France

• Alsace
• Bergerac
• Bordeaux
  • Barsac
  • Bordeaux Supérieur
  • Margaux
  • Graves
  • Haut-Medoc
  • Listrac
  • Pauillac
  • Pomerol
  • Saint Emilion
  • Saint Estephe
  • Saint Julian
  • Sauternes
• Burgundy
  • Beaujolais
  • Bourgogne
  • Chablis
  • Côte de Nuits
  • Mercurey
• Cahors
• Champagne
• Cognac
• Corsica
• Gascony
• Jura
  • Arbois
• Languedoc-Roussillon
  • Minervois
• Loire Valley
  • Bourgueil
  • Jasnières
  • Muscadet
  • Mont Louis
  • Sancerre
  • Saumur
  • Savennières
  • Touraine
  • Vouvray
• Rhone (Rhône)
  • Châteauneuf-du-Pape
  • Cornas
  • Crozes-Hermitage
  • Gigondas
  • Hermitage
  • Lirac
  • Saint Joseph
• Provence
  • Bandol
• Savoie
• Tavel

The holidays are around the corner which means the time for bubbly is once again upon us. IntoWine asked its panel of wine experts for their recommendations for great French sparklers: I absolutely love Champagne , however my wallet often does not. As the world wide demand for Champagne increases and prices continue to escalate, it is comforting to know that there do exist a solid range of sparkling wines that are both delicious to drink and easy on the pocket book.

Bottle Shock On May 24, 1976, Steven Spurrier, a British wine merchant hoping to stoke sales at his French-wine-only shop, held a wine competition in Paris. In this competition French judges were invited to blind-taste top chardonnays and cabernet sauvignons from France and California. In an event that would later be dubbed the Judgment of Paris , the California wines –included merely to serve as the “sacrificial lambs” to the supposedly superior French wines- won the competition in a shocking upset. This singular event revolutionized the wine industry and put California on the map as a major world producer of fine wine. This story comes to life on the silver screen for the first time with the film Bottle Shock , starring Bill Pullman, Alan Richman, and Dennis Farina among other notables. I recently chatted with Bottle Shock Co-Writer and Producer Jody Savin about the film. Why this film now? To answer this question in a socio-political sense, I would venture to say that we live in challenging times.

The dog days of summer are once again upon us. Whether your remedy to beat the heat is a cool pool, a shade tree, or a blasting air conditioner, it always helps to have a relaxing beverage to help ease the pain. IntoWine.com asked our panel of wine experts to recommend refreshing white wines for those hot summer nights: " On a hot summer evening, I look for a chilled white wine. I also find that if the wine has a bit of sweetness, it offsets the heat a bit. My go-to wines on these evenings tend to be Rieslings. Rieslings are one of the most versatile wines for matching with food. They are especially great with light summer fare such as a salad or fish or fruit. They also make easy sipping on their own.

When I think of wine that is interesting, unique, obscure, high-value, and small-production, I think of Borgueil – the small wine region in France’s Loire Valley that produces almost exclusively Cabernet Franc.

2007 is going to be a very important vintage for U.S. wines in the international marketplace. This very well might be the year with the most significance on that front since the famed 1973 vintage, one in which California gained credibility across the globe as Chateau Montelena (Chardonnay) and Stag’s Leap (Cabernet Sauvignon) out-dueled the French in the famed 1976 ‘ Judgment of Paris ’ tasting.

I am a Francophile of sorts. I adore all things French – wine, cuisine, and haut couture, in that order. My distinct pleasure is to introduce you to my first adoration on the list, the wine regions of France. Welcome to Vin de Francais 101. Bonjour, mon amis, et a votre sante! as we journey throughout France to “experience” why She is the undisputed mistress of wine.

There are few people who have thought harder or more comprehensively about where the French wine industry has been and where it is heading than author Andrew Jefford. In his book, The New France , Jefford delves deep into seemingly every angle of importance regarding French wine. The reviews have been uniformly exceptional.

Many wine lovers have come to have an intimate appreciation for grape varietals like Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s no secret that many French wines are supremely developed blends, as well as one-grape standouts, but what does remain mysterious are those lesser-known, succulent grape varieties that create the foundation for many a fabulous creation. It’s time to pay homage to a few of the red and white grapes that help make France one of the most marvelous wine regions in the world.

Sauternes 2009 91 D/H 2008 88 D/H 2007 93 D/H 2006 88 D/H 2005 90 D/H 2004 88 D/H 2003 91 D/H 2002 89 D 2001 99 H 2000 87 D 1999 88 D 1998 85 D 1997 88 D 1996 89 D 1995 82 D 1994 81 D 1993 75 D 1992 68 D 1991 73 D 1990 95 D/H 1989 92 D/H 1988 95 D/H 1987 77 D 1986 95 D/H 1985 88 D 1984 78 D 1983 83...

Southern Rhone 2009 95 H 2008 88 D 2007 97 H 2006 91 D/H 2005 93 D/H 2004 90 D/H 2003 90 D/H 2002 55 D 2001 97 D 2000 94 D 1999 90 D 1998 96 D 1997 85 D 1996 88 D 1995 80 D 1994 82 D 1993 71 D 1992 78 D 1991 70 D 1990 92 D Vintage Charts should be used for a generalized guide in lieu of specific...