In France, there are nearly 240 of them! Most grape varieties are said to have their own region. It’s true that it’s a handy way to find your way around, especially when you consider the complexity of the appellations and the diversity of the grape varieties. But is it illegal to plant Syrah in the Bordeaux region or Pinot Noir in the Loire?

Terroirs that favour certain grape varieties

Since time immemorial, grape varieties have been planted in their endemic regions, primarily to produce good wine. If Syrah is a master in the Rhône Valley, it’s because it expresses itself particularly well on this terroir. It’s rather daring to invest, to devote time (at least three years before the first harvests), to cultivate your plants… only to end up with a wine of mediocre quality due to a grape variety not adapted to the terroir (soil types and climate here).

What’s more, some grape varieties are known to be hardy, which means that less time and/or money can be spent growing them. They can also be particularly productive, enabling some châteaux to achieve large harvests. In the 20th century, certain grape varieties were favored to produce large quantities of wine to meet consumer demand.

Today, we consume less wine in terms of quantity, but more in terms of quality, so quantity is no longer a decisive criterion, and certain more qualitative grape varieties are planted in certain regions.

Legal constraints

The problem with French regulations on appellations is that they largely restrict the marketing of wines with “exotic” grape varieties. Indeed, a wine produced with a grape variety not endemic to the region will quickly be refused an AOC and will have to be categorized as an IGP in the best case, or as a vin de pays in the worst case.

The bottles will therefore have to contain a long explanation, which can quickly become boring for the average consumer in a supermarket or restaurant. While some estates do indeed produce wines with grape varieties not endemic to their region, they are often produced in small quantities for discerning audiences fond of special wines (found in specialized cellars, wine bars, wine boxes…).

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