Navigating French Wine Regions: A Wine Shopper’s Cheat Sheet

French wine is confusing. With all the foreign words and wine regions, it can seem impossible to determine what you are actually drinking. Just distinguishing between the grapes and the regions is one of the biggest sources of confusion for wine drinkers. Sometimes the label says Merlot; sometimes it says Bordeaux. It is reasonable to assume that these are both types of grapes, but sadly it is not that easy.

Old world wine countries, primarily European, label their wines by region rather than grape, whereas the New World (the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, etc) label their wines by grape variety. Naturally, France falls into the Old World category as one of the oldest producers of wine. With a bit of study, you can distinguish between grapes and regions. But this leads you to the next question, how do you know what grapes you are getting when you purchase a bottle labeled by region?

This is where my cheat sheet comes in. It can take a lifetime to memorize each of the grapes used in each of the different wine regions of France but this quick outline should help expedite the process, as well as help guide you to the right section next time you are staring down the aisles.

I have arranged this list by grape variety, focusing on the most well known, and provided the premium region in France for the grape.

Chardonnay: Burgundy

You may have heard people refer to white Burgundy. Well, what they mean is a Chardonnay from the Burgundy region of France. Many Chardonnay enthusiasts consider “white burgundies” to be the best this grape has to offer, so they are definitely worth trying!

Sauvignon Blanc: Sancerre

Sancerre is a premium region in the Loire Valley for Sauvignon Blanc. These wines are very dry, as compared to New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and are perfect when paired with goat cheese, salads or shellfish.

Chenin Blanc: Vouvray

Vouvray is another region in the Loire Valley that produces Chenin Blanc in an off-dry (aka slightly sweet) style. Vouvray makes an excellent pairing for spicy food.


Pinot Noir: Burgundy

Chardonnay is to white burgundy as pinot noir is to red burgundy. For those of you who didn’t ace the analogy section of the SATS, Pinot Noir is the primary red grape for red wine from Burgundy. Again, this is considered the top region in the world for this grape, so if you are into Pinot Noir, this is a region to try.

Cabernet Sauvignon: Bordeaux

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the major grapes grown in Bordeaux, and is the dominant grape in most of the top wines of this region, and thereby the world. If you like big full bodied Cabs, then stick to wines from the left bank of Bordeaux. The Gironde River divides the region, and while most of the wines of Bordeaux are blends, the wines from the left bank (Medoc, Saint Estephe, Pauliiac, Marguax) have the highest percentage of Cabernet.

Merlot: Bordeaux

Merlot is another key Bordeaux grape. If Merlot is your grape of choice, than the right bank of Bordeaux is for you.

Syrah: Cote Du Rhone

Cote Du Rhone is a region in Southern France that uses numerous grapes to make their wines. However, Syrah plays a key role in this region so if you are looking for French Syrah (aka Shiraz) this is a great place to start.

It is important to note that many regions in France (Bordeaux, Cote Du Rhone, Languedoc) produce primarily blends. I have outlined the major grapes varieties that are used, but the wine may contain several other grapes as well. If you are curious as to what else is in there, the back label will often provide the exact breakdown and percentages of the grape varieties. This can be a fun and risk free way of learning about lesser-known grapes.

So next time you stop by the wine store, don’t be afraid to attack the French wine section with confidence and knowledge. Once you find what you are looking for, it can be really interesting to compare and contrast the same grape from a couple different regions. For a special tasting night, grab a California Cab, a left bank Bordeaux and a Cab from South Africa, Australia or Chile. Another great comparison is a Sancerre, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, and a Chilean or Californian Sauvignon Blanc. You will be amazed at the differences between the wines and grow to love your favorite grape even more!