he main wine producing areas of France are:

Alsace Bordeaux Burgundy Champagne Loire Rhone Languedoc/Roussillon

Alsace Wines

This wine region is situated in north eastern France and runs down along the German border. Once part of Germany this area is devoted almost exclusively to growing white grapes and produces superb elegant white wines. Alsace wines are easily recognisable by their tall thin German style bottles and contrary to other French wine regions these wines are named after the grape variety from which they are made. The words "vendagne tardive" on an Alsace label mean that the wine is a sweeter style. Alsace wines include the following familiar names:

Gewurztraminer (spicy dry white)

Muscat (dry white)

Pinot Blanc (dry and aromatic white)

Pinot Gris ( dry and creamy white)

Pinot Noir (light refreshing red)

Riesling (dry and sweets whites)

Bordeaux Wines

This wine producing area is on the west coast of France and stretches west south and east of the Gironde and Dordogne rivers. The producers in Bordeaux have the flexibility by law to blend grape varieties to produce their best wines however the type of grape that can be planted in each appellation is strictly controlled. Bordeaux is a region of such tremendous diversity in geography, soil, weather and wine making traditions that it produces a myriad of wines each with a unique character. The reds are full and complex and the whites can be either sweet or dry. The main varieties of grape used are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, and Semillon . In Bordeaux the wines are known by the name of the Chateâu (French for house or castle). Bordeaux wines include the following familiar names:

Bordeaux (medium to full bodied reds and dry whites)

Côtes de Bourg (medium bodied reds)

Graves (earthy medium to full bodied reds and dry whites)

Margaux (medium to full bodied silky reds)

Médoc ( full bodied reds)

Pomerol (full bodied reds)

St Émilion (medium to full bodied soft and silky reds )

St Julien (rich full bodied fragrant)

Sauvignon (dry white)

Sauternes (sweet white dessert white)

Burgundy Wines

This wine producing area is in the heart of France and stretches from the south of Paris to Lyon. It is a rich and fertile plain with 5 five wine producing regions from Chablis in the north to Beaujolais in the south. Under French law all Burgundy wines must be made from a single grape variety. The red wines of Burgundy in general are less fruitier, less tannic and lighter that the wines of Bordeaux or the Rhone. The main grapes used are Chardonnay, Gamay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. Burgundy wines include the following familiar names:

Beaujolais (juicy and fruity reds)

Beaune (delicate reds and fragrant whites)

Chablis ( crisp steely dry whites)

Nuits St George (medium to full bodied smoky reds)

Meursault (buttery whites)

Pouilly-Fuissé ( whites)

Champagne

Champagne , the drink that everyone associates with success and celebration, is produced in one of France's most northerly vineyards. This small area is situated around the two cities of Epernay and Reims is just north east of Paris. Because the area is small and the process of producing the wine complicated and labour intensive, champagne has always been relatively expensive. Champagne is made from a blend of three grapes Chardonnay (white), Pinot Noir (black) and Pinot Meunier (black). Most non-vintage champagnes are made from a blend of these three grapes from different years. The bubbles are produced naturally and because of this pressure of gas within the bottle special corks are used which are secured with wire. Additions of sugar determine whether the final product has the appellation of Extra Brut (dryest style), Brut (very dry to dry), Sec (dry to slightly sweet), Demi-sec (medium sweet) and Doux (very sweet).

Vintage champagne, when the year is shown on the label, is the wine for one single year and is more expensive than the blended non-vintage variety. Champagne includes the following familiar names:

Bollinger

Dom Perignon

Krug

Moët et Chandon

Pommery

Loire Valley Wines

This wine producing region stretches from the Atlantic on the west coast of France across to Orleans in the centre and down to Clermont Ferrand in the Auvergne. The wines of the loire offer a wide range of styles including crisp dry white wines, aromatic dry whites, sparkling whites and light and fruity reds. The grape varieties used are mainly Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Gamay, Muscadet and . Sauvignon Blanc. Loire valley wines include the following familiar names.

Chinon (fresh and fruity reds and dry aromatic reds)

Coteau de layon (lush sweet white wine)

Muscadet (dry honey flavoured whites)

Pouilly-Fume (crisp dry whites)

Quincy (crisp dry white)

Sancerre (light reds and pungent dry whites)

Saumur (fruity reds and dry or sparkling whites)

Touraine (fruity reds and steely whites)

Vouvray (can be dry, sweet, still or sparkling whites)

Rhone Wines

This wine area is situated in the south eastern part of France and stretches approximately from the city of Lyon to Avignon in the south. The vines are often planted on terraced steep slopes which attract a lot of sunshine. The wines are easily recognised for their rich spicy flavours. The grapes used are mainly Grenache, Marsanne, Muscat, Roussane, Syrah and Viognier. Rhone valley wines include the following familiar names.

Châteauneuf-Du-Pape (full bodied fruity spicy reds and dry whites)

Chateau Grillet ( perfumed dry white)

Condrieu (dry and elegant white)

Côtes Du Rhône (light to medium bodied reds)

Hermitage (full bodied ripe reds and peachy whites)

St Joseph (light smooth and fruity and reds)

Languedoc-Roussillon

The Languedoc-Roussillon area is currently France's most exciting and developing wine region. The vineyards are some of France's oldest having been planted by the Romans. The area nestles in south west France between the Rhone river on the east, the Pyrennes on the west and the Mediterranean coast on the south. The climate makes wine production a reasonably dependable business. The red wines are robust, spicy and herb scented, the whites are ripe and nutty and the rosé is herby and heady. The area is also very well known for it's fortified sweet wines (Vins Doux Naturels). Lanquedoc -Roussillon wines include the following familiar names:

Corbieres ( Deep colour and concentrated wild herb flavour)

Fitou (Solid robust and warm dark herb scented red)

Minervois (Juicy robust fruity red with a pine dust perfume)

Cotes de Provence (Rosé's are perfect as an aperitif, whites are elegant and reds are ripe)

Coteaux de Lanquedoc (Beefy red and tasty rosé -quality improving all the time)

Saint Chinon ( Strong and spicy)

Cotes du Roussillon (Whites are lively and fruity, rosé's are heady and reds are smooth)