Your Essential Travel Guide To Wine Regions In France

Best for: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay

Champagne-Ardenne is in northeast France at the border with the Alsace and Lorraine regions. It was formed in 1956 and is home to over 70,000 acres of vineyards across 320 villages. Whether uncovering 300-year-old chalk cellars at Maison Ruinart or exploring the Avenue de Champagne, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

Some of the best wine cellars in the Champagne-Ardenne region include:

• Champagne Taittinger, Reims
• Champagne Pommery, Reims
• Champagne G. Tribaut, Hautvillers

DFDS PICK: Guided Cellars visits and Champagne tasting by Houses Taittinger and Veuve Clicquot

Learn more about the Champagne Route in our comprehensive guide.

Best for: Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris

Alsace in the northeast of France is another popular hotspot among wine lovers. The region has been an A.O.C (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) since 1962, and its 170-km-long wine route takes you through extensive vineyards, lush countryside and historic landmarks. Most Alsatian wines are white with floral and spicy notes and are produced under three appellations: Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru, and Crémant d’Alsace.

Some of the region’s best wine cellars include the following:

• Domaine Bott Frères, Ribeauvillé
• Etienne Simonis, Ammerschwihr
• Vins Zeyssolff, Gertwiller

DFDS PICK: Alsatian Wine Tasting Tour and Lunch

Best for: Melon de Bourgogne, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc

The Loire Valley represents France’s countryside at its finest. Explore its majestic castles and stop at the cellars along the way to taste world-class wine, from bright, fruity Sauvignon to salty Melon de Bourgogne. Famous for being the second-biggest wine producer in France after Champagne, the region spans over 100 km along the Loire River.

If you’re planning a road trip around the Loire Valley, check out our driving in France guide.

DFDS PICK: Loire Valley Castles Day Trip With Wine Tasting

Some of the Loire’s best wine cellars are:

• Domaine Vincent Pinard, Bue
• Bouvet Ladubay, Saumur
• Domaine de Haute Perche, Saint-Melaine-sur-Aubanc

Best for: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

Burgundy’s wine-making history dates back to the Romans, making its vineyards among France’s oldest. The region produces two grape varieties, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but its diverse terroir and climate conditions enable winemakers to grow other types. The reds are rich and fruity, while the whites are fresh and earthy. Burgundy’s vineyards have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 2005.
Travelling with your other half? Our guide to the caves and canals of Burgundy can help inspire your itinerary if you’re planning a romantic getaway.

DFDS PICK: Half Day Bike & wine tour in Burgundy

Some of the best wine cellars here include the following: Patriarche Père et Fils, Beaune Château De Pommard, Pommard Château Philippe le Hardi, Santenay

Best for: Beaujolais Cru and Beaujolais Nouveau

The Beaujolais wine region lies south of Burgundy and is famous for its Gamay vineyards. Most of the wine here is red, but whites produced from Chardonnay grapes are also popular. The reds have a strong fruit character, especially wild berries and cherries, as well as flowers and spices. The wine-making technique is carbonic maceration, meaning the grapes ferment within their skin.

DFDS PICK: Beaujolais Region Wine Tour with Tastings

Beaujolais’ most renowned wine cellars include:

• Clos de la Roilette, Fleurie
• Jean-Paul Brun Wines, Charnay
• Domaine Joncy, Quincié-en-Beaujolais

Best for: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Muscadelle

Known as the ‘World Capital of Wine’ and the largest urban UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bordeaux is a charming city in the southwest of France. This gastronomic hub is surrounded by idyllic châteaux and expansive vineyards, characterised by several terroirs and climates. The Gironde estuary splits the vineyards into two parts. The left bank to the west and south of the Gironde specialises in Cabernet Sauvignon wines, while the right bank to the north of the Dordogne focuses on Merlot.

Some of Bordeaux’s most famous wine cellars are:

• Domaine de Chevalier, Léognan
• Château Canon, Saint-Émilion
• Château Cos d'Estournel, Saint-Estèphe

DFDS PICK: Saint-Emilion - 2 Guided Winery Visits & Picnic Lunch

Best for: Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Viognier

The Rhone Valley stretches from the River Rhône to the Mediterranean Sea in southern France. It’s one of the country’s oldest wine-growing areas, boasting over 2,000 years of viticulture history. The river divides the region into Northern and Southern Rhone. The former has a cooler climate, with Syrah being the only grape variety shaping bold and spicy reds. The latter benefits from higher temperatures, which allows for wider production. Wines here are thick and robust, with fruity aromas.

DFDS PICK: Wine tasting in Châteauneuf du Pape

Must-visit wine cellars in the Rhone Valley include the following:

• Clos du Calvaire, Sorgues
• Domaine Galevan, Courthézon
• Domaine de Corps de Loup, Tupin-et-Semons

Best for: Château la Gordonne, Mirabeau and Château Miraval

Provence regularly ranks among France’s best wine regions, famous for its rolling lavender fields and rosé wines. It’s located in the southeastern part of the country at the border with Italy. It is renowned for producing some of the world’s finest light rosés, including Château la Gordonne and Château Miraval. The main grapes for white wines are Clairette, Rolle and Semillon, while Grenache and Syrah produce bold reds and rosés.

Discover Provence’s fascinating wine-making industry at these renowned wine cellars:

• Château de Saint Martin, Taradeau
• Domaine de l'Olivette, Le Castellet
• Vignoble Rasse, Saint-Jeannet

DFDS PICK: Provence Village Tour with Wine and Produce Tasting

Best for: Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Grenache Noir

Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France is the world’s largest wine-producing region, covering 700,000 acres of vineyards. It’s estimated that one in ten bottles of wine produced in the 20th century came from here. Most producers use ‘blends’ of grape varieties instead of single-varietal wines, shaping strong whites and reds. The most famous ones include Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, along with traditional Rhone grapes like Mourvedre and Viognier.

Looking to try Languedoc-Roussillon’s wine? Some of the best local wine cellars include:

• Maison Guinot, Limoux
• Domaine des Schistes, Estagel
• Chateau Ollieux Romanis, Montséret

DFDS PICK: Montpellier Wine and Oyster Tour

Best for: Vin Jaune

On France’s eastern outskirts, Jura may be less known than the other wine regions, but it is equally rich and diverse. The vineyards in the foothills of the Jura mountains are home to grape varieties like Poulsard and Pinot Noir for reds and Savagnin for whites. The Vin Jaune is the region’s famous sweet aperitif, made with Savagnin grapes and cultivated exclusively here.

DFDS PICK: Natural and orange wine tasting in Alsace Colmar

Some of the best wine cellars in Jura include:

• Vins Stéphane Tissot, Arbois
• Domaine Jean-François Ganevat, Rotalier
• Domaine BAUD, Le Vernois