There are vineyards in most regions of France, there are vineyards throughout France. three areas, Champagne, Burgundy and Bordeaux, enjoy worldwide recognition on account of their historic tradition for fine wines, production of wine in every region of France except those along the north coast - Brittany, Normandy, Picardy and the Nord-Pas-de-CalaisGenerally speaking, the northern vineyards are more reputed for their white wines, the southern vineyards, from Burgundy southwards with the exception of the Jura and Savoy vineyards, for their red More details on the main French wine guide pageStarting your adventure into French wine reveals a nearly endless selection of new wines to try. For starters, there are over 200 indigenous wine varieties–from the well-known Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon to the lesser-known Prunelard and Savagnin. Moreover, there are 307 wine designations (called AOP or Appellation d’Origine Protégée) and each can allow for several different types of wine (red, rosé, sparkling, etc.).

When you put it all into perspective, France delivers approximately 2,900 different wines, not taking into account the many thousands of wineries. If you drank a new wine each night, it would take 8 years to drink your way through France. As complicated as it is, anyone can jumpstart their French wine knowledge by tasting the most emblematic wines of the 11 major regions. You’ll find a list of these wines here, including a 12th section of up-and-coming areas. Try one of the 34 wines each week and you’ll become confident with French wines–just be sure to take good notes! This map of France’s wine regions is available as a 12×16 print here. Read more about wines of Bordeaux in this detailed guide. Read more about Wines of the Loire Valley in this detailed guide. Read more about wines of South West France in this detailed guide. Read more about Provence wine in this detailed guide. A 12×16 inch reference map to France’s major wines and regions printed on spill and tear resistant paper.

12×16 France Wine Map“Which Winegrape Varieties Are Grown Where? A Global Empirical Picture.” The University of Adelaide. University of Adelaide Press, n.d. Web. Robinson, Jancis, Julia Harding, and Jose Vouillamoz. Wine Grapes: A Complete Guide to 1,368 Vine Varieties, including Their Origins and Flavours. New York: Ecco, 2012. MINISTÈRE DE L’AGRICULTURE, DE L’AGROALIMENTAIRE ET DE LA FORÊT agreste.agriculture.gouv.fr/ Clarke, Oz. Oz Clarke’s New Wine Atlas: Wines and Wine Regions of the World: Unique Panoramic Maps of the World’s Great Vineyard Areas. New York: Harcourt, 2002. A great way to explore wine is to look at a wine map. Wine maps point out vineyard areas and tell you what grapes grow there best. Seeing a wine map can help identify famous regions as well as point out neighboring regions that usually fly under the radar. By observing the clues, you’ll be more adept at buying wine. For instance, let’s say that you really like Chianti from Tuscany.

Tuscany happens to be right next door to a lessor known region called Umbria. While Umbria is a much smaller region, they make several amazing (and great valued) Sangiovese-based wines.buy wine storage We recently improved the wine maps offered on Wine Folly… please enjoy!best cheap wine with cheese Italy is perhaps most famous for the red wines of Tuscany, known most commonly as Chianti, a region that produces Sangiovese wine. dry white wine australiaHowever, Italy is very diverse. where to buy ice wine in the ukThere are 20 unique regions with over 350 different grape varieties ranging from light and bubbly Prosecco to nearly opaque red Sagrantino.best food and wine magazine recipes

Learn more about Italy’s wine regions Buy Map Free Personal Use Download Spain is the third largest wine producing nation in the world. glass of wine badIt is perhaps most famous for its red wines of Rioja using the countries champion Tempranillo grape. perfect gift for wine loversSpain produces a diverse range of wine styles from the refreshing sparkling Cava that come from around Barcelona to the nutty and sweet dessert wines from Andalucía in the South.best songs about wine Learn more about Spain’s wine regionsred wine audio 30 Despite the fact that South America is considered a New World wine region, winemaking has been happening in South America since the 1500’s.

Today you’ll find excellent Chardonnay from Chile and Malbec in Argentina but there’s much more in South America than the two largest producers. Learn more about South America’s wine regions Australia renamed Syrah to Shiraz in the 1980’s in order to differentiate themselves from the US and France. Shiraz is often made in a way that’s richer and darker than most Syrah so the new name changed people’s perception of the wine. Today, Australia is diversifying its grape varieties and wine styles and there are also an increasing number of small producers. Learn more about Australia’s wine regions The entire country of South Africa started as a pit-stop for the Dutch East India Company en route to India. The South African region built their industry on wines and brandies made with the Chenin Blanc grape. In just the last ten years, South Africa has become more well known for their red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. The country has prehistoric soils which add a unique rustic flavor to their fruity wines.

Learn more about South Africa’s wine regions Napa Vally is the centerpiece to California wine. Napa was the first region to prove that American wines were good, if not better, than the best wines of the world. Since their fame in the 1970’s, Napa has evolved from a sunny grass-covered valley to a mecca of chi-chi wine estates. The prized possession of Napa is Cabernet Sauvignon, but if you dig deeper you’ll find ardent support for historic Zinfandel vineyards and Sauvignon Blanc. Learn more about Napa Valley Wine Despite the importance of Napa Valley in California’s wine history, Sonoma actually has more vineyards. The region is larger and more diverse in terms of styles from elegant sparkling wines to rich and lusty Merlot wine. There are a few new sub-regions of Sonoma that are making waves with their Pinot Noir. Learn more about Sonoma Valley Wine Washington State focuses its efforts on red blends of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot even though the region makes terrific dry Riesling.

Most people think of gray weather and rain in Seattle, but grapes are grown on the sunny side of Washington in the east. Washington has expanded by leaps and bounds in the last 10 years and will become a much larger US region in the years to come. Learn more about Washington wine Bordeaux is over 3 times the size in terms of wine production as Burgundy. The location of Bordeaux on a wide estuary and two rivers has created a separation between winemaking styles on either bank. On one side of the river, producers focus on Cabernet-based blends and on the other (the right bank) producers make Merlot-based wines. Of course, this is just the beginning of getting to know Bordeaux. Learn more about Bordeaux Wine Burgundy France is the birthplace of the some of the world’s most planted grapes, including Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The region was developed by Cistercian Monks who walled their estates and plots of land for disease protection. Burgundy is sliced into 5 unique wine growing areas with unique wine styles.