Bordeaux

The fabulous city of Bordeaux is known for its legendary wines and stunning surrounding vineyards. It is the world's wine capital, and the second-largest wine growing region on the planet. The historic city is becoming more of a tourist destination in no small part due to the La Cité du Vin, an immersive museum that’s been called an amusement park for lovers of wine. This ultra-modern cultural center is a celebration of all things wine, and is one of those ambitious and futuristic projects that is hard to sum up in a few sentences. For a casual visitor it’s a high-tech museum teaching you about the history of wine, and where and how it’s made around the world.

Wine shops abound, and the history and heritage of the town, outside of wine and vineyards it's known so well for, is fascinating history… especially the monolithic church (the church was carved from one piece of rock). From atop the church, the view of the Bordeaux countryside is simply breathtaking, something not to be missed.

From visits to the area chateaux to wine tastings in the famous Medoc and St. Emilion vineyards, the choices are endless. With more than 7,000 chateaux in the area alone, and more than 10,000 wines produced from those estates, there is an incredible amount of wine to taste and discover. A typical visit of these wineries include a tour around the vat rooms and cellars, learning about how wine is made and stored, and then a chance to try some for yourself. In the summer, tasting sessions are often held outside in the various chateau's beautiful grounds.

Beaune

The city of Beaune is a walled city located in the heart of the Burgundy winemaking region. Beaune is known as one of the most beautiful cities in France, with its cobbled town that brings an annual wine auction held at the famous Hotel dieu (Hospices de Beaune). The city is known for some of the best wines in France along with delicious mustard, a regional delicacy! As you wander through Beaune, discover the city's different wine cellars, mustard shops, fabulous architecture, quaint shops, and so much more.

On the third Sunday in November, the famous charity wine auction takes place, this is where Burgundy's most important vinters (wine markers) will be seen. To follow the auction, there is also a festival that offers a fun weekend of wine tasting!

Beaune wine typically consists of both reds and whites (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the most popular in this region). The wine tastings are a unique experience where you can explore the caves (cellars) and tour the wine producing process, as well as get a brief history on the different wineries. In addition to wine tastings, you can also do a bike tour through the vineyards outside the city, participate in a food and wine walking tour, plus so much more.

Colmar

The small town of Colmar is located in the Alsace region of northeast France. The Alsace is where France meets Germany, and ownership of the region has been passed back and forth between the two countries over the years. And the result is a unique mix of their two cultures - think France with a twist. Colmar happens to also be the inspiration for the village in the Disney film Beauty and the Beast, and it's not hard to see why. Walking through its streets is like seeing childhood fairy stories come to life.

Colmar is also a great base to explore the Alsace wine region, which is famous for its white wines. As well as delicious Rieslings you’ll also find Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris varieties, rosés made from Pinot Noir and a local sparkling wine known as Crémant d’Alsace. There are plenty of wine bars and shops in Colmar where you can try the area’s wines, but if you want to find out more you can also head out on the Alsace Wine Route.

The full route covers over 105-miles and has hundreds of vineyards and wine producers you can visit. But closest to Colmar is Eguisheim, which is only 4-miles away by bike and is renowned for its beauty as well as its wine.

Reims

The small and charming city of Reims is located in northeastern France and is considered the unofficial capital of the Champagne wine-growing region. The town hosts many Champagne houses, has a beautiful cathedral as well as many historical and royal landmarks. However, touring the Reims Champagne Houses is what most would consider the main attraction. The town offers all the big names, like Veuve Clicquote, Pommery, Mumm and Taittinger.

It is no secret that Champagne is a very special wine, and how its made is a mystery to many. At its core, Champagne is an incredibly well made wine that takes dedication and patience to produce. It is a wine that is intimately tied to the "terroir" of the region, and each house's unique philosophy on production.

Reims boasts countless options of champagne houses to explore. When visiting the Reims Champagne Houses, be prepared for long staircases into the cellars. If you have any difficulty with walking up and down stairs, this may not be the activity for you (although there are a few with the option of an elevator).

Reims Champagne Houses: Tattinger, Pommery, Veuve Cliquot, G.H. Mumm, Ruinart, Lanson, Krug, and Louis Roederer.

Saumur

Between Angers and Tours, the city of Saumur is located in the Loire Valley region, around 2 hours by train from Paris. The city is known for its iconic castle overlooking the city and the river. It is also one of the main locations of horseback riding in France. The region of Saumur is also famous for its wine and its vineyard. it is full of many troglodyte cellars dug in tufa and chalk. One of the most original ways to discover them is to visit a winery. You will then meet the producers who make the famous Saumur sparkling white wines, but also still red and white wines.

The region is mostly known for its sparkling wines mainly made from the Chenin grape variety. The still white wine of Saumur is fresh and aromatic, also made from Chenin grape. The red wine is harvested by thirty villages. It is a generous wine that can be kept longer. Finally, Saumur Champigny is one of the most famous and appreciated appellations, obtained from Cabernet Franc. The vineyard of Saumur Champigny covers only 9 cities and gives birth to a fabulous red wine with red fruits flavors.

Bergerac

Bergerac is a beautiful city of the Purple Périgord, in the Dordogne. It is a small town, with a fabulous medieval historical center, famous for Cyrano de Bergerac and its wines. The Bergerac region has 13 appellations of origin, each with its own personality making this area an ideal place for wine lovers. In this region, rosé, red, dry white, or sweet and dessert wines are produced, and it is the only one in France where a 50-50 between red and white is made.

It’s a region you need to know. Discover the Bergerac and Duras wine route. In the Bergerac region, you will find 140 "domains" (zones) on the wine route. This region is actively working to value its territory, its history, and the world of wine.

Cahors

The ancient city of Cahors, situated on a dramatic peninsula in the middle of the Lot River, has a distinctive Mediterranean feel. A walk around the old part of the city will transport you back in time as you stroll along the medieval architecture and narrow winding streets. As for the wine here, Cahors is famous for making "black wine" from the Malbec grape. It is still known as the birthplace of Malbec - even though Argentina now reigns as world champion producer of this grape.

The typical Cahors wine is darkly colored and has a meaty, herb-tinged aroma, with hints of spiced black cherries and a whiff of cedar. Cahors is invariably tighter and leaner than the rich, opulent style of Malbec being made in the variety’s new-found home in Mendoza, Argentina. This area is the only red wine appellation in the South West that does not sanction the use of Cabernet Sauvignon or Franc. Interestingly, Cahors was exporting wine long before the Bordeaux wine industry even started. They say that you know you’re holding a glass of wine from Cahors if you can’t see your fingers on the other side of the glass through the wine. Which is why the Malbec wine from Cahors is nicknamed “black wine”.

Chinon

Chinon is the appellation covering wines produced around the historic town of Chinon, in the central Loire Valley. This area has been producing wine for many centuries, and although wines of all three colors are made there, the focus is now very clearly on red wines. The typical, quintessential Chinon wine is tannic, leafy, berry-scented and made from the Cabernet Franc grape variety. Small quantities of crisp white Chenin Blanc wines are also made, but white and rosé wines account for just five percent of total production in the appellation, which reaches around 2.9 million gallons per year.

Aix-en-Provence

Côteaux d'Aix-en-Provence is a key French wine appellation of the Provence wine region in the far south-eastern corner of the country. It is the region's second-largest appellation, with about 9,900 acres off to the northwest of Aix-en-Provence that is heavily influenced by the famous Mistral winds. The vineyards here date back as far as 600 BC and were prized by the Royal Courts of Europe in the 15th century. Coteaux d’Aix en Provence wines are rosé, red and white, in that order of importance. The rosés and reds are made from a complex blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsaut, and Counoise, with Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon permitted to constitute up to 30 percent of these blends combined.

Today, Rosé is king and is usually a blend of Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Syrah and Counoise. Cabernet Sauvignon is grown here too. The first plantings of this Bordeaux varietal were brought to the Provencal vineyards of Georges Brunet (owner of Chateau LaLagune) just after World War II.

Dijon

Dijon, as a regional capital, offers a fantastic representation of the very best of burgundy - steeped in history, beautiful architecture, a vibrant food scene, and fabulous shopping. What most people don't realize is that is is also a paradise for wine lovers. Dijon’s vineyard dates right back to the 14th century when it was cultivated on the hillsides around Chenôve and Marsannay-la-Côte. Up until the 18th century, the Marcs d’Or, Champs-Perdrix and Hameaux de Larrey wines put up a strong resistance to the great white wines of Meursault. The production of Grand Cru wines flourished on the slopes of Dijon until the end of the 19th century, with the vineyard covering over a thousand hectares. Vines were grown everywhere, until urbanization put an end to that golden era. The people of Dijon are reminded of this prestigious past at Place François Rude, where the statue of a grape picker stands on top of the fountain.

The Dijon vineyards experienced a rebirth with the plantation of new vine stock on the Dijon hills. Two and a half hectares are to be set aside for the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay Conservatory with the aim of determining which vines will cope best with climate change.

Discover the Route des Grands Crus, offering the majestic wines of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti to ‘ordinary’ Bourgogne Rouge, the expert and newbie wine lover will find a favorite wine in Dijon, the gateway to the renown Route des Grands Crus. In just over 20 minutes by car, you’ll arrive at the start of the Côte de Nuits, visiting the Elysian Fields of enophiles, with names like Vosne Romanée, Chambertin and Clos de Vougeot.

Avignon

Avignon is situated in the south of France in the country of Vaucluse part of the Provence region. It is renowned as being the place where the popes fled when leaving the corruption of Rome in the 14th century and the city consequently attracts cultural enthusiasts, but its proximity to the most renowned wine appellation in the Rhone Valley brings wine lovers. It is somewhat of a crossroads to French wine regions - think Provence and the Rhone.

Tours

Tours is the largest city in the Center region of France and a great base for visitors discovering the Loire Valley. There are vineyards welcoming wine connoisseurs in the countryside. It is known as the "Garden of France" because of the many parks located within the city, and is also famous for its Vouvray wine and chateaux.

Tours offers a plethora of AOCs nearby, about a dozen within an hour, and five bordering the city. The diversity is astounding, with the reds of Touraine-Chenonceau, the whites of Touraine Sauvignon and rosés made in Touraine noble joué. Winemakers in the region built underground wine caves out of limestone, as in the Champagne region and Saint Emilion, in order to store wine at an ideal temperature and humidity. The villages of Vouvray and Montlouis are the largest appellations in the region and make only white wines from Chenin blanc. The wines can vary in sweetness from bone dry (often appearing as sec on the wine label) to very sweet moelleux wines that are often infected by noble rot. The best vintages of the 20th century are 1924, 1947, 1959.