blanc or Chenin Blanc.  You will also find Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Gamay in this region.

The Rhone Valley: Starting in the north at Vienne and finishing south at Pertuis, the Rhone valley can be divided into two when it comes to wine.  The Northern region is famous for Syrah and whites made from Viognier.   Appellations you may come across are Cote Rotie, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage and Condrieu.  The Southern part of the valley is the home of the GSM blend – Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre  along with one of the most famous appellations -  Chateauneuf-du-Pape.  It is quite easy to find Cote du Rhone wines in shops here.  The grapes for these wines can come from anywhere between Vienne to Avignon, but do tend to come from grapes grown in the more prolific Southern region. This means the reds are often Grenache dominated and do vary in quality. Other varieties you may find from the Rhone Valley are Marsanne, Muscat and Roussanne (all white) and the reds Carignan and Cinsault

Languedoc-Roussillon: A huge wine region, often producing more “New World” style wines.   Some producers even use screw caps and you may find the variety written on the label.  Wines from this region are often very good value for money with a wide range of varieties available including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre.  Other varieties include whites such as Macabeo, Malvoisie, Grenache Blanc and reds such as Carignan.  For a special GSM blend look out for the Cotes du Roussillon-Villages Appellation.


I have not even touched on Champagne or the French way of classifying wine as they are both topics in their own right!!