French Wines

France has built itself into the global winemaking capital over the past thousand years, crafting perfect wines, housing generational talent, and adapting to never-ending trends. From boutique, family-owned estates in Burgundy, elite First Growths in Bordeaux, and stylish Champagne houses just outside of Paris, French wines are as diverse and complex as they are sumptuous. With increased competition from Italy, Spain, and Napa Valley, France's next generations of vintners are working to ensure the country remains the world's powerhouse wine hub.

French Wine History

The earliest evidence of French wine dates back to 425 B.C.E. in Southern France, where the farmers in the region first began producing wines after the Roman takeover. For the first few centuries of production, wines were rather unspectacular as many early winemakers had yet to discover techniques like fermentation, maceration, and other modern innovations.

Leading into the Middle Ages, Bordeaux became a hotspot for wine thanks to its prime location near trading ports. The English were heavy importers of Bordeaux wine before being overtaken by the Dutch in the late 13th century. During this time, many vineyards were controlled by the Catholic Church and various monasteries, imprinting a large religious influence on various estates. For instance, Chateau Angelus' label includes a church bell, and Chateau Pape-Clement was named after Pope Clement V. Once the French Revolution occurred in the late 18th century, estate ownership became secularized, and the wine trade flourished across the country.

For the next 200 years, France went unchallenged as the world's powerhouse wine producer, with estates from Champagne, Bordeaux, and Burgundy gaining international notoriety, being served at global events like the Cannes Film Festival and making their way into important trade discussions with some of the world's most powerful political leaders. In today's world, France is still used as a fine wine's reference point, not without challenge from New World Napa Valley producers and European estates from Italy and Spain.

What Are the Top French Wines?

Classification Systems: How Wine Regions in France Denote Quality

French wine classification systems were established in 1935 when the INAO (Institut Natinoal de l'Origine et de la Qualite) created the AOC - Appellation d'Origine Controlee. After mass fraud from scammers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many unsuspecting customers purchased fake bottles made from raisins and grape pressings. Due to the phylloxera outbreak, nearly half of the country's vines were wiped out, leaving many dupes on the market. Eager to regain their reputation and prestige, numerous French producers gathered to create a classification system that would protect their business and ensure a high quality of wine was produced and released. 

As such, the AOC created classifications based on the geographical origin, quality, and style of wine. Ultimately, 363 AOCs today govern wines and spirits created in France, the first of which was Chateauneuf-du-Pape, created in 1935. Two years later, there were AOCs for Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, and other notable regions. 'Grand Cru' is the highest classification, referring to wines grown from a specific plot (as used in Burgundy) or to a specific producer (as used in Champagne). Underneath this title is 'Premier Cru,' which also refers to wines grown from a specific vineyard but also used to denote the peak Grand Cru producer or vineyard (example: Premier 'Grand Cru').

After switching to a classification system in the mid-20th century, nearly every other European country followed suit and began to implement classification systems, and, by 2008, the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) was created. 

The 1855 Classification of Bordeaux

Predating the creation of the AOCs is the 1855 Classification of Bordeaux, prompted by Napoleon III's decision to hold a world fair and present the countries' best wines. After a select group of estates turned in their wines to the royals, a list of 58 wines was separated into 5 groups, from First Growths to Fifth Growths. Since then, three more estates have been inducted into the system, though many changes have been made since then. A number of estates were upset about their rankings, though only Mouton-Rothschild was granted a change in their status, being bumped up to First Growth status in 1973.

Interestingly, all of the estates classified at this time were from the Médoc, as Graves was considered the premier winemaking region at the time. Chateau Haut-Brion was the only estate outside of Graves granted a classification, designated a First Growth title. In addition to Bordeaux estates, Sauternes and Barsac estates were also classified, with only Chateau d'Yquem cutting a First Growth in this system.

While the 1855 Classification still holds today, numerous Second Growths and below have "outplayed" their ranking, being placed into an informal classification of "Super Seconds." This informality represents estates that strongly challenge the status and prestige of First Growths, though they do not quite produce wines of greater quality. In addition to the Super Seconds, estates like Petrus and Cheval Blanc have risen to global prominence despite not being eligible for classification in 1855.

Wine Regions in France

Bordeaux Wines

Possibly France's largest and most renowned wine region is Bordeaux, home to legendary estates like Petrus, Mouton, Margaux, and more. The region is roughly divided into five major areas, which are as follows: 

• Left Bank Medoc
• Right Bank Libournais
• Graves & Pessac-Leognan
• Sauternes
• Bourg & Blaye

The Left Bank is the most prestigious area of all, containing the five First Growths as well as every estate classified in the 1855 Classification. Here, red blends are the dominant wines, consisting of cabernet varieties and merlot. The high concentration of gravel, well-drained soils, and extra warmth make cabernet sauvignon king in the area, with perfect growing conditions for the grape. Ultimately, there are a total of 53 appellations from the Left Bank, some of which include Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac, and Haut-Medoc. 

In Libournais lies the Right Bank, consisting of clay, limestone, and gravel soils, creating ideal conditions for merlot and cabernet franc. Many are familiar with Pomerol and Saint-Emilion within this region, with notable producers including Chateau Ausone, Lafleur, Petrus, and Cheval Blanc.

An underrated and often overlooked area in Bordeaux is Graves and Pessac-Leognan, creating age-worthy red blends with cabernet and merlot as the dominant varietals. In addition to the famed red blends, dry blends of sauvignon blanc and semillon are also produced in this area.

The sweet wines of Sauternes are famed for their unique winemaking process. Sauvignon blanc and semillon are most often used to make these golden wines, marked by notes of apricot, honey, and marmalade. In order to gain the distinctive taste, the grapes must undergo Noble rot, or Botrytis cinerea, a gray fungus that grows on the fruit under humid conditions. The grapes become shriveled and decayed, intensifying the sweetness level and offering complex flavors. Most famous from this region is Chateau d'Yquem, the only estate certified First Growth from this region in 1855. Visit the Bordeaux collection to view all available Bordeaux wines.

Burgundy Wines

Bourgogne, more famously known as Burgundy, is one of the world's elite winemaking regions, dominated by small, meticulous, family winemakers. In Burgundy, terroir is everything. Producers share small plots of land across some of the region's top vineyards. Overall, there are 33 Grand Cru vineyards, 640 Premier Crus, 44 Village wines, and a multitude of regional wines, representing half of Burgundy's total vineyard size. Furthermore, the region is split into 5 sub-regions, including:

• Côte d'Or (the golden slope)
• Côte de Beaune (the slope of Beaune)
• Côte de Nuits (the night slope)
• Côte Chalonnaise (the Chalon slope)
• The Maconnais (the region of Macon)

Pinot noir and chardonnay are handily the top varietals in Burgundy, followed by gamay and aligote, known for their rustic styles. In the final bottle, Burgundy pinots and chardonnays are known for being some of the most elegant wines on the planet, commanding premium prices and released in small productions. Estates are typically family-owned, contrary to commercialized Bordeaux estates. Winemaking is especially meticulous and often traditional, rejecting expensive technology and modern processes. 

Outside of traditional winemakers, negociants and cooperatives are popular across the region. The former rely on purchasing grapes or wines from small producers, creating wine from these grapes, or placing their name on the ready-made wine. Similarly, cooperatives represent an organized group of grape growers and winemakers who combine resources to create wines and establish a winery for collective use. Some popular cooperatives include Cave des Grands Crus Blancs, Cave des Vignerons d'Ige, and La Chablisienne. Visit our Burgundy collection to view all available Burgundy wines.

Champagne

Located east of Paris between Reims and Epernay, Champagne is a specific appellation in France, gaining its unique notation of sparkling wine. Only wines created in this region can use the name, differentiating these drinks from sparkling wines made in the rest of the world. The specific process, known as methode Champenoise, is required by vintners in this region. In this technique, yeast and sugar are added in the second fermentation, creating the iconic bubbles (or mousse) that we all know and love.

Vineyards in Champagne contain chalk, limestone, and fossilized seashells, labeled Kimmerdgian soil, and are perfect for the chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier vines. The countryside layout provides perfect drainage and strong root development, ensuring each vine receives a proper water supply. Specific regions within Champagne are known to be more optimal for growing certain varietals, as Montagne de Reims, the most mountainous area, and Aube, the most southern growing area, are perfect for pinot noir. Cote des Blancs and Cote de Sezanne are known for their chardonnay production while Vallee de la Marne, located on the valley floor, works well with pinot meunier. Visit our Champagne collection to view all available Champagne wines.

Best Wines from France

With such a large variety of wines from France, it can be difficult for discerning customers to add the perfect bottle to their collection. For those looking for sweet, sparkling, and dessert wines, Sauternes and Champagne are excellent regions to choose from, while Burgundy is notable for its refined and mature bottles. Though these bottles often represent the expensive options, they are universally beloved and worth every cent, and able to be stored for 1 day or 10 years in your cellar. If you are seeking a classic French wine, Bordeaux is the place to start. From First Growths to Super Seconds, these wines are the best-known across the region and vary from premium prices to affordable starting points — all great choices to drink or age.

Browse through our extensive French wine collection and grab as many bottles as necessary for your drinking enjoyment.