Wines All Over France

Bordeaux is the classic, moderate-climate region for wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It also uses Sauvignon Blanc in its dry and sweet white wines. 


The main form of branding for premium quality Bordeaux is the chateau. Names of merchant houses are sometimes used, but this is mainly for large volume inexpensives wines. A chateau names does not necessarily refer to a grand building. It indicates that the wine has been made from a defined piece of land, rather than being assembled from bought-in wines, or made from bought-in grapes or juice. Over time, chateaux can sell or buy land, so the exact plots associated with the chateau name can change. The term Grand Vin is often used to indicate the main wine made by the chateau. Within the Medoc chateaux, the best are classified as Grand Cru Classe. Cru Bourgeois indicates good quality. Other parts of Bordeaux have similar label terms for their best chateaux. Cru Classe in Graves, and Grand Cru Classes in Saint Emillion. 


Burgundy is the classic, moderate-to-cool climate region for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Wines from the wider Burgundy region are labelled as Bourgogne AC. The best wines come from the Cote d'Or. These wines are generally labelled with the name of the village and the grape variety is rarely mentioned within a village. The very best vineyards have their own ACs and are designated Grand Cru.


Beaujolais has moderate climate. Light and medium bodied  red wines are produced here from the Gamay grape variety. These are usually unoaked and have medium or high acidity, low tannin levels and pronounced ref fruit aromas, sometimes with a hint of spice. They are best consumed while young and fruity, through a few wines from Morgon AC and Moulin-a-Vent AC can improve with bottle age. 
Within the Beaujolais Villages AC, there are ten villages, known as the Beaujolais Crus, which produce the best quality wines from the Beaujolais region. They label their red wines with the names of the village, rather than the region. The most commonly seen ones are Fleurie AC, Brouilly AC, Morgon AC and Moulin-a-Vent AC.