French wine regions an guide

Since the Romans set up the first wine production in the country in 100BC, vineyards have spread far and wide in France. To help you discover the vast geography and viniculture, we’ve put together a guide to French wine regions.

As well as the most famous, we’ve included the lesser-known wine producing areas. Their labels might not carry quite the same prestige as a Bordeaux or fetch the eye watering Burgundy auction prices, but they’re still worth seeking out if you enjoy fine wine.

Your guide to French wine regions

Browse by region 

Bordeaux

Wines festivals and events in France

Bordeaux wine needs little introduction. It ranks among the most famous wine in the world. While the area doesn’t produce the most wine in France, it does bottle its finest and Bordeaux rouge lines the shelves in any discerning wine connoisseur’s cellar.

The classification of Bordeaux wine is done according to five levels of growth (crus classes) and is one of the world’s most important. Today, over 60 wine estates form part of the Classification of the Médoc invented in 1885 and whose highest grade is First Growth.

How to tell it’s a Bordeaux wine

Reds come medium to full-bodied and packed with tannins, which tend to dry your mouth in the aftertaste and ensure the reds keep for years. The main aromatic notes are dark fruits (blackcurrants and plums mostly) and minerals such as pencil lead.

Bordeaux grape varieties

Around 90% of Bordeaux is red wine and produced from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes. Some wines also include Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot or Malbec grapes. The very small white wine production comes from three grape varieties: Sauvignon blanc, Sémillon and Muscadelle

Most famous Bordeaux wine cellars

With five terroirs, the region has around 10,000 wine producers including some of the world’s most famous. The most important sit either side of the Gironde River in the terroirs known as the Médoc (left bank) and Libornais (right bank). Names on the best-known labels include St Emilion, Mouton Rothschild, Pape Clement, Chaval Blanc and Haut-Brion.

Best vintage ever: according to Christie’s, the best Bordeaux vintages to own are 2000, 1990, 1982, 1961 and 1945, perhaps the greatest in the 20th century. Bottles bearing these dates fetch the highest prices at auction, although few of the older one appear on the market.

What to drink your Bordeaux with

  • entrecôte à la bordelaise with rich local red wine in the sauce as well as your glass
  • finish with a Cannelés pastry filled with rum and custard paired with a chilled Sauternes.

“A meal without wine is like a day without sun.”
Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, French epicure and gastronome, 1825

Discover the world of Bordeaux wines

Perhaps one of the most exquisite ways to discover Bordeaux wine is aboard luxury hotel barge Saint Louis as she cruises through Aquitaine tailoring bespoke itineraries that include private tours and tastings courtesy of one of the world’s Bordeaux experts.

> Book your Bordeaux wine cruise

 

Burgundy

Burgundy is one of the world's most renowned French wine regions

Like Bordeaux, this French wine region ranks among the most famous in the world. Burgundy production is small in size but big in reputation and its wine labels fetch some of the highest prices in the world.

Unlike Bordeaux, Burgundy is mostly about white wine, which accounts for just over 60% of production. Burgundy wine is labelled by vineyards within climats that make up the five terroirs. This unique classification even has UNESCO World Heritage status. The best Burgundy wines have Grand Cru status, a distinction carried by few vineyards.

How to tell it’s a Burgundy wine

Vineyards in Burgundy grow on limestone so all wine has a strong mineral component. Burgundy reds tend to be light in colour and tannic (you can drink them young unlike Bordeaux reds that need aging). You’ll notice a fruity palate with cherries as the dominant flavour. Burgundy whites share the mineral base and range from rich, buttery notes to floral accents with a hint of apple.

Burgundy grape varieties

Pinot Noir for red wine and Chardonnay for white.

Most famous Burgundy wine cellars

Côtes de Nuit dominates the red Burgundy market with other terroirs – such as Côtes de Beaune, Chablis and Côtes d’Or – focused on white.

Beaune is the capital of Burgundy wine production and home to the world’s most famous wine auction, the Hospices de Beaune, held in November.  You can discover Burgundy’s best wine on the Route des Grands Crus.

Best vintage ever: the years classed as exceptional for Burgundy wine are 1928, 1929, 1937, 1947, 1949, 1959, 1969, 1971 and 1978.

What to drink your Burgundy with: 

  • if the bottle’s red, then the dish has to be boeuf bourguignon although any red meat loves a Burgundy
  • as for whites, anything buttery and/or from the sea pairs a treat.

Discover the world of Burgundy wines

Glide into the heart of Burgundy on board a luxury barge hotel and experience the vineyards and fine wining and dining.

> Book your Burgundy wine cruise

 

Champagne

Avenue de Champagne in Epernay is the heart of one of the French wine regions most renowned around the world

Another French wine region needing no introduction, Champagne is the queen of bubbly and the drink to crack open when celebrating. The world famous méthode champenoise has its origins in the 18th century when the French nobility acquired a taste for the region’s natural stop-start fermentation that makes the wine fizz.

Four terroirs make up the region of Champagne, the only one in France permitted to use the label champagne for its sparkling wine. (Elsewhere, bubbly is known as crémant.) Épernay is the capital of Champagne, home of l’Avenue de Champagne and to the world’s greatest Champagne houses including Moët & Chandon. Reims too plays hosts to some big producers of bubbly.

How to tell it’s a Champagne wine

The label must say méthode champenoise and show Champagne as the producing region.

Champagne grape varieties

  • Pinot Noir in Montagne de Reims and Côte des Bar
  • Meunier in Vallé de la Marne
  • Chardonnay in Côte des Blancs

Most famous Champagne wine cellars

Around 5,000 independent producers make champagne and the area is home to a total of 320 crus including 17 Grand Cru. The most famous labels are Moët & Chandon (also the best-selling worldwide), Veuve Clicquot, Nicolas Feuillatte, Laurent-Perrier and Taittinger.

Best vintage ever

Exceptional years are less common in Champagne than other wine regions in France. The few stand out vintages include 1990, 1996 and 2002.

What to drink your Champagne with

Almost anything, not just your aperitif or wedding cake. Champagne pairs well with starters, mains and desserts.

Discover the world of Champagne

Just as you’d hope, when cruising this most exquisite of landscapes, tasting the world’s best ‘fizz’,  there are some supreme and sublime hotel barge charters taking it all in.

> Book your Champagne barge holiday

 

Loire Valley

Sancerre is produced in the French wine region of Loire ValleyWhile the Loire Valley isn’t up there with the big players in French wine regions, the central spot still ranks as the third largest producer in the country. It’s also one of the most varied wine areas in the world, making it a player to be reckoned with. White wine accounts for just over 45% of production with rosé, red and sparkling making up the rest.

Known as the Garden of France, the Loire Valley takes advantage of its excellent growing conditions, soil and climate to produce wine from no less than 24 types of grape in three main areas. Between them, the Lower Loire, Middle Loire and Upper Loire make wines that have a reputation for combining quality with value. Read more about Loire Valley wines.

How to tell it’s Loire Valley wine

The sheer variety makes it difficult to pare down Loire Valley wines to a particular taste or aroma. That said, whites from the Lower Loire have an almost salty taste, reds from Touraine have a zesty almost granite note and all wines offer fruity scents and palates.

Loire Valley grape varieties

The 24 grape types in the region originate from just 5 main ones. They are Chenin Blanc, Melon de Bourgogne and Sauvignon Blanc, used mostly in white wines and Cabernet Franc and Gamay for reds.

Most famous Loire Valley wine cellars

Its size lends itself to several renowned names including Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé (two of the most famous whites) and Muscadet; Chinon, Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil for reds; and Saumur for sparkling.

Best vintage ever: since 2000, the best for dry white have been 2002, 2008, 2010 and 2014. 2003, 2005, 2009 and 2015 were good years for sweet wines while 2005, 2010 and 2015 rank as good vintage years for Loire Valley reds.

What to drink your Loire Valley wine with

As you might expect from the variety available in the region, there’s a Loire Valley wine to go with almost anything on your plate. Local river fish pairs especially well with young Muscadet while Anjou reds make a good partner for red meat. Otherwise, the world is your oyster.

“My only regret in life is that I did not drink more Champagne.”
John Maynard Keynes, British economist in 1949

Discover the world of Loire Valley wines

Our serene hotel barge cruises sweep into the valley from Northern Burgundy in sublime style celebrating the very best of Loire Valley and the region’s Renaissance heritage.

> Book your Loire Valley cruise

 

The Rhône Valley

The Rhone Valley is one of many French wine regionsMaybe not as famous as Bordeaux and Burgundy, but Rhône Valley wines are certainly well worth seeking out when you’re in France.

This French wine region is home to the Châteneauf-du-Pape vineyards whose vintage reds fetch prices at auction that rival those of Burgundy. Baron le Roy from this iconic vineyard obtained the first Appellation d’Origine Controlée status for his wine in 1933 and nearly 90 years later, over 30 wineries hold the distinction.

The large wine growing area produces almost all red wines with just a token percentage of whites (4%) and rosés (7%). Vineyards grow along much of the Rhône River between Avignon in the south and Vienne in the north.

How to tell it’s Rhône Valley wine

Reds from this part of France come rich and dark red, especially those with a high proportion of Syrah grapes. Many have a fruity aftertaste (mostly blackcurrant) and those with a predominance of Syrah in the mix have a distinctive peppery note. Viogner whites have a musky aroma and hints of spice while Marsanne has a fruity palate with hazelnut.

Rhône Valley grape varieties

Grenache dominates in the area along with Syrah grapes who love the soil in the north. Whites are made from Viogner – a native to the Valley and Marsanne.

Most famous Rhône Valley wine cellars

Châteneauf-du-Pape and Hermitage dominate the A-list labels, but other famous Côtes du Rhône crus include Condrieu and Château Grillet. In the south of the Valley, Beaumes de Venise and Vacqueyras are among the biggest names.

Best vintage ever: challenging climatic conditions make vintage years few and far between in the Rhône Valley. That said, wines from 1989, 1998 and 2000 are considered exceptional.

What to drink your Rhône Valley wine with

If you’ve treated yourself to a Châteneauf-du-Pape, pair it with a game bird for a meal to remember. The local cassoulet dish made with duck, pork and white beans also goes well with a Rhône Valley red.

Read more about Rhône Valley wines

Experience Rhône Valley wines

Indulge in the best of Rhône Valley wines aboard two of the best hotel barges in southern France.

> Book your Rhône Valley wine cruise

 

Alsace

Château de Lichtenberg in Alsace

This north-eastern region of France might not feature in international wine guide rankings, but Alsace produces quality wines. At their best, they rank alongside those in Burgundy and Bordeaux, and enjoy ever more limelight on the global wine scene. One of the world’s most influential wine critics, Jancis Robinson calls Alsace “one of the great unappreciated treasures of the wine world”.

Unlike other French wines, those produced in Alsace take the name of the grape, not the region. They’re also mainly white – some 70% of wine is white and produced by 90% of the grapes grown. All wines come in the ‘flute of Alsace’, a thin green bottle that acts as the region’s trademark. Some 50 wines from Alsace have Grand Cru status.

How to tell it’s an Alsace wine

Whites are full-bodied with a fruity aftertaste – peaches and apricots in Rieslings, for example and plums and mangos in Gewürztraminers. Both are dry with mineral and slightly acidic notes. This acidity rises in Pinot Blanc wines, almost green in appearance and with a taste of apples and pears. Pinot Gris, on the other hand, is known as the “white-wine drinker’s red” and has a bouquet of mushrooms and moss.

Alsace grape varieties

Six are grown in Alsace, five of them for white wine. Riesling grapes are the king of the region, followed by Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Muscat d’Alsace.  The only red grape is Pinot Noir and the ingredient for the region’s reds and rosés.

Most famous Alsace wine cellars

Alsace ranks among the most picturesque French wine regions. Its picture postcard towns and villages play host to dozens of wine houses, many of whom have been producing since the 17th century.

Among the most famous are Hugel, Josmeyer, Domaine Weinbach and Domaine Zind-Humbrecht.

Best vintage ever: exceptional years for Alsace wine have been 2015, 1990 and 1971.

What to drink your Alsace wine with

As you would expect, Alsace wines pair best with regional dishes. Rieslings and Gewürztraminers partner particularly well with Sauerkraut, baeckeoffe casserole and flammekueche tart. Pair Gewürztraminers with any red meat or game dish while Pinot Gris goes down a treat with a Thai curry!

> Read more about Alsace wines

“Give me books, French wine, fruit, fine weather and a little music played out of doors by someone I don’t know.” John Keats, English Romantic poet in 1819

Experience Alsace wines

The few luxury hotel barges who cruise Alsace typically book up more than a year in advance of departure dates, sometimes two.

> Book now to savour the best Alsace wine cruises

 

Languedoc

The heat of the Languedoc sun creates a sublime viniculture climate

This southern part of the country presents the largest French wine region – some 183 million bottles come out of Languedoc every year. Wine production in the area was for decades all about quantity rather than quality (aka plonk), a balance that has shifted dramatically in recent years. Since 2007 when Languedoc received AOC status, the region has gained a reputation for making good wine at very reasonable prices.

Like Bordeaux, Languedoc wine production is mostly red, accounting for 76% of production. Whites and rosés make up the rest. The region has a wide variety of landscapes and climates, which lends itself to many different wines. The most important (and often best) form part of the IGP Pays d’Oc whose bottles rank among the best value in the world.

How to tell it’s a Languedoc wine

Wine connoisseurs say the key characteristics of Languedoc reds are that they’re full-bodied (and tannic if Carignan grapes dominate) with an aftertaste of blackcurrant. Whites tend to be dry and zesty with floral notes.

Languedoc grape varieties

Grapes for red wine include Carignan, Grenache noir, Mourvèdre and Syrah. White wines are made from Grenache blanc, Macabou and Piquepoul (aka Picpoul) grapes.

Most famous Languedoc wine cellars

The region’s history of wine production en masse means it’s dotted with over 300 smallholdings dedicated to vineyards. Iconic Languedoc wines include those from Mas de Daumas Gassac, Grange des Pères and any with the Minervois or Saint-Chinian label.

Best vintage ever: Languedoc wine’s relative youth makes for a short vintage history. 2013 ranked as an exceptional year for whites while 2015 was good for all wine in the region.

What to drink your Languedoc wine with 

Drink a bold red with game or blue cheese. Lighter reds and white partner to perfection with local dishes such as bouillabaisse, pélardon goat’s cheese and ratatouille.

Taste Languedoc for yourself

Discover the delights of Languedoc as you cruise the Canal du Midi on a luxury hotel barge. Experience the sun-drenched charm of the South of France along the historic canal and find out why Languedoc wines offer such good value.

> Book your Canal du Midi wine cruise

 

Jura

Jura is one of France's lesser known wine regions

From the largest wine region in France we go to the smallest, Jura, tucked between Burgundy and the Swiss Alps. The just 2,000 hectares produce some of the country’s most unusual wine with unique characteristics. Long, cold winters mean that the harvest can take place as late as December long after most French wine regions have finished theirs.

Jura wine is almost yellow in colour and known as vin jaune. It ages in oak barrels for a minimum of six years and three months and (again uniquely) is never topped up. The result is one of the most intense whites you’ll find on the market.

How to tell it’s a Jura wine

The yellow colour of vin jaune makes its unmistakably a Jura wine. Further defining characteristics include its nutty intensity with spicy notes. The rarer vin de paille (‘straw wine’) is extremely sweet with a strong walnut and raisin aftertaste. Jura reds are also earthy and rank among the more full-bodied wines.

Jura grape varieties

Savagnin is the area’s signature grape and a key ingredient in the two white wines. Chardonnay grapes are the most widely produced for whites. Jura reds come from Pinot Not, Poulsard and Trousseau grapes.

Most famous Jura wine cellars

The region has some 140 winegrowers and they include the iconic Jacques Puffeney, Stéphane Tissot, Jean-François Ganevat and Michel Gahier.

Best vintage ever: 2005 is widely considered to be one of the best recent years for Jura wine.

What to drink your Jura wine with

Vin jaune pairs extremely well with cheese and mushroom dishes as it mirrors their earthly notes. Jura reds find a good partner in game and poultry dishes. Enjoy a glass of vin de paille with dark chocolate or shortbread.

“French wines may be said but to pickle meat in the stomach, but this is the wine that digests and doth not only breed good blood but it nutrifieth also.”
James Howell, British historian in 1726.

 

Provence

Provence vineyards promise summer sips of iconic rose from one of our favourite French wine regions

For many people, the essence of rustic France Provence also ranks among the top French wine regions . However, unlike most others, Provence wine is mostly just one colour – rosé. The Mediterranean region produces gallons of pink stuff every year, the drink de rigueur at any French summer picnic or barbecue.

The region has three AOCs with Côtes de Provence taking the lion’s share of production (over 60%). Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence and Coteaux Varois make up the rest with the latter also producing whites and reds. The long, hot summers with their dry Mistral winds ripen grapes early and the Provence harvest is one of the earliest in the country.

How to tell it’s Provence wine

The first distinctive feature of Provence rosé wines is the colour. Those produced in this part of France have an orange tinge to their pink. They’re also dry rather than sweet wines and come with a range of floral notes – lavender and thyme, of course – and a red berry aftertaste. You may also taste fennel in some or even a touch of spice.

Provence grape varieties

Red grapes make up the best Provence wine and are generally Grenaches, Cinault, Mourvedre and Syrah.

Most famous Provence wine cellars

This region boasts some of the oldest winegrowing traditions in France and its wineries go back generations. Among the famous are Domaine Richeaume, Domaine du Deffends, Château Routas, Château de Vignelaure and Domaine de Trévallon.

Best vintage ever: both 2015 and 2005 were good years for Provence wine.

What to drink your Provence wine with 

The perfect drink for a summer al fresco meal, a Provence rosé pairs especially well with any pink food (lobster, langoustines, strawberries…) and regional dishes. A glass of chilled rosé goes down a treat with bouillabaisse, pissalidière or ratatouille.

Relish the rosé

The Provence landscapes, sunshine and rosé wine make the perfect combination for a summer holiday. Discover this stunning area of France aboard some of the best hotel barges in France.

> Go barging in Provence

 

Savoie

Savoie wine regions in FranceOur last entry in the mainland round-up of French wine regions goes to Savoie in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alps. Like Jura and Corsica, Savoie is small and has just 2,000 hectares under vines. Like Languedoc, the region has borne the label of plonk. However, in recent years, two grapes have revolutionised the Savoie wine scene to the extent that connoisseurs have now placed the region on their radar.

Savoie is most famous for its ski resorts – these are after all the Alps – but summers in the area are surprisingly warm creating perfect conditions for these grapes. Wine production is mostly white (70%) with some sparkling blends emerging.

How to tell it’s a Savoie wine

Some say you can almost taste the mountain air in a Savoie white, characterised by their fruity and herby notes. Flavours in Roussanne whites include almond, apricot and even mango while Altesse whites have a floral flavour with hints of honey and walnut.

Savoie grape varieties

Whites come from Jacquère, Roussanne and Altesse grapes and reds from Mondeuse, Gamay and Pinot Noir.

Most famous Savoie wine cellars

Within the small wine-producing area, the best-known labels include Domaine Belluard, Domaine G & G Bouvet and Le Fils de René Quénard.

Best vintage ever: 2005 is the most recent exceptional vintage for Savoie wine and you have to go back to 1990 for the previous one.

What to drink your Savoie wine with 

Local cheese and a chilled Savoie white partner to perfection especially if it’s Beaufort cheese that comes in wheels weighing up to 60kg.

 

Corsica

Corsica and its hilly vineyardsThe final visit for our French wine regions goes offshore to Corsica. This fiercely independent island produces some of the most unusual wines in France, all quite unlike anything on the mainland. Corsican wines reflect the island’s rugged landscape, varying climates and ultimately, its unique culture and people. Winegrowing goes back to the Phoenicians in 2500BC (it’s the oldest in France) but a combination of natural and manmade disasters meant that wine production today dates back only to the 1980s.

As a result, Corsican wines rank among the most experiential in the country. This is a land of innovation and discovery with new blends appearing every harvest. Despite wine production’s youth, the island makes some excellent wine at very reasonable prices.

How to tell it’s a Corsica wine

Your first clue comes in the taste – it’s like no other French wine and probably unrecognisable!  All wines from Corsica echoes the landscape with hints of thyme, myrtle and fig on the palate. Whites have a floral bouquet and honey scent while reds come full-bodied, tannic and with raspberry and liquorice notes.

Corsica grape varieties

Again, completely unlike anywhere else, Corsica has over 25 types of grapes native to the island. Some are close relatives of French and Italian grapes, but others have nothing in common with any European species.

Corsican whites must have at least 75% of the Vermentino grape and in reds, Nielluccio and Sciacarello grapes must make up at least half of the blend. Other common grape types include the challenging to pronounce Carcaghjolu and Rugughonna.

Most famous Corsica wine cellars

Renowned labels on the island include Domaine Comte Abbatucci, Clos Canarelli, Domaine de Vaccelli, Domaine de Pieretti and Yves Leccia.

Best vintage ever: 2010 and 2001 were both exceptional years for Corsican wine.

What to drink your Corsica wine with 

As is the case in all wine regions in France, local wine pairs best with local dishes. The island’s robust reds are perfect partners for civet de sanglier (wild boar stew) and Corsican lamb. Whites go well with veau aux olives (veal and olive stew) and seafood such as oysters and langoustines.

 

French organic wines

Increasing volumes of organic wine are being produced in French wine regionsOrganic and sustainable production have been watchwords in some French wine regions for decades – the Languedoc is a pioneer in the sector with some Provençal producers making organic wine since the 1970s. However, it’s in recent years that organic production has soared in France to the extent that in 2018, around 12% of the 789,000 hectares of vineyards grew organic grapes.

Where to find organic French wine

All the main wine regions in France produce organic wines, but some areas of the country have embraced this type of agriculture more. The Languedoc region champions organic wine and produces some of the world’s finest organic rosés. The island of Corsica has also embraced organic production with over 30% of vineyards growing sustainably. And in the little-known wine region of Côtes d’Auvergne, half the independent winegrowers have organic certification.

Best organic wine in France

A bottle of French organic wine should carry certification on its label. The most widely used and recognised is the national Agriculture Biologique (AB) label with the green AB symbol topped with a leaf. Other official labels include the EU-wide ‘eurofeuille’, a leaf made up of stars.

What to drink your French organic wine with

Wine producers claim that organic wines allow the terroir to come through more powerfully and many experts believe organic wines taste better. Organic vineyards tend to have lower yields giving the grapes a more concentrated flavour. The result? A better wine whose colour will pair to perfection with its ideal foodie partner. See the ‘What to drink your wine with’ section for each of the French wine regions above for some inspiration.

 

Biodynamic French wines

Biodynamic wines from France are said to be fuller in flavourBiodynamic agriculture has its roots (literally) in Austria where around a century ago Rudolf Steiner created its practice that has now spread to vineyards all over the world. Biodynamics favour farming according to nature’s natural seasonal and moon cycles. They also advocate zero use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers, and a harmony in a vineyard between pests that are predators and those who are prey. The result are natural grapes grown organically.

Biodynamic wine production is common all over France. Vineyards in Alsace were the pioneers with other regions quickly following suit. Bordeaux has embraced the practice, also prevalent in Languedoc. Here, Clos d’Ora owned by Gerard Bertrand is considered one of the nine most beautiful biodynamic vineyards in the world.

Where to find French biodynamic wine

You can find this type of biodynamic wine in all regions of France. Demeter lists the main domaines and you’ll find a similar list courtesy of Biodyvin.

Best biodynamic wine in France

You’ll find the same labels as those on organic wine bottles (the AB and/or eurofeuille logos) as well as those specifically for biodynamic wines. They include the orange agriculture biodynamique logo from Demeter which brings together more than 200 biodynamic domaines in France and the Biodyvin label encompassing around 160 vineyards.

What to drink your French biodynamic wine with

Like organic wine, that produced using biodynamics tastes bolder and better. And as you would with organic wine, pair your bottle of biodynamic by following our guide above to what to eat with wine from each of the French wine regions.

>> Read our full guide to biodynamic French wines

 

Vegan wines in France

beaujolaisYou might think wine by definition is vegan, but the addition of animal products to clarify the liquid means that wine from France (or indeed, anywhere) is rarely 100% vegan. Most producers add animal-based substances such as egg white, gelatine made from beef or pork, or milk casein to get rid of the yeast residue. While vegetarians may be drinking a non-meat wine in France, vegans probably won’t.

With the advent of growing veganism throughout the world, France included, the scenario has changed in recent years. Producers are increasingly turning to mechanical filtration or mineral products such as bentonite clay to remove yeast and grape residue in wines. And the result is vegan wine with more and more French wine producers offering a totally animal-product free label.

How to tell it’s a vegan wine

Look for ‘vegane’ in the description on the label. There may also be an Expertise Vegane Europe (EVE) logo certifying that the wine is 100% plant based. The EVE label is gradually growing in popularity as French wine regions realise its value. In terms of taste, there’s no discernible difference between a vegan and non-vegan wine. Note that bottles labelled as organic (agriculture biologique) and/or vegetarian do not necessarily contain vegan wine.

Where to find French vegan wine

French wine producers are turning their attention to the vegan market and producing wine to sell to it. While at the time of writing, production remains at minimal levels and sourcing a bottle can be a matter of chance. When you visit a vineyard in France, ask about their filtration process – if the answers are vague or not forthcoming, you can probably assume the wine isn’t vegan.

Best vegan wine in France

The EVE website lists vegan products including wine and adds labels continuously so bookmark the site and visit regularly to stay up to date. You can also consult the Guide Brachet des Vins Vegan et Vegetaliens by Claire Brachet, listing 50 domaines producing 100% vegan wine.

What to drink your French vegan wine with

Green vegetables pair perfectly with a light white or sparkling wine. If you fancy drinking a medium or even full-bodied red, go for a vegan dish made with fungi and enjoy the perfect 100% plant match.

 

Experience French wine regions in style

Experience France's most famous wine region, Bordeaux, aboard a wine experience cruise on Saint LouisThe spread of French wine regions is the simplistic indicator of quite how much wine forms an intrinsic part of the French lifestyle. No lunch or dinner goes without a glass or two of vin and no special occasion would be complete without some champagne or crémant.

If you love relaxing and tasting the best of French food and wine, take a look at our selection of holidays on the water. We offer cruises down the largest rivers in France, barge hotel holidays on canals and rivers, and self-drive boating on almost any waterways in the country. All in style and comfort to ensure a holiday of a lifetime.

> Ask Ruth about wine experiences and hotel barge wine cruises in France

 

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The ultimate guide to French wine regions

 

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