| Are you baffled by the huge variety of French | | | | Syrah grapes produce intense rich wines which |
| wines and completely lost when it comes to | | | | are almost black in color and which have an |
| deciding which wine will best suit your needs? | | | | aroma that is spicy in nature. The Rhone Syrah |
| Each of the eight wine producing regions of | | | | grape forms the base for many blended wines |
| France specializes in producing wine of a particular | | | | including the well known Chateauneuf du Pape |
| type and flavor and this simple overview will | | | | The Muscat grape gives rise to intense, sweet |
| hopefully make choosing French wines a little | | | | wines with a strong and easily recognized aroma. |
| easier. | | | | In addition, and unusual for a wine, wines from the |
| Burgundy | | | | Muscat really do taste of grapes. |
| Burgundy wines are produced from the black | | | | Loire |
| Pinot Noir and Gamay grapes and from the white | | | | The grapes of the Loire include the black Pinot |
| Chardonnay grape. | | | | Noir and the white Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris |
| The Pinot Noir is probably one of the world's | | | | grapes. |
| oldest grape varieties and is notoriously difficult to | | | | The Sauvignon Blanc grape is grown all over the |
| grow. It does however produce some of our best | | | | world today and it is very widely used for |
| wines which are full-bodied and rich and at the | | | | blending. In the case of the Loire however it is |
| same time can be light, soft and velvety. Pinot | | | | used to make a distinctive unblended dry white |
| noir wines often have an aroma of cherries | | | | wine with a characteristic sharp and aggressive |
| accompanied by a spiciness that is reminiscent of | | | | smell. |
| cinnamon or mint. | | | | Pinot Gris wines often display a slightly floral and |
| The Chardonnay grape is a very popular grape | | | | lightly lemon flavor and, depending upon the |
| which produces light, delicate dry wines with a | | | | ripeness of the grape at harvesting, wines that |
| distinctive but often difficult to describe aroma | | | | are either light and tangy or rich, round and full |
| conjuring up a vision of apples, peaches or lemons. | | | | bodied. Pinot Gris makes one of the few white |
| Bordeaux | | | | wines that can be said to age well. |
| The wines of Bordeaux are based upon the | | | | Alsace |
| related black Cabernet Franc and Cabernet | | | | Although the grapes of the Alsace are similar to |
| Sauvignon grapes, found particularly in the Medoc | | | | those used in the Loire, growing conditions in this |
| district of Bordeaux, and the black Merlot grape. | | | | region tend to produce wines which bear the |
| Cabernet Sauvignon wines improve greatly with | | | | characteristics of many German rather that |
| age and are often amongst the world's truly | | | | French wines. |
| great wines. With age the distinctive blackcurrant | | | | The wines in this region are similar to Riesling and |
| aroma of wines from this grape develops | | | | the sweeter German wines. Some rosé |
| overtones of cedar, violets and leather and the | | | | wines are also produced in Alsace. |
| wines, which are characteristically deep in flavor, | | | | Champagne |
| often become smooth and soft. | | | | The main grapes of the Champagne region are |
| Wines made from the Merlot grape are very | | | | the black Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and the |
| similar to those produced from the Cabernet | | | | white Chardonnay. |
| Sauvignon grape but have a less distinctive aroma | | | | The wines of the Champagne region can best be |
| and flavor. | | | | described as thin and tart and provide the perfect |
| If it seems strange that white wines should be | | | | base for what many believe to be the world's |
| produced from black grapes then bear in mind | | | | finest sparkling wine. |
| that grape juice, whether from black or white | | | | Beaujolais |
| grapes, is essentially colorless and it is the skin of | | | | Beaujolais wines are made from the black Gamay |
| the black grape that gives the wine its color. | | | | and white Chardonnay grapes. |
| Rhone | | | | The wines of this region are often light in nature, |
| The grape varieties most often seen in the Rhone | | | | fresh tasting and with a somewhat fruity flavor. |
| valley are the black Cabernet Sauvignon and | | | | Many Beaujolais wines are also slightly fizzy in |
| Syrah grapes and the white Muscat grape. | | | | nature. |