BEAUJOLAIS
Sitting south of Burgundy, the wines of Beaujolais are mainly red. The region is probably most famous for its annual Beaujolais Nouveau event which takes place every year on the third Thursday in November. This is when the “Appellation” allows some of the production to be sold shortly after it has been harvested. In actual fact, there are 11 appellations in the Beaujolais region, each of which produces a wide range of high quality wines. It is certainly worth discovering these wines, many of which are relatively unknown to British connoisseurs. Most wines are made using the red Gamay grape, but there a few whites which are also made from Chardonnay.
BORDEAUX
Chateau d'Yquem
Bordeaux is a large region that takes its name from France’s fifth city. Atlantic breezes are responsible for a climate which produces some of the area’s world-famous wines. Whilst Bordeaux is mainly known for red wines, such as Château Lafite Rothschild and Château Petrus, it is also home to some very fine, sweet whites, such as Château d'Yquem from the Sauternes appellation.
BURGUNDY
Burgundy is home to some of the most famous wines in the world and has a higher number of 'appellations d’origine controlée' than any other French region. As with every French vineyard, the 'terroir' of Burgundy's vineyards is key. This practice of identifying vineyards by their 'terroir' dates back to medieval times when monasteries played a key role in developing the wine industry.
The region runs from Auxerre in the north to Mâcon in the south with outposts in the Loire Valley and Beaujolais. Two grapes dominate the appellation: Pinot noir for the red and Chardonnay for the white. Other grapes such as Gamay and Aligoté also count for part of the production.
The Maconnais is an important sub-region of Burgundy and has its own appellations, producing mainly white wines from the Chardonnay grape, the best known being Pouilly Fuissé, south of Mâcon and close to the border with Beaujolais.
CHAMPAGNE
Champagne in north-eastern France is world-famous for its sparkling wines. A wine can only be called champagne if it is fermented twice to produce the famous bubbles and if it comes from the Champagne appellation. These and other rules are all tightly governed by the 'Comité Interprofessionel du Vin de Champagne'.
GASCOGNY
Gascogny is an ancient region lying on the border with Spain. Until the 19th century, the region’s inhabitants spoke Gascon, an ancient, Basque-related language. Today, it’s famous for wonderful scenery, foie gras, Armagnac brandy and many superb wines.
LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON
Languedoc-Roussillon, in the south of France, runs from the Spanish border to Provence. It is the country’s largest wine-producing area and much of it is sold under the name Vin de Pays d’Oc (‘Oc’ coming from Occitan, the ancient and still-spoken language of the area).
THE LOIRE VALLEY
The river Loire flows roughly north towards Orléans, before cutting west through Tours, Angers and Nantes to the coast. Famous for its plethora of castles, the Loire Valley has also brought the world some particularly fine wines from areas such as Pouilly, Sancerre, and Angers.
THE RHONE VALLEY
It’s thought that wine-making has existed in this area since 600BC, so there’s clearly something very special about it. Whatever it is, the region now has two major areas – the Northern Rhône and Southern Rhône. Each has subtle differences, but both produce internationally renowned red wines. The southern area has perhaps the more famous appellations, including Côte du Rhône and Châteauneuf-du-Pape.