Renowned for its exquisite cuisine and excellent wine, France is arguably the best place for a wine tour. With a visit to the French wine-producing regions, you can hardly go wrong, as you taste some of the purest and finest wine. For wine lovers, this will not come as a surprise because the country is where winemaking and viticulture were first refined. When visiting wine tours are a must-do and I hope this list of Best Wine Tours In France will help you out.

Producing about 7 to 8 billion bottles yearly, the French wine regions make up the world’s largest wine producers. To be precise, wine from France accounts for 29.1% of total wine exports worldwide. 

Best French Wine Regions

Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace, Champagne, Loire Valley, Provence, and Rhone Valley are the main wine regions in France. These are the primary producers but are other parts that are about wine as well, like the Jura. 

Wine Tour of Bordeaux 

The wine regions of Bordeaux circle the city from Médoc in the north to the most captivating village of St-Émilion, through the Entre-Deux-Mers to the east, and Sauternes to the south. The wine regions in Bordeaux are usually divided into the Left Bank and the Right bank, being split by the Gironde River. Médoc and St-Émilion are areas you should visit, considering the scale of wine production in those areas.

Bordeaux is known to have some of the world’s most expensive wines as they are of deluxe class. The best wine in the region is its reds which are a mixture of Merlot, Cabernet, and Sauvignon. The white wines you will taste in Bordeaux include Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon mixtures. Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes are some of its sweet whites. 

Most wine tours dedicate half-day wine tasting for each city. For example, a half-day Saint-Emilion wine-tasting tour leaves from central Bordeaux and you will not only get to taste Burgundy wine but also stroll the streets. Saint-Emilion has been marked as a UNESCO World Heritage site with the medieval village making some of Bordeaux’s finest wines.

Also, you can visit vineyards as well, as most tourists do. In each major village you reach, ask the local Maison du Vin, for a comprehensive list of vineyards that you can visit, then taste, and buy. 

La Cite du Vin

La Cite du Vin was opened in 2016, and it might be a great idea to start your Quest from there. That is a gigantic museum as well as a place of exhibitions that the locals call “the Guggenheim of Wine”. It will offer you a fascinating trip to the world’s vineyards, not the French alone, some cracking exhibits. This entire setup in a technical manner but done in such a way that visitors can concentrate on the story that unfolds, with historical characters, taking them back to the past, demonstrations on winemaking, talks with chefs and winegrowers. 

You can conclude your trip with a wine tasting at the Belvedere, a massive and expanding space that towers over this part of the city. And you might consider trying out some bars too. They are numerous and have a lot to offer. 

Wine Tour of Burgundy

Centering around Beaune, Burgundy is another of France’s major wine region. Located just a few hours’ drive southeast of Paris, the wine regions of Burgundy include Chablis, Beaujolais, Cote de Nuits, Cote de Beaune, Cote Chalonnaise and Maconnais. Wine product from the area consists of many famous French wines like Chardonnay (White Burgundy), Beaujolais Nouveau and Pinot Noir (Burgundy red wine). Some other types include a small number of sparkling wines and a small number of roses.

Burgundy has a rich tradition of winemaking that dates back 1000 years. It also produces about 15 million cases of wine per year, mostly white, but also red, with cremant de Bourgogne-a sparkling wine by the Champagne method. 

Add Beaune to your wine-tasting itinerary for a delightful treat. Beaune in Burgundy has been the heart of the wine trade for centuries. You will find cellars to visit and wince shops with s decent range of Burgundies to try and buy. The Ecole des vins (school of wines) offers wine classes for the novice. 

The famous wine auction in the world takes place in aid of the Hospice de Beaune once in every year in the iconic building itself. Called La Vente des Vins, and over three days from November 18th to 20th, the charity auction is organized by Christie’s Auction House. While anyone can purchase the wines, it is the professionals and the wealthy collectors that do get involved. This auction is also the reason for one of the great wine festivals. There, the famous names of Burgundy open their cellars and vineyards to offer some incredible tastings which you have to book before your visit. 

Wine Tour of Champagne

Regarded as the queen of drinks, Champagne is pricey when exported. But, if you go around the different, smaller villages, and you will find fabulous, individual vineyards producing low qualities of good Champagne at reasonable prices. Reims, Epernay and around Troyes in the Aube are two major regions in Champagne.

Located in the east close to Belgium and Luxembourg, the area is the country’s coldest winemaking region. Both globally and locally, Champagne is one of the most famous wine regions of France. This is because of its short distance from the capital. And as most know, Champagne is a popular place in France recognized for its sparkling wine that can be called Champagne. 

Apart from the colder climate of this vine region, it lends itself to be perfect for both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. And as you might observe, Champagne’s white wines are usually crisper, lighter, and less fruity than other places in France.

To enjoy Champagne, there are lots of exciting things to see. And if you happen to be in Reims, stop at one of the top, international Champagne houses for a tour. There are also various things to see in Epernay, where you can stroll along the major street of beautiful 19th-century mansions owned by famous personalities. 

On your tour, the day trip allows you to stop at multiple places where you will learn about the traditions and history of the Champagne area. A stop at Epernay (the world’s most expensive area), Mercier Champagne’s underground cellars are hosting much Champagne. And, the village of Hautvillers is famous for being the place where Champagne was born. In addition, you get to have a taste of three different Champagnes before you take your leave. 

Wine Tour of Loire Valley

Famous for its capacity, Loire Valley in the southwest of Paris is one of the largest wine-producing regions in France. The vineyards in the Lore Valley are known for producing some of the country’s highest quality white wines. And because it is not far from Paris, wine tours from the capital to Loire Valley are often on many tourists’ list of to-dos.

The Pays Nantais, Anjou-Saumur, Touraine, and the central vineyard are the main wine areas in the Loire Valley. 

Wines you will find in Loire Valley are light reds, fruity light reds, crisp, dry sparkling wine, and smooth light reds for your tasting pleasure. When you take a tour to the Loire Valley, you will probably visit two of the best wineries in Loire Valley of the Vouvray Appellation. Not only will you enjoy wine tasting in the region, but you will also have the chance to speak with winemakers. They will be willing to share their tips on winemaking and wine tasting. 

At the tour’s end, you will be able to enjoy sumptuous delicacies like cheese, fresh bread, with a glass of Loire Valley wine. All that while beholding the magnificence of the Lore River.

Wine Tour of Provence

The area ranks high among French wine districts near the Mediterranean coast. Located just a few hours’ drive northwest of Nice, Provence is one of the warmest places in the country. Once given the title of the poorest of the wine-producing regions, Provence today has some premium quality vintages in the world. The best title given to it is Côtes de Provence, with rose predominating. Bandol is another sobriquet that the region has been conferred.

Also, look for the light Côtes du Luberon and Côtes du Ventoux. You should also check out Gigondas from the Dentelles, and the well-known Châteauneuf-du-Pape, that you will find between Avignon and Orange. 

The wine produced in Provence is mainly whites and roses and given the closeness to the southern region of Rhone, the wine Provence is quite similar to the one made in Rhone. The grape varieties you will find in Provence are Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cinsault. 

Whether it’s a half-day tour or full-day one you have booked ahead, there will always be much to take home from wine tours in Provence. 

You will learn about the winemaking process in the area of Côtes de Provence while seeing a lot of family-owned wineries. You will definitely have the chance to have a taste of delicious Roses, Reds, and Whites at different wineries. Having lunch in a serene village should cap off your visit. 

Wine Tour of Rhône Valley

The impressive Rhône valley wine area spans from Lyon to Orange in Provence, as some wines here are categorized under Provence wines. The valley has beautiful sceneries where the vineyards dot the countryside and climb the steep slopes. The region is most well known for its red wines and is one of France’s major producer and exporter of red wine. 

It is one of the oldest wine regions in France, making wine since around 600BC. The wine country in France is divided into two districts- Northern Rhone and Southern Rhône. Northern Rhône Valley vineyards produce some of the priciest wines in the region. In the Southern Rhône, there are more white wines with blends of Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, and Viognier. The southern region’s most famous wine is the Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and this is also the area for the popular Beaumes-de-Venise and Gigondas. 

Wine Tour of Jura

While the Jura is a beautiful wine region, it is not as big as the others. Therefore tourists often overlook it when drafting their wine-vacation itineraries. Located in the east of France between Burgundy and Switzerland, the place is far too beautiful to be ignored. In fact, it has some unusual wines like the Vin Jaune, which is fermented and then stored for 6 years and 3 months. You should also taste Vin de Paille, a sweet wine produced after the grapes have been stored on straw or left hanging from rafters. 

Wine Tour of Languedoc Roussillon 

Fondly called Wine Lake, the Languedoc Roussillon wine region is located in France’s southwest and is the largest wine region in France in terms of vineyard surface and production and is good for buying good quality cheap French wine.

Given the region’s climate (warm with little rainfall), Languedoc Roussillon ranks among the most productive wine regions in the world. The wines produced here are diverse including reds (Merlot to Cabernet Sauvignon to Syrah), whites (Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Grenache, and Muscat Blanc grape types), Vins doux naturels (naturally sweet wines) and Cremant de Limoux. 

Wine Tour of Paris (in and around)

Magnificent Paris is filled with wine bars where you can visit and take a glass at any time of the day. You can try the private Left Bank Wine Tasting and Walk tour, which combines walking in the pedestrian-friendly Left Bank of the city with two wine tastings. One of the tastings is during a stop at a Parisian wine bar. The three-and-half-hour tour also visits the Panthéon, the resting place of the bodies of Voltaire, Rousseau, Mirabeau, Marat, Victor Hugo, and Emile Zola.

To have a good grasp of wines of France, visit the Les Caves du Louvre, which is two minutes from the Louvre. France is an excellent destination for a wine tour as it has a gaping variety of beautiful wineries. As you tour, you will not merely be tasting the goodness of these excellent wines. You will be taught about how each region’s viniculture has shaped the area.

Best Wine Tours In France – Summary

If you are visiting France, you should add these wine-producing areas to your itinerary for some impeccable tasting experiences. And if you are not sure about where to visit, this piece will help you make the right call. You will learn about the French wine regions, vineyards, and the type of wine each produces.