The Best French Wines

Home to some of the world’s greatest wines, France has dozens of wineries in regions like Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace, Loire, Champagne, Côtes du Rhône, Loire Valley, and Provence that are recognizable to wine lovers everywhere. Check out this insight from Mercedes-Benz of Owings Mills.

When selecting a wine, keep in mind that there are four ratings of French wine: Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC or AC) is the highest rating; Vin Délimités de Qualité Supérieure (VDQA) denotes “demarcated wine of superior quality”; Vin de Pays means local or regional wines; and Vin de Table is a designation meaning table wines with no particular region, vintage, or grape variety highlighted on the label.

There are ten major wine producing regions in France. A few of the most popular regions for wine include Alsace (Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir), Burgundy (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot), and Champagne (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay).

For excellent white wines with a fusion of French and German tastes, the Alsace features wines produced from Gewürztraminer, Muscat, and Riesling grapes. Among the more heralded wineries in the region are Marcel Deiss, Theo Faller, and Domaine Ostertag.

Burgundy, one of the oldest wine-growing regions in France, produces a lengthy selection of white wines dominated by Chardonnay, as well as red wines that are typically Pinot Noir. If you’re considering a red, the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti estate is one of the most celebrated wineries in the world and is known for its exceptional wines. Superb white wines in the region come from areas such as Chablis and Aloxe-Corton.

Rivaling Burgundy for top-quality wines in France is Bordeaux in the southwest, which is celebrated for its phenomenal red wines. When you consider that nearly 99% of all the wines produced in the region are AC, the most prestigious rating, you get a sense of the quality available. In fact, more than 25% of all AC wines produced in France originate from Bordeaux. The Château Mouton Rothschild winery creates some of the best red wines in the world, according to many wine experts and wine publications. Other top estates include Château Palmer and Château Margaux in the Médoc district.

For a fantastic sparkling wine, the Champagne region, about 100 miles east of Paris, is home to fantastic bubbly vintages. The Champage-Ardenne region, with its lush forests and clear water lakes and streams, is the only area in the world that produces authentic champagne. The top producers in Champagne include Champagne Gosset, Ay, Duval-Leroy, Vertus, Krug Reims, and Moët & Chandon.