France's Most Famous Wine Regions Introduced

France produces many kinds of world-famous exports. Not least among these is wine. In order to truly enjoy the finest French wines, some general information is required about the places whence they originate. Although there are many wine regions in France that are worth experiencing, I hope to give you a small introduction to the most famous of these regions: Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Champagne.

Burgundy (Bourgogne) is located in the central east part of the country. Seen from a map, it is just to the west of Switzerland. The primary wine-producing part of Burgundy is a thin stretch of land that begins just south of the regional capital of Dijon and extends south. It stops just north of the Rhone River. Ninety-nine different wine appellations (brands) are produced from the vineyards found in this small corner of France alone. The very best wines are classified as Grand Cru. There are only thirty-three Grand Cru vineyards and the most famous are Montrachet, Chambertin and Clos Vougeot. At second rank are the Premier Cru vineyards of which there are over six hundred.

Burgundy experiences warm and temperate summers and cold winters. Its capital city, Dijon, is the old capital of the dukes of Burgundy and is certainly worth a visit. The dukes left their mark on the city primarily by building their palace in the center of the city. It houses many works of art and the beautiful and ornate tombs of the dukes.

Bordeaux is located on the opposite side of France, very close to the Atlantic Ocean. The wine-making industry in this region is centered around its chateaux. There are over seven thousand individual chateaux in Bordeaux. Extending from the city of Bordeaux and heading inland, they produce some of the highest quality red wines in the world. They are also among the most expensive. There are many companies that offer tours of various chateaux with wine tastings at each. Taking such a tour is a great way to taste some wine that one would never be able to afford otherwise.

Although almost everyone has heard of Champagne, not everyone is aware that it is the name of a place as well as a beverage. Champagne lies to the north east of Paris and enjoys a cool climate relative to other wine regions such as Bordeaux and Burgundy. Its capital city of Reims is a picturesque, medieval town that happens to have a huge Gothic cathedral. The cathedral of Reims is especially important in French history because it is where most of the kings of France were crowned.

Whether the occasion is a wedding, a garden party, or a ship-launching, Champagne is almost always the preferred beverage to serve. Champagne used to produce still wine just like most wine regions in the world. But beginning in the sixteenth century, sparkling wine began to be produced which became the hallmark of the whole region. The bubbles that are said to make sparkling wine so special result from a second fermentation process that actually occurs in the wine bottle. Although most consumers refer to all sparkling wines as Champagne, under European Union regulations only sparkling wine that is produced from Champagne may receive that name.

No matter your taste or climate preference, there is definitely a perfect wine region of France for everyone. The only way to truly find out which one is your favorite is to simply travel and taste your way around each of these fascinating and diverse areas. From the sunny, green hills of Burgundy to the rivers of Bordeaux, there is very little chance that your taste buds will be disappointed by the wine regions of France.

I must admit this webpage is kinda brief (at least for now!). In the near future I'll be adding more articles about French wines but meanwhile I need to redirect you to the next websites for more information.