France is blessed with many fine wine regions, mostly involving different grapes and thus tastes. So how can you even begin to plan the perfect wine tour when there are so many areas to choose from and sublime wines to sample? Our experts have put together a tour that will please any wine connoisseur and the best part is that you can find all wines mentioned in this tour on our weekly Wine auctions, so you can take the tour from your own home if you wish! Before we get going, it is key to mention that a good guide to all French vineyards is essential, such as Hachette, where one can peruse every grower and see the opening times of their establishments. Now let's visit the first stop on our tour...
Always Start with Champagne
If you are heading from the north down towards Burgundy, champagne is an excellent first stop and always worth a taste. There are eight champagne districts with around 23,500 hectares of vines. An excellent starting point is the Montagne de Reims to the north of the region, where there are many champagne villages with welcoming vineyards. A typical grower is André Chemin in the delightful hamlet of Sacy and his vintage champagnes represent very good value for money.
Chablis to Follow
After champagne, drive southwest to the Chablis area in the north of Burgundy, and the town of Chablis itself, where there are many growers only too willing to let you sample their wares, which are predominantly white wines from the chardonnay grape.
It always pays to phone ahead and arrange an appointment before arriving at the vineyard or winery. In some cases there may be a charge to taste a number of wines but this is often forgotten if you buy wines and show enthusiasm for what you are tasting.
To go West or East?
After Chablis, go further east to the Alsace area. It is one of the most beautiful parts of France with attractive villages and towns like Riquewihr and Colmar.
Going west from Chablis is another option, particularly if you want to taste sauvignon blanc and other grapes like vouvray and savennières. Just over the Loire River is the hill town of Sancerre and the lovely goats’ cheese village of Chavignol. In the latter there are many growers, but Henri Bourgeois is well worth a visit with many wines to try in his superb tasting rooms. He also has a first class hotel and restaurant in the village.
On to the Heart of Burgundy
From this region it is under three hours drive to Beaune and the heart of Burgundy. The delights of Beaune during Hospice weekend (usually in November) should not be missed with its carnival atmosphere and many parades, together with special wine tastings held mainly in cellars under the town which include some very old vintages.
There are many villages around Beaune with fine wines including Meursault and Puligny Montrachet and in the latter you can find the hotel and tasting rooms of Olivier Leflaive, who hosts special wine tasting lunches and has a huge selection of wines to try. To the north of Beaune, Gevrey-Chambertin and Nuits-Saint-Georges are two must-visit towns for particularly fine red pinot noir wines.
Sip the Finest Wines in a Chateau
Of course there is also the huge wine area of Bordeaux to the west which is excellent to visit with many wineries open for tastings. Again, if you wish to visit the very best Chateau, it is often best to call ahead as many are by appointment only. A good stop is Chateau Lynch-Bages in Pauillac which welcomes visitors year round and and holds regular tastings. Or a nice place to base yourself whilst touring Bordeaux is Saint-Émilion, a particularly idyllic and picturesque town with high reaching stone walls and excellent caves and restaurants. Whilst there, try to get an appointment at somewhere like Château Angélus, the wines of which are superb.
So there you have it, our go to places and top tips for the perfect French wine tour. What are you waiting for? Of course where you visit depends also on your palate and what you prefer in terms of the blends and flavours, but our recommendations will set you in good stead.
If you prefer to follow the same tour at home, there are some online alternatives which will be able to quench your thirst. We hosts several weekly Wine auctions that feature vintage and rare wines, many of which won't be available in your average store. If your cellar is full however, make room for more by registering as a seller here and offering up some of your own vintage and exclusive bottles for auction.