Wine 101: Famous wine regions of France

June 24, 1:02 PMFood & Drink 101 ExaminerTaylor Olson

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Wine is taken very seriously in France. Often regarded as the mother country for fine wines, it has one of the highest levels of wine consumption per capita and is responsible for the invention of the wine barrel. Wine classification and labelling is strict and rules methods of growing and producing, alcohol content and grape variety to ensure the production of excellent quality wines. The Appellation d'Origine Controlee (AOC) requires such standards before wines can be classified under its name. While many regions in France are responsible for the production of wines known world-wide, four of the better known regions are described below.

• Provence: Provence is best known for its table wines and rosés but has recently become more well known for many of its other wines. While the region produces reds and whites, it has always been known for its rose wine; 75 percent of the 140 million bottles produced annually are rose. The variety of soil as well as the warm climate allows a large range of grapes to prosper in the Provence region. Bordering the Mediterranean Sea, it is known for its breathtaking beauty as well as its wines.
• Côtes du Rhône: The Rhône valley is, and has always been, the best route between the Mediterranean and northern Europe and the Atlantic Ocean. The region has seen wine production and trade since the time of the Ancient Greeks. It is the second largest French appellation in terms of surface area as well as production. Most popular red wine varieties include Shiraz, Grenache black and Mourvédre. For white wine, Grenache white and Clairette white are used most often.
• Burgundy: Also known as Bourgogne, this region is located in eastern France and values red and white wines equally. Burgundy is divided into the largest number of appellations of any region in France. Two parts of Burgundy are often considered to be separate regions are Beaujolais and Chablis. Côte d'Or is considered the heartland of Burgundy. Wines from this area can be very expensive. The wines produced in Burgundy are un-blended, made from a single grape variety. Pinot Noir is used for red wines and Chardonnay for white.
• Bordeaux: This region lies on the Atlantic coast of France and primarily produces red wines. It is famous for its Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Chateau Latour and Chateau Margaux. These wines come from the sub-region of Medoc. The red wines produced in Bordeaux are usually blended, most often from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and sometimes Cabernet Franc. Bordeaux is also known for its dry and sweet white wines.

For more information on the wine regions of France, click here.