The 16 best regions of France to taste wine

Enotourism is a very popular branch of tourism that is becoming increasingly democratized. Discover the 9 best regions of France to taste wine.

France is ranked at the top of the most wine-consuming countries (44.2 litres per year per person). It will always be the country whose wine is an emblem. With these 750,000 hectares of vines, one million rugby grounds, France is the first exporting country, in monetary value. Our wines are taken, they can be very affordable or very expensive. Wine qualities fluctuate as much as prices, but they are not always proportional.

Tasting wine in France is a bit of a cliché. However, oentourism, which involves the discovery of wine regions, brings together more than 10 million visitors per year. Of which almost 40% are foreigners! France is fortunate to be able to offer a gargantue of wines, from red to white, to rosé, nutmeg, or champagne.

1. Le Val de Loire

The Loire is the longest river in France. On its shores, castles, vineyards, vineyards. This region is called “Val de Loire”, or “Douce France” and is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. What makes Val de Loire one of the best regions of France to taste wine is what it has to offer: Chardonnay (white), Chinon (red), Bourgueil (red), Sauvignon (white), Pinot noir (red)... The 800 kilometers of the Loire and its 70,000 hectares of vineyards will guide you to the discovery of light, complex, dry, mellow or tannic wines.

There are many routes to discover this vast region. Whether you choose the route of the Muscadet, that of the wines of Anjou (Cabernet, in particular), the wines of Touraine or the route of the wines of the Heart of France (Menetou-Salon, Quincy or Pouilly-Fumé, for the most known), there are many emblematic places (châteaux, abbayes,...) to visit in parallel wine tastings.

2. La Champagne

As its name suggests, the Champagne region is the cradle of this refined wine which is champagne. Its fine bubbles, taste, and golden dress make its reputation and classify Champagne among the best regions of France to taste wine. It must not be mistaken: if champagne is the symbol, the region produces other varieties of wine. It is also divided into four parts: the Reims Mountain, the Marne Valley, the White Coast and the Bar. Each of these parts has its own characteristics, allowing them to offer different wines and champagnes.

The Champagne vineyards extend over 34,500 hectares, and house many Houses with varied terroirs and heritages. For example, the Hautvillers House, where Dom Pérignon lived! The onotourism highlights this aspect: wine tasting, yes, but discovering France from another angle!

3. Corsica

In addition to the fact that Corsica perfectly bears its nickname of the Island of Beauty, it is also one of the best regions of France to taste wine. Indeed, the Mediterranean island has many vineyards, set between sea and mountain, which enjoys the sun at year-round. Corsica produces rosé, white and red wines; some are AOP and almost 50% of Corsican production is at Protected Geographical Indications. Corsican wines are not easy to reproduce out of their land! The wine tasting in Corsica will guide you from north to south, from the Coteaux du Cap Corse to the vineyards of Figari. Cap Corse also produces a very soft muscat, typical of the region.

The island is very rich in vineyards, more than 7,000 hectares, and its local gastronomy (cuterie, cheese and biscuits) will delight you and accompany your wine tastings. Also, its history and architectural heritage will enhance your visits.

4. The Bordeaux region

Bordeaux is one of the best regions in France to taste wine, if not the best. Indeed, known throughout the world, Bordeaux wines have made the region famous and still contribute to it today. There is even a Bordeaux Wine Festival that takes place annually in Hong Kong, China!

It extends over 117,000 hectares and has very many wines, some of which are exceptional, Bordeaux is one of the world’s most common wineries. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (reds), Muscadelle and Sauvignon (white) are among the mythical vines of Bordeaux. Of course, historical, cultural and architectural heritages make the experience of wine tasting even more impressive. Many very prestigious castles with classified wines are among them: Pétrus, Yquem or Cheval Blanc (price of bottles ranging from more than 300 to almost 3300 € per unit).

5. Burgundy

Burgundy is not just about Dijon and its mustard. On the contrary, Burgundy wines are very well known: Chablis, Mâcon, Meursault, Pommard,... and many other labels. The city of Beaune is considered to be the regional wine capital, and its 29,400 hectares of vineyards spread over 200 kilometers. More than 25,000 of these hectares are classified as AOC. This makes the Burgundy region very attractive to wine tasting enthusiasts.

Thus, many routes exist to visit the Burgundy vineyard, from the Chalonnaise coast to the Mâconnais tower, to the inevitable Grand Crus of Burgundy of the Côte de Nuits and Beaune. Did you know? Beaujolais - poor child of the vineyards of France - is attached to the vineyards of Burgundy.

6. L’Alsace

The Alsace, in terms of winemakers, quickly evokes the gewurztraminer or the Crémant d’Alsace. But she's much more than that! It can boast of being one of the best regions in France to taste wine, especially because its production is very special: the beautiful part returns to the white wines! Of course, these whites add the sparkling, and some red and pink. The Alsatian vineyard is the first to have really opened to wine tourism: in 1953, the Issenheim Tourist Office has the idea of inaugurating what will become the Alsace Wine Route to promote the region from the angle of viticulture. Nearly 170 kilometers of road cross the 15,500 hectares of Alsace vineyards. More modest than other regions, Alsace remains one of the most visited for wine tasting.

7. The Côtes du Rhône

Just like the Loire, the vineyards of the Rhone Valley have been created along its shores. The Rhodan region is divided into two topographically distinct parts: one is called Northern and the other southern. The northern part extends between Vienna and Valencia, while the southern part is between Montélimar and Avignon. They share some prestigious varieties: Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Hermitage, Château-grillet or Saint-Joseph. The Rhone Valley is a region that produces more red wine than white, rosé or sparkling wine. It has a well-known name for the general public and tourists: the Côte-du-Rhône. It spreads over 44,000 hectares of vines on the banks of the Rhone.

As the Rhone Valley is as rich in History and grape varieties, enjoy the opportunity to be in one of the best regions of France to taste wine! Visit its surroundings, its History... And go to discover its breathtaking Roman and ancient architectural heritage.

8. The Jura

The Jura region has very special and even inimitable varieties. Indeed, the peculiarity of the Jura wines is to have no equivalence in the world. For example, the Yellow Wine, an extremely dry wine or the straw wine, very sweet and very sweet. Both of the white wines, they are very famous for their amazing guard in time. The vineyard in itself is small enough, compared to those of other regions, with its 1,800 hectares. Despite this, Jura is one of the best regions of France to taste wine, as it is surprisingly much in the French-Canadian cuisine: it enters the composition of many local dishes and gets married very well with the morilla. Reviews to the lovers of wine and food agreements!

9. La Provence

Another part of the south of the country is in the best regions of France to taste wine: Provence. With many AOCs and AOPs, Provence is a region of hillsides, and roses. Situated between the Baux-de-Provence and Fréjus, the Provence wine region is one of the most famous in France, with its 26,000 hectares, spread over three departments. This gives rise to the three main AOCs: Coteaux-de-Provence, Coteaux Varois, and Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence. Like many French vineyards, Provence offers many possibilities around wine tasting: cultural visits, impressive landscapes (the Alpilles, the village of Baux-de-Provence,...), or seaside towns to be discovered (Saint-Tropez).

Small anecdote on Provencal wines: they are those that the CHR distribution circuits (Cafés, Hotels, Restaurants) offer the most (66 % of them) followed closely by Bordeaux wines (64%).

10. La Savoie

On the alpine slopes, from Lake Geneva south of Chambéry, Savoyard grape varieties offer mostly white wines: pinot, chardonnay, huntinglas or Bergeron. Not far, in the department of Ain, the red, rosé and white will shudder your taste buds. Don't miss the tasting of the Cerdon, a surprising effervescent red.

11. The Roussillon

Welcome to the southernmost region of France to taste wine. In the Eastern Pyrenees department, the vineyards plunge into the Mediterranean Sea. In this beautiful sunny region, you will taste natural sweet wines, absolutely exquisite. A discovery not to be missed. It is also the terroir of the delicate Banyuls, a wine raised on the French Catalan coasts, on the Spanish border.

12. Le Beaujolais

Who has never heard of the famous Beaujolais? A wine of table par excellence, its vineyard extends over fifty kilometers long and fifteen kilometers wide, between Mâcon and Lyon. But the region has many more interesting and popular names of the connoisseurs: Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, Chiroubles or the Saint-Amour. Yes: Beaujolais wines are available in other appellations than Beaujolais Nouveau! Discover them.

13. The Languedoc

The Languedoc has a huge vineyard all along the Mediterranean coasts: from Leucate, to the west, to Nîmes and the Camargue, to the east, from the foothills of the Cevennes to the gates of Carcassonne. Between sea and mountain, the wines of the Languedoc cover three departments: Aude, Gard and Hérault. Red, white, rosé, sweet, effervescent wines, this beautiful region of southern France, offers you an extremely diverse range of wines, whatever your budget. These include gray and white cranes, macabeu, pallet, bourboulenc or chardonnay and muscat.

14. La Lorraine

Welcome to one of the smallest wine regions to taste wine in France. In the departments of the Meuse, the Moselle and the Meurthe-et-Moselle, different varieties are produced. Close to Luxembourg, Moselle offers dry and fruity white wines, such as Müller-Thurgau, Riesling, Pinot blanc and Pinot gris, the pinot noir or the Côtes-de-Toul.

15. The Poitou-Charentes

On only 500 hectares, the small vineyard of Poitou-Charente produces mainly cognac. To the amateurs! The region also produces white soap and red frank cabernets. It is also known for the famous Pineau-des-charentes, a mixture of the main vines of Cognac with musts of fresh reasons.

16. South-West

Particularly large, the South-West wine region extends from the foothill of the Massif Central to the Pyrenees, to the Garonne and the Bergeracois. On these lands, more than twenty different names! Here tradition reigns as master. Some grape varieties date from centuries such as Manseng, Tannat, or Negrette. These authentic wines of all colors, will fill all lovers. To be enjoyed with the gastronomic specialities of the region!