Now let's get on our imaginary tour bus, and armed with corkscrew and glass, we will take a tour of France. If you will look to your left and right, through the back windscreen and front, you will see grapevines... Yes indeed, the French grow grapes in every corner of the country. Let's take it one region at a time...
Alsace seems to have spun off their own practices and stands out uniquely as a winemaking region. For one, it's the only region in France to use a grape variety name on the label, followed by the place name. It makes only dry wines, and almost all Alsace wines are varietal, which means it must be made from 100% of the chosen grape.
It's just below the southern part of Burgundy, between Lyon and Mâcon, and very different from its neighbour, Burgundy. Why? Because wines from here are made primarily from Gamay, while Pinot Noir is used throughout Burgundy.
One of the most important winemaking regions in France, Bordeaux enjoys a legendary reputation as the home of some of France's greatest red wines created at historic chateaux. Located near the Atlantic Coast on the southwest of France, it lies about 300 miles from Paris, and is dominated geographically by the rivers Garonne and Dordogne, which meet to become the Gironde.
The fabled region of Burgundy is a narrow span of 225 miles, starting 70 miles southeast of Paris and stretching to the south of Lyon. It comprises five districts, all of which make very different wines. From this region comes the world's most exalted wines - sensuous reds and distinguished whites, including Chablis, one of France's most popular wines.
No one drink is more closely associated with celebration and romance than Champagne, with its creamy aroma and lively bubbles. This frizzy drink can only be called Champagne if it comes from this part of France. Everywhere else, it has to be called sparkling wine.
The world's largest expanse of vine growing, the sun soaked Languedoc-Roussillon region lies along the border of the Mediterranean Sea between the Rhône delta and Spain. This area produces mainly red wines, most of which are vins de pays. Many are perfect everyday drinking wines.
Located south of Paris, The Loire Valley has the kind of landscape that seems to come straight out of fairytales. Medieval knights built fortresses here, 15th and 16th century royalty erected fabulous castles and elegant 17th and 18th century chateaux dotted the land. Here, red, white and rosé wines are made in dry, sweet and sparkling styles.
This region spans the Rhône delta to Nice, along the rugged mountains and rocky coasts that face the waterways of France's southeast coast. As famous for its tourism as its wines, Provence produces beautiful rosés. But in more recent years, it has yielded elegant reds and lush whites as well.
South of Beaujolais, between the city of Lyon and the region of Provence lies the sunny, hot Rhône Valley. Here is the birthplace of rich, robust, generous wines lusciously high in alcohol. Why? The sunny disposition of this region infuses grapes with ample sugar that is later turned into alcohol. Some of the oldest vineyards in France are here, such as Hermitage, which was believed to have sunk in roots more than 2000 years ago!
Between Bordeaux and the Pyrénées, the wines in this remote region bear little resemblance to that of its famous neighbour.
