Learning about French Wine
No country on earth is as synonymous with all things wine as France, home to the most well-known names, the most imitated styles, and the wine known the world over for its place of origin, Champagne.
Wine is made in almost every region of France, from the cooler Loire Valley in the north to the sunny Mediterranean beachfront, in low river valleys and high alpine vineyards. Hundreds of grape varietals are used, and a lifetime could be spent just trying to master knowledge of French wines. But fortunately for the wine loving visitor, the basics are much more straightforward: no country puts as much of an emphasis on culinary geography as French. This was the first country to legally designate vineyard quality at the national level, and the word terroir, suggesting that a food or drink’s quality “comes with the territory”, originated here. As a result, there are a trio of essential wine regions to know, look for, and taste from.