{"id":3501,"date":"2015-09-18T10:46:32","date_gmt":"2015-09-18T10:46:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expedia.blog.ca.sandwave.dev\/stories\/beginners-guide-frances-wine-regions\/"},"modified":"2023-06-21T19:13:36","modified_gmt":"2023-06-21T19:13:36","slug":"beginners-guide-frances-wine-regions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.ca\/stories\/beginners-guide-frances-wine-regions\/","title":{"rendered":"A Beginner’s Guide to France’s Wine Regions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bienvenue en France! \u00a0The so-called “Hexagon” is home to plenty of clich\u00e9s (most of which tend to reflect reality), like baguettes, striped sweaters, b\u00e9rets, cheeses, haute gastronomie<\/i>… and copious amounts of wine.<\/p>\n

So whether you’re a wine aficionado or simply an amateur of the finer things in life, it goes without saying that your next holiday in France should include at least one (but really, we mean five) stops in a winery.<\/p>\n

Bordeaux<\/h1>\n

\"French<\/a><\/p>\n

Because of its location along the Atlantic coast, Bordeaux<\/a> has a long history of exporting its wines overseas – which perhaps explains why they are some of the most\u00a0celebrated in the world. And with a total vineyard area of over 120,000 hectares, it is also the largest of France. Home to exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes, Bordeaux is primarily a red wine region – although the few whites it does produce are unparalleled in quality and taste, like the sweet Sauternes.<\/p>\n

Must do’s in Bordeaux include\u00a0the picturesque medieval village of Saint-\u00c9milion, which is home to not only spectacular architecture but also a Maison des vins<\/em>\u00a0where all local AOC wines are on sale. For the winery experience, famous high-end estates like\u00a0Ch\u00e2teau Lafite-Rothschild, Ch\u00e2teau Latour and Ch\u00e2teau Margaux all offer guided visits (by appointment).<\/p>\n

Burgundy<\/h1>\n

\"French<\/a><\/p>\n

Situated in eastern France, Burgundy<\/a> holds the largest amount of appellations of any French region, and its top grands crus <\/em>understandably\u00a0<\/em>command high prices. What makes Burgundy so interesting, besides its terroir-oriented production, is its equal distribution of reds and whites; the former focuses on Pinot noir grapes, while the latter uses mostly Chardonnay grapes, which are especially delightful in the Chablis subregion.<\/p>\n

If you are visiting in November, you definitely want to experience the late harvest of Beaujolais nouveau near Lyon;<\/a> it’s the\u00a0only wine that can be legally consumed in the year of its production. At any other time of the year, perhaps a visit to the Burgundy Wine Museum in Beaune is in order.<\/p>\n

Loire<\/h1>\n

\"French<\/a><\/p>\n

How about a glass of sweet white with a side of Renaissance castle? It’s all possible in the Loire Valley and the Tours vicinity<\/a>. While predominantly a white wine region, the Loire Valley produces a vast variety of wines, from crisp reds to sparkling cr\u00e9mants<\/em> and even dessert wines – but whatever the type, these wines are famous for their fruity flavors and refreshing taste, most of which make for the perfect ap\u00e9ritif<\/em>. If you’re not familiar with Loire wines, start your journey at the Maison des vins<\/em> in Tours\u00a0and continue your exploration in wineries\u00a0that\u00a0appealed to your palate the most!<\/p>\n

The Saumur area, more specifically, has plenty of stunning vineyards, complete with fortifications, castles and windmills. A must do!<\/p>\n

Curious about the castles and the vineyards but\u00a0running out of time? Hop on this\u00a0Loire Valley castles & wine-tasting full-day trip<\/a> from Paris for a quick but memorable glimpse of France’s most picturesque wine region.<\/p>\n

Alsace<\/h1>\n

\"French<\/a><\/p>\n

Alsace<\/a> is a destination that will appeal to pretty much everyone – and not just for the wine. The region features some of France’s loveliest half-timber villages (Kaysesberg, Riquewihr, Ribeauvill\u00e9) as well as a splendid castle in Haut-Koeningsburg. Not to be outdone, the capital, Strasbourg<\/a>, offers a surprising yet successful mix of modernity and history.<\/p>\n

Alsace obviously doesn’t disappoint in the wine department either. Home to the best dry Rieslings in the world, contrary to popular belief, they are not all sweet- and the highly aromatic Gew\u00fcrztraminers, it also specializes in sparkling wines with its iconic Cr\u00e9mant d’Alsace <\/em>and a few note-worthy ros\u00e9s. There are plenty of wineries open to visitors in the Hunawihr region, along the lower Vosges hills. Better have your camera at the ready!<\/p>\n

Provence<\/h1>\n

\"French<\/a><\/p>\n

Last but not least, Provence is pretty much the world capital of ros\u00e9 wines. Located in south-eastern France in the backcountry of the Riviera, Provence has been a wine-making region for at least 2600 years. From Greeks to Romans, from Gauls to Catalans, each group brought it own set of influences to the region, which, today, results in a diverse range of flavours.<\/p>\n

Provence has eight major wine regions with AOC designations, with the largest being C\u00f4tes de Provence, and\u00a0Cassis being a favourite from tourists because of its exceptionally beautiful setting along the sea. Few things bring more joy and feel more French than sipping an ice-cold glass of ros\u00e9 on a patio overlooking the Mediterranean at sundown. Pure bliss is what it is!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bienvenue en France! \u00a0The so-called “Hexagon” is home to plenty of clich\u00e9s (most of which tend to reflect reality), like baguettes, striped sweaters, b\u00e9rets, cheeses, haute gastronomie… and copious amounts of wine. So whether you’re a wine aficionado or simply an amateur of the finer things in life, it goes without saying that your next… Continue reading A Beginner’s Guide to France’s Wine Regions<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":3502,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,138,19,124],"tags":[933,934,935,315,586,936,937,938,219],"authors":[],"class_list":["post-3501","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-destinations","category-europe","category-new-destinations","category-plan-a-trip","tag-alsace","tag-bordeaux","tag-bourgogne","tag-drinks","tag-france","tag-france-wine-regions","tag-loire","tag-provence","tag-wine","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nA Beginner's Guide to France's Wine Regions | Expedia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Wine aficionado but unsure where to start? 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