France is one of the world’s top 5 wine consumers. This beverage is firmly rooted in our culture, and red wine is clearly the most consumed wine, ahead of white, rosé and sparkling wines. While we don’t have any reliable data on which red wines are the most consumed in France, we can draw up two rankings to give you an idea.

France’s largest regions

• Languedoc-Roussillon (2260 km2). In the far south of France, the second largest vineyard in the world, it extends over the Aude, Gard, Hérault and Pyrénées-Orientales regions. As well as being the most extensive region, it is also the most productive, with 13.6 hectolitres per year (or 5% of current world production). The appellations include Corbières, Pic Saint-Loup, Côte du Roussillon, Saint-Chinian…

• The Bordeaux region (1,120 km2). Situated on either side of the Gironde, the vineyard is the largest AOC in France. The region is renowned for the high quality wines it produces, notably the Crus classés of the 1855 Bordeaux Wine Classification, the Grands Crus classés of the Graves, and the sweet Sauternes wines.

• The Rhône Valley (700 km2). Divided between the northern and southern Rhône, the region is home to some 50 appellations spread over a wide variety of terroirs. The best-known are Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage and Châteauneuf-du-Pape for reds, Condrieu and Clairette de Die for whites.

• The Loire Valley (650 km2). Famous for France’s longest river and its prestigious châteaux, the region produces fruity, delicate wines renowned for their freshness. The grape varieties are mainly Cabernet Franc for reds and Chenin for whites. The main appellations are Chinon, Sancerre, Saumur, Muscadet…

• Southwest (500 km2). This region, which has long lived in the shadow of Bordeaux, is now France’s fourth largest vineyard in terms of production. Between Aveyron and the Basque country, this sun-drenched region produces lively Côtes de Gascogne, velvety Gaillac, aromatic Fronton and full-bodied Madiran.

The most widely grown grape varieties in France

• Merlot (13.9%). The flagship grape variety of the Bordeaux region, and more specifically of the Bordeaux right bank, it enjoys warm climates and develops black fruit aromas and delicate tannins. On its own, it makes full-bodied wines, and combined with Cabernet Sauvignon, it produces wines of great quality.

• Ugni Blanc (10.2%). A grape variety from the south of France, it is mainly found in Languedoc and Provence. It produces acidic (“nervous”) white wines and is also used to make Cognac and Armagnac.

• Grenache Noir (10%). Originally from Spain, this grape variety is mainly grown in warm climates, such as the south of France for rosé or the Côtes du Rhône, where it is blended with Syrah.

• Syrah (7.9%). Grown not only in France but also in Australia, where it is known as Shiraz, this grape variety loves warm climates and produces colorful wines with aromas of black fruits, spices and sometimes dark chocolate. It is the king of the Rhone valley.

• Chardonnay (6.3%). The best-known of the white grape varieties, it thrives in all climates, but is particularly popular in Burgundy. The grape variety is not very aromatic and varies according to the terroir in which it is planted.

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