France
The French not only consume more wine than any another country in the world, they also the largest wine producer. Consuming 60L of wine perperson a year, the French drink approximately 2/3 of their own production. Within France there are 10 main wine growing regions, with each region having its unique identity, including grape types. Appellation Controlee laws guarantee each wine's origin and style. As the French wine labels do not specify grape types, but rather the geographical location, it is estimated 72% of adults have difficulty understanding the wine label.
Burgundy
Although Burgundy has a big reputation for its high quality wines, the region only produces 3% of France's total wine. The two main grapes grown in the region are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with twice as much white wine produced over red. Burgundy with its ideal weather, rich soils, exceptional geographical location and of course the top notch expertise of its winemakers are some of the reasons that wine prices from this reason can be high.
Chateau Thivin
Brouilly
At Château Thivin, the oldest wine-growing estate in Mont-Brouilly, there reigns a special atmosphere — that of a château on a human scale where the 6 generations of the Geoffray family have been producing quality wines in the greatest respect for the terroirs. The hand-picking of the grapes and the rather “hands-on” vinification make it possible to obtain authentic wines that reflect their terroir.
Henri Magnien
Gevrey-Chambertin
Henri Magnien et Fils is a small family estate established back in 1987 but there are traces of vines having grown in the family since 1700. They are located at the top of Gevrey-Chambertin and at the foot of the hillside of the famed premier cru Cazetiers in Côte de Nuits. Though only 6 hectares, they own a number of fantastic Premier Cru parcels in Gevrey. Given the use of grapes from vines planted as early as 1915, they have very low yield across the board making exceptional wines.
Ponsot
Morey-Saint-Denis
A family run estate since 1872, Ponsot is focused on sustainable farming and letting nature show itself in the wine. All of the generations since the founding of the Domaine have subscribed to this Love of Nature and therefore to its respect. "At Domaine Ponsot we produce wines uninfluenced by fashion. These choice are not dictated by a kind of occultism resulting from what today is known as non-interventionism".
Armand Rousseau
Côte de Nuits
For four generations, the Rousseau family has worked tirelessly and passionately on some of the finest terroirs of the Côte de Nuits. From the moment the domain was established, the family developed an enduring ritual: the elders teach the ways of the vine the next generation. Thus, they maintain the strong bond between man and vine, upholding the family values and strong work ethic through the years.
Guy Breton
Villié-Morgon
Guy “Max” Breton, has been making wine in Villié-Morgon since the late 1980s when he took on his family's 4 hectare domaine from his grandfather. Guy Breton retains the approach of carbonic maceration while using minimal intervention in the cuverie.
Comte Lafon / Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon
Côte d’Or / Mâconnais
The Lafon family's holdings are now cultivated according to biodynamic principles with no use of chemical sprays or herbicides. In 1999, Dominique Lafon purchased 14 hectares of vineyards and founded Héritiers du Comte Lafon as his Mâconnais domaine. Here, he brought the Comte Lafon's passion for biodynamic farming with him.
Mark Haisma
Côte de Nuits
Mark Haisma is from Australia, where he studied viticulture and started his career as a winemaker. In 2007, he settled in Burgundy where he began making wine in a rented space within a small cellar. Mark produces wines from appellations such as Saint-Romain, Santenay, Gevrey-Chambertin, Nuits-Saint-Georges, and Volnay.
Charton
Mercurey
Domaine Charton has been cultivating vines in Burgundy, specifically at Mercurey, since 1941. Following in his grandfather's footsteps, Vincent now leads the family estate, with the guidance of his father, Jean-Pierre. They cultivate eleven and a half hectares of exceptional terroirs within the Mercurey appellation in the Côte Chalonnaise. The grapes are entirely picked by hand and then transported in small batches to the cellar where they are sorted to retain only the best amongst them.
Champagne
Champagne is one of France's most famous regions known for making high quality sparkling wines with crystalline clear effervescence, elegant and lively. The French consume 162.5 million bottles of this classy drink, more than 50% of total production per year. The main three grapes that make up the wines of Champagne are Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay.
Gaston Chiquet
Eight generations have passed since Nicolas Chiquet planted his first vine in 1746. In 1919, brothers Fernand and Gaston Chiquet were pioneers in Champagne, among the very first winemakers to take the initiative, bold at the time, to keep their grapes, turn them into Champagne and sell their own product. Today, for over 80 years, the brand Champagne Gaston Chiquet is still lead by the family with 23 hectares of vineyards situated primarily in the precious perimeter of Dizy, Aÿ, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ and Hautvillers
Laherte
Jean-Baptiste Laherte set up the family estate in 1889, planting most of the vines in the village of Chavost, which was to become Chavot. The estate gradually grew over generations, and covers today over 11 hectares through the Champagne region. The sixth and seventh generations are now working together to create wines that are just like them - pure, sincere and authentic. They share their experience and combine their efforts to make the most of this beautiful heritage.
Marie Courtin
Proprietress Dominique Morneau embodies all of the qualities of the artisan approach in Champagne. Hers are some of the most adventurous, cutting edges Champagnes readers will come across. Biodynamic farming, the use of natural yeasts, and low or no dosage are some of the elements that inform these wines. Above all else, the Marie-Courtin Champagnes are made with meticulously grown fruit that makes the above possible in this tiny, emerging estate in the Cote des Bars.
Pol Cochet
It was in 1846 that the Cochet story began, as Etienne Cochet made the decision to form a wine trading business that would make this process easier. Located in Ambonnay, which is the region where some of the world’s best Champagne originates from, Etienne chose to explore his passion for the grape by helping others gain easier access to wines they may never have experienced before. With the 6th Generation at the helm, the 6.5 Ha estate practices Bio Farming and produces stunning Champagne
Suenen
Champagne Suenen is a small family property of just 1.5 hectares located in the grand cru village of Cramant, where some of Champagne's finest chardonnay is grown. Aurélien Suenen is the new generation of the family to take over and he has done so with energy and vigour. The speciality here is Blanc de Blancs made in a style which rests its quality on purity, breadth and softness.
JL Vergnon
In 1950, Jean-Louise recreated his vineyards on the slopes of Côte des Blancs, in le Mesnil sur Oger. Managing the domain since 1999, Didier Vergnon follows this way with the same passion of well done work. JL Vergnon only grows vines of Chardonnay, blending more of 20 parcels. Planted in majority with old vines of over 30 years on average, various exposure in order to reach this evenness in our Champagnes
Dehours & Fils
"After completing brief studies in Avize (Champagne) and Beaune (Burgundy), I joined the family estate and worked with our business partners for a few years. In 1996, I assumed management of the estate, which was founded by my grandfather in 1930 and further developed by my father. Situated in the heart of the Marne Valley, just 15 km from Épernay, our entire vineyard is located on the left bank. Our terroir mainly consists of clay and sand over chalky subsoil. Upon taking charge of the estate in 1996, my brother-in-law Jean-Marc Laisné and I focused on the diversity of each vineyard plot."
Cotes du Rhone
Rhone Wine is so popular around the world evidence suggests a bottle is consumed every 13 seconds, for a total of 400 million bottles consumed a year. Being the second largest appellation in France, the Cotes du Rhone has approximately 32,000 hectares planted. The Rhone is divided by the Rhone river into the North and South regions, each having their own distinct grape growing traditions due to the climate differential.
La Colliere
Rasteau
"In 2000, I created my own wine-growing operation with land that I farm either in renting or in sharecropping in the communes of Rasteau and Buisson, which represents an area of 15 hectares. I had become a winegrower but a new challenge attracted me: if love and respect for the land were present every day, I wanted to highlight it: hand-pick the sun-drenched bunches, let them sleep and improve these fruits in order to share and taste this union, a desire to produce wine."
La Croix de Pins
Cotes du Ventoux
Situated in Mazan, ( Vaucluse county ) the Château la Croix des Pins boast a micro climate from it's ideal location between the Mont Ventoux and Les Dentelles de Montmirail in an area classified Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. The history of the estate goes back to the 16th century, whereby the bastide was built in a Tuscan-style, according to its origins. Since 2010, a new team lead by Jean-Pierre Valade, gave a new life to the Château la Croix des Pins to seek excellence in the elaboration of its wines.
Domaine Marcoux
Chateauneuf du Pape
The Ameniers are one of the oldest registered families in the village of Chateauneuf dating back to 1344. In more recent history, in 1995, at a time when it was still not straightforward for women to work in a winery, Sophie and Catherine Armenier took over running Domaine de Marcoux. The sisters wholly devoted themselves to the estate and to making quality wines. In 2014, Sophie’s son Vincent Esteven took his place alongside his mother and aunt, bringing his youth, passion and skills to the winery.
Raymond-Stephane Usseglio
Chateauneuf du Pape
"Our estate was created by my grandfather Francis Usseglio, who came from Italy in 1931settled in Châteauneuf du Pape and began producing his own wine in 1948. In 1963, my father Raymond took over and with my mother Danielle they expanded and created the Domaine Usseglio Raymond estate. Like the "climates" in Burgundy, our various plots offer us a mosaic of different terroirs and exposure. We work in biodynamics, a cultivation method that requires a lot of observation and specific care."
Stephane Ogier
Cote Rotie
It was in 1997 that Stéphane Ogier joined the family estate, rooted for seven generations on the slopes of Ampuis. By taking over from his father Michel, he chooses to do specific work on his different terroirs in order to reveal the uniqueness of these places full of history. Over the years, the estate has gone beyond the village limits with the desire to discover and enhance new terroirs. From his experience in Burgundy, Stéphane Ogier retains the taste of elegance and finesse that has become characteristic of his wines.
Pierre Jean Villa
Cotes du Rhone
The Villa family has always been connected to the land, whether in Spain or France. In 2003, Pierre-Jean returned to his roots and joined the Vins de Vienne trio, serving as the guardian of the vineyard until 2009. That year, he founded his own estate in the northern Rhône, embarking on a new journey as a fully independent winegrower. By 2020, just a year before achieving organic certification, his estate had become a prominent name in the northern Rhône, with 17 hectares of esteemed vineyards on both the right and left banks of the Rhône, including Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, and the hillsides of Seyssuel north of Vienne.
Costières de Nîmes
The Costières de Nîmes primarily produces red wines, featuring Syrah and Mourvèdre, Grenache, Carignan, and Cinsault. These wines are more akin to Rhône wines than Languedoc wines, generally exhibiting elegance, balance, light structure, and aromas of red fruit, blackberry, prune, and black cherry. The region's Mediterranean climate, similar to that of the Rhône Valley, is distinguished by its coastal proximity and sea breezes.
Château l’Ermite d’Auzan
Costières de Nîmes
The Castillon family has been nurturing this terroir for four generations.
Environmental responsibility is the foremost commitment of Château l’Ermite d’Auzan. Sharing the values of organic farming, they achieved their certification in 2020.
With Tanguy's arrival, they decided to advance further by beginning biodynamic farming, permaculture, and the production of their own inputs.
This is their gift to the next generations: making their vineyard and the planet cleaner and healthier.
Languedoc
The Languedoc-Rousillan region is located in the south of France along the French Mediterranean Coast. Known as the largest producer of designated wine in the world, this region produces 5% of the worlds wine and 7% of the worlds organic wine. The wine produced in this region is highly desired for export accounting for 40% of total French wine exports.
Jeff Carrel
Languedoc
Jeff Carrel, in his young adulthood, was a Parisian Chemist and when bitten by the wine bug; his passion bloomed into an almost religious pursuit complete with an Oenology degree. He is obsessed with sites, soil, weather, and grape varietals. As far as his winemaking, he calls himself a craftsman who is morphing into an artist. This eclectic winemaker is based in the South of France: Corbieres, Languedoc, Fitou, Côtes du Roussillon. This puts him in the place he loves, and he loves to interpret places with wines.
Chateau La Negly
La Clape
Château de la Négly is located in the Occitanie region in France, in the La Clape massif overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Its exceptional geographical location creates a unique alchemy of elements: caressed by the sea spray and buffeted by the Tramontane and sea winds, this sun-drenched land absorbs heat to warm the grapes that soak up the sun’s golden rays. The grapes greedily accept the treasures that Nature offers them. They can then begin their slow maturation, generously returning the bounty they have received.
Loire Valley
The Loire Valley is located in Central France, the cooler climate being key to the production of their crisp white and rose wines. Half of the production of wines in the Loire are white wine predominantly Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc. The majority of the reds are made with Cabernet France known for its herbaceous notes.
Alliance Loire
Touraine
Alliance Loire is a cooperative winery located in France’s Loire Valley region, leveraging the combined talents, resources and vineyards of growers situated in fine terroirs across several important winegrowing villages. This producer brings exceptionally well-crafted and delicious value wines to market, leaning on the core values of solidarity, sharing, respect, creativity and teamwork as the driving forces driving quality and consistency.
Arnaud Lambert
Saumur
Arnaud Lambert's father, Yves Lambert, created the domaine in 1996. At the age of 47 he decided to change his life around and return to his roots around Saumur. His ambition from the outset was to perfectly exploit the terroirs of Saint-Cryren-Bourg at the heart of the Saumur Champigny appellation, whether it be in Cabernet Franc or Chenin Blanc. In 2005, Arnaud joined his father and together they continued his pursuit of quality. In 2018, they adopted the biodynamic approach so as to have a greater understanding of the micro and macrocosm and to better appreciate their terroirs.
Domaine Serol
Cotes Roannaise
La philosophie du Domaine Sérol: Family estate, farmed biodynamically, on the eastern foothills of the Massif Central, close to the gorges de la Loire. When Stéphane Sérol took over in 1996, the domaine totalled 12 hectares. Very attached to the Côte Roannaise, he cleared new plots on the finest hillsides to replant. With his wife, Carine, they converted the domaine to organic and then to biodynamic viticulture, with the aim of preserving and valorizing the terroirs.
Damien and Florence Laureau
Savennières
The domain Laureau has been part of the famous dry white wines of Savenni for 20 years. On 6 hectares planted with chenin, Damien, Florence, and their teams devote phenomenal attention to the land and the chenin vines. The estate has been certified in organic agriculture since 2012 and the agronomic approach tends towards a regenerative agriculture of the soils, which is the basis of the studies that Damien has pursued in soil microbiology since 2019.
Holy Snail
Touraine
Thierry Delaunay, owner of Domaine Joël Delaunay and Domaine de la Brossette in the Touraine region, has always been passionate about vinifying Sauvignon Blanc. To meet the growing demand for Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley, Thierry Delaunay began vinifying wines in the Touraine Appellation. Today, the "Thierry Delaunay Signature" line features several brands of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and rosé. These wines are both enjoyable and affordable, catering to the tastes of modern, discerning consumers.
Provence
Wine production in this region dates back at least 2,600 years, beginning when the ancient Greeks founded the city of Marseille in 600 BC. Over the centuries, viticulture and winemaking in Provence have been shaped by various cultures, including the Ancient Greeks, Romans, Gauls, Catalans, and Savoyards. Today, Provence is known for its Rosé.
Domaines Bunan
Bandol
Françoise, Claire, Laurent and Philippe are the third generation of a family of winemakers, carrying on with the work of their grandparents. They now exclusively use natural products to protect the grapes and soils. The management and maintenance of the soil, plant selection, green harvesting, precise timing of the harvest, and selective sorting (considering different levels of ripeness) are all conducted with respect for both the environment and people. This approach helps preserve the natural balance and enhances biodiversity.
Savoie
Savoie is situated in Southeastern France, located in the mountainous Alps’ foothills and on the border of Switzerland. Due to its cool climate, around three-quarters of the region's wines are white.
Perret
Yenne
For three generations the Perret family has maintained the passion for savoy wines through selective and rigorous distribution. Mr. Nicolas Perret collaborates with the same winemakers from year to year and participates from the first stages of winemaking to ensure a permanent quality that has made the reputation of Perret and its red wines of Savoy, white wines and rosé wines.
André & Michel Quenard
Yenne
The André & Michel Quenard vineyard is a family estate that was created in its current form in 1976 but whose vine traditions date back to the 17th century. Today Guillaume, son of Michel and grandson of André, perpetuates this know-how. It is on the famous hillside of Torméry, and the vines are planted from 300 meters above sea level and rise up to 400 meters with a slope of 40 to 70%.