French Wines   Page 1   Page 2    Page 3

France produces more wine than any other country in the world, besides Italy. The average yearly production is 70 million hectolitres (about 9 billion bottles!)  The French work very hard to ensure the quality of each bottle produced. In 1935, laws were passed regulating the production of wine.  These laws spell out the requirements each wine must meet to receive which ranking.  Basically they are categorized by region, method of production, and alcoholic content. Type and quality of wine all depend on factors such as the soil, climate, and type of grapes used.   The effect of where the grapes grown is referred to as  "Terrior" or a group of vineyards (or even vines) from the same region, belonging to a specific appellation, and sharing the same type of soil, weather conditions, grapes and wine making savoir-faire, which contribute to give its specific personality to the wine.   Wines produced in different types of region and soil, even if the climate is the same, the taste will be different. Contrary to American produced wines,  French wines, with the exception of Alsace ,  are named after the location of the vineyard and not the type of grape.   For example, Champagne comes from the Champagne region, Burgundy from the Burgundy region, and so on

So, in reading the label you will be know where it came from and because of its rating, you can be assured that it will meet certain quality expectations.

French Wines   Page 1   Page 2    Page 3

FRENCH WINE GROWING REGIONS    Appelations

The complete list of AOC in France sorted by region

Alsace ALSACE CHASSELAS OU GUTEDEL ALSACE GEWURZTRAMINER ALSACE GRAND CRU ALSACE MUSCAT ALSACE PINOT NOIR ALSACE PINOT OU KLEVNER ALSACE RIESLING ALSACE SYLVANER ALSACE TOKAY-PINOT GRIS CREMANT D'ALSACE Beaujolais BEAUJOLAIS BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES BROUILLY CHENAS CHIROUBLES COTE DE BROUILLY COTEAUX DU LYONNAIS (LYONNAIS) FLEURIE JULIENAS MORGON MOULIN A VENT REGNIE SAINT-AMOUR Bordeaux BARSAC BLAYE BORDEAUX BORDEAUX CLAIRET BORDEAUX COTES DE FRANCS BORDEAUX ROSE BORDEAUX SEC BORDEAUX SUPERIEUR CADILLAC CANON-FRONSAC CERONS CREMANT DE BORDEAUX COTES DE BLAYE COTES DE BOURG COTES DE CASTILLON ENTRE-DEUX-MERS FRONSAC GRAVES GRAVES DE VAYRES GRAVES SUPERIEURES HAUT-MEDOC LALANDE DE POMEROL LISTRAC-MEDOC LOUPIAC Bordeaux Cont. MARGAUX MEDOC MONTAGNE SAINT-EMILION MOULIS EN MEDOC PAUILLAC PESSAC LEOGNAN POMEROL PREMIERES COTES DE BORDEAUX PREMIERES COTES DE BLAYE PUISSEGUIN SAINT-EMILION SAINT-EMILION SAINT-EMILION GRAND CRU SAINT-ESTEPHE SAINT-GEORGES SAINT-EMILION SAINT-JULIEN SAINTE-CROIX-DU-MONT SAINTE-FOIX-BORDEAUX SAUTERNES Burgundy ALOXE-CORTON AUXEY-DURESSES BATARD-MONTRACHET BEAUNE BLAGNY BONNES-MARES BOURGOGNE BOURGOGNE ALIGOTE BOURGOGNE ALIGOTE BOUZERON BOURGOGNE HAUTES-COTES DE NUITS BOURGOGNE HAUTES-COTES DE BEAUNE BOURGOGNE IRANCY BOURGOGNE PASSETOUTGRAIN CHABLIS CHABLIS GRAND CRU CHABLIS PREMIER CRU CHAMBERTIN CHAMBERTIN-CLOS DE BEZE CHARMES-CHAMBERTIN CHAMBOLLE MUSIGNY CHASSAGNE-MONTRACHET CHEVALIER-MONTRACHET CHOREY-LES-BEAUNE CLOS DE LA ROCHE CLOS DE TART CLOS DE VOUGEOT CLOS DES LAMBRAYS CLOS SAINT-DENIS CORTON CORTON-CHARLEMAGNE COTE DE BEAUNE BLANC COTE DE NUITS-VILLAGES COTES DE BEAUNE ECHEZEAUX FIXIN GEVREY-CHAMBERTIN GIVRY LA TACHE LADOIX Burgundy Cont. MACON MACON SUPERIEUR MACON-VILLAGES MARANGES MARSANNAY MAZIS-CHAMBERTIN MAZOYERES-CHAMBERTIN MERCUREY MEURSAULT MONTAGNY MONTHELIE MONTRACHET MOREY-SAINT-DENIS NUIT-SAINT-GEORGES PERNAND-VERGELESSES PETIT CHABLIS POMMARD POUILLY-FUISSE POUILLY-LOCHE POUILLY-VINZELLES PULIGNY-MONTRACHET RICHEBOURG RUCHOTTES-CHAMBERTIN RULLY SAINT-AUBIN SAINT-ROMAIN SAINT-VERAN SANTENAY SAVIGNY-LES-BEAUNE VOLNAY VOSNE-ROMANEE VOUGEOT Côtes du Rhône CHATEAU-GRILLET CHATEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE CLAIRETTE DE DIE CONDRIEU CORNAS COTE ROTIE COTEAUX DE PIERREVERT COTEAUX DU TRICASTIN COTES DU LUBERON COTES DU RHONE COTES DU RHONE-VILLAGES COTES DU VENTOUX COTES DU VIVARAIS AOVDQS CROZES-HERMITAGE GIGONDAS HERMITAGE LIRAC SAINT-JOSEPH SAINT PERAY TAVEL VACQUEYRAS Languedoc Roussillon BANYULS BANYULS GRAND CRU BLANQUETTE DE LIMOUX CABARDES AOVDQS CLAIRETTE DE BELLEGARDE CLAIRETTE DU LANGUEDOC COLLIOURE CORBIERES COSTIERES DE NIMES COTEAUX DU LANGUEDOC COTES DE LA MALEPERE COTES DU ROUSSILLON COTES DU ROUSSILLON-VILLAGES FAUGERES FITOU LIMOUX MAURY MINERVOIS MUSCAT DE BEAUMES-DE-VENISE MUSCAT DE LUNEL MUSCAT DE MIREVAL MUSCAT DE RIVESALTES MUSCAT DE SAINT-JEAN DE MINERVOIS RIVESALTES SAINT-CHINIAN Loire ANJOU ANJOU-COTEAUX DE LA LOIRE ANJOU-GAMAY ANJOU-VILLAGES BONNEZEAUX BOURGUEIL CABERNET D'ANJOU CHATEAUMEILLANT AOVDQS CHEVERNY CHINON COTE ROANNAISE COTEAUX DE L'AUBANCE COTEAUX DU GIENNOIS AOVDQS COTEAUX DU LAYON COTEAUX DU LOIR COTEAUX DU VENDOMOIS AOVDQS COTES D'AUVERGNE AOVDQS COTES DU FOREZ AOVDQS COUR-CHEVERNY FIEFS VENDEENS AOVDQS GROS PLANT AOVDQS HAUT-POITOU AOVDQS MENETOU-SALON MONTLOUIS MUSCADET MUSCADET COTES DE GRAND-LIEU MUSCADET DE SEVRE-ET-MAINE MUSCADET DES COTEAUX DE LA LOIRE QUARTS DE CHAUME POUILLY-FUME POUILLY-SUR-LOIRE QUINCY REUILLY ROSE DE LOIRE ROSE D'ANJOU SAINT-NICOLAS-DE-BOURGUEIL SAINT-POURCAIN AOVDQS SANCERRE SAUMUR SAUMUR SEC BLANC SAUMUR-CHAMPIGNY SAVENNIERES TOURAINE TOURAINE AMBOISE TOURAINE-AZAY-LE-RIDEAU TOURAINE-MESLAND VALENCAY AOVDQS VOUVRAY Provence and Corsica BANDOL BELLET CASSIS COTEAUX D'AIX COTEAUX VAROIS COTES DE PROVENCE Corse : AJACCIO PATRIMONIO VIN DE CORSE Others ARBOIS (JURA) BUGEY AOVDQS CHATEAU-CHALON (JURA) CHAMPAGNE COTEAUX CHAMPENOIS (CHAMPAGNE) ROSE DES RICEYS (CHAMPAGNE) COTES DE TOUL AOVDQS (EST) MOSELLE AOVDQS (EST) COTES DU JURA CREMANT DU JURA L'ETOILE (JURA) PINEAU DES CHARENTES ROUSSETTE DE SAVOIE VIN DE SAVOIE South West BEARN BERGERAC BERGERAC SEC BUZET CAHORS COTES DE BERGERAC COTES DE BERGERAC MOELLEUX COTES DE DURAS COTES DE SAINT-MONT AOVDQS COTES DU FRONTONNAIS COTES DU MARMANDAIS GAILLAC HAUT-MONTRAVEL IROULEGUY JURANCON JURANCON SEC MADIRAN MARCILLAC MONBAZILLAC MONTRAVEL PACHERENC DU VIC-BILH PECHARMANT SAUSSIGNAC TURSAN AOVDQS

 French Wines   Page 1   Page 2    Page 3