French wine from the Vineyard

Red wine, white wine, rose or sparkling - and that's just the start! There are 362 'appellations' or types of French wine, with a further 55 under the heading 'Vins De Pays' plus countless Vin de Tables. Each appellation includes dozens - even hundreds - of vineyards. At least one industry reference book lists over 400 champagne producers alone. Many vineyards produce red, white and rose, and even Champagne is not the only source of sparkling wine, so no wonder tasting and choosing can seem such a daunting task.

French wine has acquired a certain mystique, helped to no small degree by many 'experts' who have elevated choice to something approaching an art form. It seems that unless we can detect a whole raft of smells and flavours from a single sniff and taste, we would be better off buying whatever has the most attractive label.

We can all learn to identify certain floral attributes, but the whole process does seem to have been taken to extremes. Wine industry professionals need the skills and knowledge to accurately gauge quality and ensure wines meet expected standards, but all we need to do is find something with a taste that we like.

There is no mystery to French wine. Someone who favours a white New World Chardonnay or red Merlot can find an abundance of similar wines in France, though it is made a little more difficult by laws which do not allow the grape type to appear on labels of most quality French wines. Chardonnay and Merlot are types of grape, not wine, so an equivalent from France may come with a different name.

Tasting and choosing is a very personal experience. A wine that appeals to one person will create different sensations to another. Add food to the equation and choice becomes even more complex. No matter how many recommendations the 'experts' make, there is no substitute for tasting it yourself and deciding what appeals to you.

The ideal solution is to visit the vineyard and meet with the people who actually created the wine. This seems easy for wine lovers who live in the UK or Europe, just pop across the Channel and find your vineyard. The problem is that France is a very large country and has many thousands of vineyards, mostly hidden deep in the countryside. So how do you identify vineyards producing quality wines, and how do you find them without spending most of your holiday driving around taking 'pot luck'?

Winedrive guides to vineyards and French wine

WineDrive is a valuable source of information for those who prefer to visit vineyards to taste and buy. We identify the vineyards for you and give directions to find them, together with all you need to know about the producers and their wines. You can choose by region, appellation, price, or type, then go straight to pages of producers and vineyards offering your choice. There are also comprehensive notes on how to taste, buy, store and serve, plus information about the regions, their history, and how wine is made.