The Complete Guide to French Wine & Spirits

The benchmark for red wine the world over. Bordeaux's finest reds — the classified growths of the Médoc and Pomerol — are among the most sought-after bottles on earth. Built on Cabernet Sauvignon on the Left Bank and Merlot on the Right, they reward patience and repay cellaring handsomely.

Pinot Noir finds its highest expression in Burgundy's Côte d'Or. From the village wines of Gevrey-Chambertin to the Grand Crus of Chambolle-Musigny, these wines are defined by their terroir — the precise combination of soil, slope, and microclimate that makes each vineyard unique.

Chardonnay reaches its zenith in Burgundy's Côte de Beaune. Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne-Montrachet produce whites of extraordinary complexity — rich yet precise, opulent yet mineral. The Grand Crus of Montrachet are among the greatest white wines on earth.

The world's most celebrated sparkling wine, Champagne Non-Vintage is the house style of the great Champagne maisons — a consistent blend of multiple vintages and villages that expresses the producer's signature. Krug, Billecart-Salmon, and Pol Roger set the standard.

Alsace produces some of the world's finest Riesling — bone-dry, intensely aromatic, and capable of extraordinary longevity. The Grand Cru vineyards of Schlossberg, Rangen, and Brand produce wines that rival the best of Germany's Mosel.

France's most famous spirit, Cognac is double-distilled in copper pot stills and aged in Limousin oak. The Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne crus produce the finest eaux-de-vie, with the best XO and Hors d'Âge expressions rivalling the world's greatest whiskies in complexity.

Older and arguably more characterful than Cognac, Armagnac is distilled once in a continuous still and aged in black oak. Vintage-dated Armagnacs — rare in the spirits world — allow you to drink a wine from a specific year, making them extraordinary gifts and collector's items.

The benchmark for Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre's wines are defined by the flinty minerality of their Kimmeridgian limestone soils. Crisp, precise, and intensely aromatic, they are the perfect aperitif and one of France's most food-friendly whites.