Making sense of French wines

French wines have long been the benchmark for winemakers around the world for style, flavour and complexity - but for the rest of us, making sense of the various regions listed on French wine labels and translating them back to wine varieties we recognise, can be a little difficult.

Below are some of the best known French wine regions and the predominate grape varieties grown in each, so next time you pick a bottle off the shelf you don't have to scratch your head to figure out if it's a Chardonnay or a Sauvignon Blanc!

Chablis - This is a region in northern Burgundy well known for Chardonnay. It's a restrained, elegant and minerally style of wine.

Pouilly-Fuissé - Is another style of Chardonnay, from central Burgundy.

Sancerre - Situated in the eastern Loire valley, the wines are mainly Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.



Read More