French Wine Regions & Best Wine Tours in France

09/13/21

Best Wine Regions in France

The best wine tours in France will take you to the best French wine regions and, in fact, some of the best wine regions in the world. This is not really a surprise, given France is where winemaking and viticulture were first refined. 

The wine regions of France now produce between 7 and 8 billion bottles of wine per year! Wine from France represents 29.1% of total wine exports worldwide.

No doubt, if you are traveling to France, you will want to visit at least a few of the world-famous French wine regions. If you are not sure which wine regions in France you should visit or which wine tours in France you should book, then this guide is for you.

In this French Wine Regions Guide, you will learn about the French vineyard, the wine regions France is most famous for, and what type of wine each region produces so you can choose a region that suits your wine preferences. 

So you can make the most of your time in each wine region, the guide also looks at the best wine tour in each location. If you are spending a little longer in the region or want a few wine tours of France to consider, this guide will also provide additional options.

TOP TIP – Check out how to serve the wine at the correct temperature

French Wine Map

There is commercial production of wine in every region of France except those along the north coast. While the French Wine Regions of Champagne, Burgundy, and Bordeaux enjoy worldwide recognition, there are other important Wine Regions in France that you should explore.

Best Wine Tours in France

TOUR NAME	WINE REGION	DURATION	DEPARTS	PRICE
Grand Cru Wine Tasting	Best of All Regions	2 hrs	Paris	View
Saint Emilion Wine Tour and Tastings	Bordeaux	4 hrs	Bordeaux	View
Wine Tasting Tour in Chablis	Burgundy	12 hrs	Paris	View
Cotes de Provence Wine Tour	Côtes de Provence	8 hrs	Nice	View
Loire Valley Wine Tour	Loire Valley	4 hrs	Tours	View
Champagne Tour with Private Estate Visit	Champagne	10 hrs	Paris	View
Alsace Wine Tasting Tour	Alsace	4 hrs	Strasbourg	View
Cotes du Rhone Tour	Côtes du Rhône	8 hrs	Lyon	View
Pic Saint Loup Wine Tour	Languedoc-Roussillon	3.5 hrs	Montpellier	View

TIP – Want to ensure your wine makes it home? Here’s the list of the best wine tote bags and wine suitcases

Bordeaux French Wine Region

The Bordeaux wine region is located in the south of France along the southern Atlantic coast and is one of the largest wine-producing regions in France.

The wine regions in Bordeaux are often split into the Left Bank and the Right bank, being bisected by the Gironde River. Places worth the exploration for their beauty and wines include Saint Emilion and Médoc.

The wine of Bordeaux includes a wide range of wines, including some of the world’s most expensive wines. The best Bordeaux wine is the reds which are a blend of Cabernet, Sauvignon, and Merlot.

White wines from Bordeaux include Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon blends whereas its sweet whites range from Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes.

Other Wine Tours in France – Bordeaux

• Wine Tasting in Bordeaux + Lunch and Bordeaux Wine Tasting in Saint Emilion. – full-day tour, with departure from Bordeaux
• Private Wine Tour of Médoc and Workshop  – half-day tour, with departure from Bordeaux.
• Scenic Drives and Medoc Wine Tasting  – full-day tour, with departure from Bordeaux.
• Vineyards and Best Bordeaux Wine Tasting  – half-day tour, with departure from Bordeaux

Bourgogne French Wine Region

The Bourgogne or Burgundy wine region is located a few hour’s drive south-east of Paris. Within the area, there are in fact several wine regions of Burgundy including Chablis, Beaujolais, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise, and Maconnais.

Wine from Burgundy includes several famous French wines, with the region best known for its Chardonnay (white Burgundy), Beaujolais Nouveau, and Pinot Noir (Burgundy red wine). Other types of Burgundy wine include a small number of roses and sparkling wines.

Other Wine Tours in France – Burgundy

• Wine Tasting Burgundy Tour – half-day tour, with departure from Dijon
• The Best of Burgundy, including 6 Grands Crus  – full-day private tour, with departure from Beaune

Provence French Wine Region

Provence is one of the wine districts of France near the Mediterranean coast. This is one of the warmest regions of France, located a few hours’ drive northwest of Nice.

The wine of Provence is mainly whites and rosés, and due to its proximity to the southern region of Rhône, the wine in Provence is very similar to the wine produced in the Rhône. 

Grape varieties here include Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cinsault. We like the rosé wine from Provence a lot!

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Other Wine Tours in France – Provence

• Wine Tasting Provence Tour with Lunch – full-day tour, with departure from Nice.
• Wine Tour in Provence (Marseille shore excursion) – full-day tour, with departure from Marseille Cruise Pier.
• Sainte Victoire Wine in Provence and Cézanne – half-day tour, with departure from Aix-en-Provence.

Loire Valley French Wine Region

Southwest of Paris is Loire Valley, one of the largest wine-producing regions in France.

The vineyards in the Loire Valley are known for producing some of France’s highest quality white wines. Because of its relatively short distance from the capital, wine tours from Paris to Loire Valley are often on many ‘Paris Bucket Lists.’

The Loire Valley wine region comprises four distinct wine areas: The Pays Nantais, Anjou-Saumur, Touraine, and the Central Vineyards.

The Loire Valley wines include light reds and sparkling wines. In fact, after Champagne, the Loire Valley is France’s second-largest producer of sparkling wine.

Other wines from Loire Valley include fruity light white wines, slightly sweet rosés, smooth light reds, crisp dry sparkling wine, and sweet white wines.

Other Wine Tours in France – Loire Valley

• Cheese and Wines from the Loire Valley Tour – full-day tour, with departure from Paris

Champagne French Wine Region

The region of Champagne is France’s coldest winemaking region and is located in the east close to Belgium and Luxembourg. 

Champagne is also one of the most famous wine regions of France. Because of its short distance from the capital, there are many tours of Champagne from Paris.

The region of Champagne is most famous for its champagne wine. Whilst many of us may call sparkling wine ‘champagne,’ the fact is a sparkling wine from this region is the only sparkling wine that can be technically called ‘champagne.’

Other than champagne, the cooler climate of this French wine region lends itself to be perfect for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Champagne’s whites tend to be lighter, crisper, and less fruity than other wine areas in France.

Other Wine Tours in France – Champagne

• Moët et Chandon and Taittinger Wine Tour Champagne. – full-day tour, with departure from Reims.
• Paris Champagne Tasting: Discover the Champagne Terroirs. – 2-hour tour in Paris.

Alsace French Wine Region

In eastern France, close to the border of Germany, Alsace is one of the cooler wine-growing regions in France, with wines mostly sparkling sweet wines, dry whites, and rosé whites.

The region of Alsace has historically had close ties with Germany and German culture, which is evident in the wine from Alsace. Due to its German influence, the wines from Alsace include some of the best Rieslings, Pinot Gris, and Gewürztraminer wines.

Whilst the French wine region of Alsace is predominantly known for its white wines, it also produces some red and rosé wines.

Other Wine Tours in France – Alsace

• Wines of Alsace Tour – half-day tour, with departure from Colmar.

Côtes du Rhône French Wine Region

Located in Southeastern France along the Rhône River, the wine region of Côtes du Rhône is best known for its reds and is, in fact, one of France’s major producers and exporters of red wine.

This wine region in France is split into two sections: Northern Rhône and Southern Rhône.  Northern Rhône Valley vineyards make some of the most expensive wines in the region while in Southern Rhône, you will find more white wines with blends of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier.

We always make sure to have a good stock of Rhône Valley wines: red wines of the Rhône and red wine from Bordeaux are our favorite ones!

Other Wine Tours in France – Côtes du Rhône

• Cotes du Rhone Wine Tour with Tastings – full-day tour, with departure from Avignon
• The Original Syrah Vineyards Tour and Tastings – half-day tour, with departure from Lyon

Languedoc – Roussillon French Wine Region

The Languedoc – Roussillon wine region (often nicknamed Wine Lake) is in France’s southwest and is the largest French wine region in vineyard surface and production.

Due to the region’s climate, which is warm with little rainfall, this region is one of the most productive wine regions in the world, being the best Languedoc wines very appreciated.

Wines from Languedoc – Roussillon are diverse. There are good reds (Merlot to Cabernet Sauvignon to Syrah), whites (Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Grenache, and Muscat Blanc grape varieties), Vins Doux Naturels (naturally sweet wines) and Cremant de Limoux.

Other Wine Tours in France – Languedoc-Roussillon

• Pic Saint-Loup Wine and Olive Tour – full-day tour, with departure from Montpellier

And there you have it, the French wine map with the list of best wine regions and wine tours in France. Which of the French wine regions have you visited?

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