Vines in France
A serious argument can be made that in order to understand wine globally you must first understand French wine. The Italians, Germans, and Spaniards would likely disagree and with good cause. New World wine producers and wine lovers would have to concede to the point.
French varietals are found all over the globe. Even novice wine drinkers know Chardonnay, Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Merlot, among others. Even varietals that have a strong connection with nations such as Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand and Malbec in Argentina hail from France.
French Appellations such as Burgundy, Bordeaux, and certainly Champagne have such strong name recognition that many unscrupulous producers around the world have “borrowed” their famous monikers.
So yes — if you want to go beyond a five-minute beginners course on wine you have to have a basic understanding of French wine. The good news is that despite the names and places that may be hard to pronounce for non-French speakers — it’s fairly simple and straight-forward.
Below we have assembled our top French wine stories. Click the links below to discover the topics of your choice or become a super French wine fan and read them all.
French Wine Grapes — Infographic
Chablis – Perhaps the Purest of Chardonnay Wines