French wines

A great way to begin to understanding French wine is by knowing the regions. Each one tends to have a dominant red and dominant white wine that they’re known for. Here’s a quick rundown for you.

In Burgundy the red is silky Pinot Noir while the white is elegant Chardonnay.

The northern Rhone means juicy red Syrah and peachy, floral Viognier.

In the Loire the star is Cabernet Franc and two whites, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc.

In Beaujolais the red is Gamay.

Bordeaux is the most famous of all. There, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are in the spotlight.

The Cabs are found on the west, or left bank of the Gironde, with Merlot the mainstay on the east side.

You may be surprised to hear about white Bordeaux, but the Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon of the Graves district are a terrific dry wine combo as well as being the grapes found in the great dessert wines form Sauternes.