A (Painless) Beginner’s Guide to Uncorking French Wine: How to Find French (White) Wines You’ll Like – Part 4

Most of us agree that when confronting a wall of French wine options chez le caviste (at the wine shop) or a tome-like carte des vins (wine list), we can easily get intimidated or freeze up, unsure how to start narrowing down our choices.

In this article, I aim to give you some reference points to help you easily identify French wines that might suit your tastes and preferences. This month we’re focusing on white wines, and we’ll tackle the reds in upcoming posts.

Enjoying un petit verre at La Popotière, a charming restaurant-meets-wine shop in the 20th arrondissement (Charonne), Paris.                       Photo: Sarah Dalle Nogare

As someone who has spent years studying wine and happily matching people with wines in restaurants and at bespoke events, I’ve learned how to help folks choose a wine based on flavors they already know and like. That will be our focus today, and I hope you’ll find it useful and inspiring.

Keep in mind that we’ll gear the discussion around French white wines of good value, rather than just making a beeline to the superstar wines of France, some of which can be super pricey, even out of reach.

Les bonnes nouvelles (the good news): there are so many good French wines that are well-priced for enjoyment. The above being said, if you’re interested in a “superstars” article, let me know in the comments!

Where Can I Learn About French Wine Basics?

This whole series is a “Beginner’s Guide,” and French wine can be a complicated subject, so we’re simplifying and keeping things straightforward. If you’d like to start with some French wine basics, take a look at this article for more.

And if you want to practice pronouncing some French wine words and phrases you can use when talking about what kind of French wine you want, this guide will help you.

How Can I Know Which French Wines I Might Like? Key Tips from a Wine Insider:

Since France is home to hundreds of appellations and thousands of producers, choosing a French wine can be daunting. If you find yourself getting blocked when asked to select a French wine in a restaurant or to buy a wine pour une soirée (for a party) or just to have for dinner, a little preparation will give you the advantage, and I promise, it’s painless!

Great news

From the beginner’s standpoint, all you have to do is think about what you already like.
If you’re not yet sure, just pick one of my recommendations and give it a try, noting what is pleasing (or not) to you,
so that you can discover more.

This can seem obvious, but finding a true bridge between what already pleases your palette and what is on offer in the French wine world requires a bit of thinking and connecting with your senses.

• Start by thinking about wines you like,
• then, use my recommended appellations and regions next time you go into a wine store or are looking at French wines on a wine list.
• I’m also suggesting just a few examples in each category, but keep in mind that wines from varying producers and years will, well, vary.

Also with our global readership, not every wine may be available in your country or city. If not, simply open up a conversation with your local wine merchant and they’ll help you match what you like with a new French wine to try. I always take the opportunity to chat a bit with my wine shopkeeper, and I always learn something.

OK, here goes:

1. Fancy a Lighter Style, Less Buttery Chardonnay?

La Bourgogne makes the most famous chardonnays in the world, some of which are extrêmement chers (extremely pricey), even out of reach for many of us, and some of which can be more buttery than you might like. If that’s the case, try the more northerly Bourgogne versions of the grape (scroll down to see my recommendations). They offer a crisp minerality and flavors (among others) of stone fruits, apples, and citrus.

You can also look to la vallée du Rhône (the Rhone Valley) for crisp and bright chardonnay, and I’m recommending a highly rated and beautifully priced one made in the village of Ardeche by the famous négociants Louis Latour (who also make chardonnay in la Bourgogne).

Fun French wine fact

Did you know the chardonnay cépage (grape variety) is native to la Bourgogne in France?
No wonder their wines are so fabuleux !

Recommended Appellations/Regions:
In Bourgogne try appellations such as Chablis (look for a solid Chablis AOC to start with, instead of the pricier Premier Cru and Grand Cru offerings). Petit Chablis is a good option from a neighboring appellation. Another great value: Rhone Valley Ardeche.

Petit Chablis 2022, Domaine Seguinot-Bordet

Ardeche 2021, Maison Louis Latour

Perfect Pairings:
Fish, lighter-style grilled meats such as pork or chicken, salads, quiches, and grilled vegetables, or a cheese plate or snacks before dinner.

2. Looking for a Richer French White but at a Better Price?

If you’re a fan of more blowsy-style chardonnay, you might (like me) love the prestige wines of la Bourgogne. But most of us can’t drink those very often, so I’m going to suggest you look for value in some of the more budget-friendly appellations. Start in the Maconnais, in the southernmost part of the region. It’s chardonnay, but these lesser-known wines can feature a bit more honeysuckle, acacia, and a ripeness that can be really nice with salty foods, charcuterie, cheeses, and spiced nuts. They are also less pricey!

There’s another white you should take a look at. It’s from Savennières AOC in the Loire Valley, and it’s not chardonnay (it’s chenin blanc), but it has some of the characteristics you might like from more full-bodied chardonnay, with richer elements such as peaches, dried fruits, and honey.

Recommended Appellations: St. Véran, Viré Clessé, Pouilly Fuissé, Beaujolais Villages

Saint Véran 2022, Les Pierres Grises (Bourgogne)

Viré-Clessé 2020, Albert Bichot (Bourgogne)

Beaujolais Villages Blanc 2022, “Cuvée Marquise de Robien,” Château Raousset (Beaujolais)

Savennières 2022, “Cuvée Spéciale,” Château d’Epiré (Loire Valley, Chenin Blanc)

Perfect Pairings:
Roasted pork, turkey or chicken, vegetable risotto, roasted squash, wild mushroom pasta.

3. Prefer a Vin Blanc with a Bit of Character and a Lot of Value?

There are so many exciting, affordable French wines being made outside of the “fancier” régions prestigieuses.

Some of the more southern French wine regions offer incredible value and very interesting if less fashionable white wines. A growing number of vignerons (winemakers) all over France are also focusing on organic and/or biodynamic winemaking. These are not the former generation of bio wines which were often not as delicious as their conventional counterparts, so don’t be afraid to try them!

Another great (and often under-appreciated) region is Alsace, with its unique fluted bottles. These wines can be on a number of different sweetness (and fruitiness) levels so check with your wine shop if the label doesn’t indicate it on the back of the bottle.

And finally, if you want to be a “cool wine kid” ask about the wines of the Savoie (pronounced sah-VWAH). They are largely unknown outside of France but are delicious and affordable. The recommendation below is from an organic collective that makes a number of good wines.

Recommended Appellations/Regions: Côtes du Roussillon, Savoie, Alsace

Côtes du Roussillon 2021 “MA Vertigo,” Mas Amiel (Roussillon)

Auxerrois (pronounced oh-sehr-WAH) 2023, Manbach (Alsace)

Borboyon 2021, Les Equillibristes (Savoie)

Perfect Pairings:
Grilled seafood, ceviche, fried chicken, pasta with sardines or vegetables, french fries (or as we call them here in France, just “frites”). Try with cheeses from the local region as well.

4. Very Crisp French White Wines to Go with Seafood

The westernmost end of the Loire Valley is called the Pays Nantais and they specialize in a wine that is perfect for un plateau de fruits de mer (seafood platter), but also for lightly grilled or roasted fish, bright vegetable pilafs, shrimp risotto and the like.

It’s called Muscadet Sevre et Maine and is generally meant to be drunk young and fresh. This delicious French wine is generally very inexpensive and makes a great everyday wine for a light lunch or dinner. Citrus flavors, bright acidity, generally not much wood used in aging. This summer en Bretagne, I drank my share of it with des crevettes, des langoustines et des huîtres (shrimp, langoustines and oysters).

In the Bordeaux region, the Entre-deux-Mers appellation (meaning “between two seas,” or two rivers in this case) is also interesting for its elegant and often well-priced white wines that pair
beautifully with seafood.

Wine Insider Tip

If you see the words “sur lie” and/or “vieilles vignes” on a list or label, you’ll be looking at more nuanced and fuller,
more complex elements as “sur lie” means that the wine has aged on the dead yeast cells from its fermentation,
giving it a kind of bready or ‘brioche-y vibe’.

Vielles vignes is code for “old vines” which generally give a wine more character and a richer overall expression.

Also interesting with seafood are two of my favorite appellations—Vouvray and Montlouis, both made from chenin blanc, which can range from dry and crisp to fuller on the fruit scale. Montlouis can be a bit harder to find outside of France but a great value. If you see it, give it a try.

Recommended Appellations: Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, Vouvray, Entre-deux-Mers

Muscadet Sevre et Maine 2023, “Clos de Briords,” Domaine de la Pepière

Vouvray Sec 2022, “La Dilettante,” Domaine Cathérine et Pierre Breton

Entre-deux-Mers Blanc 2022, Château de Fontenille

Perfect Pairings:
Seafood platters, oysters, shrimp, crab, clams, paella, salads, sushi, tofu.

5. French White Wine for Sauvignon Blanc Lovers

France does sauvignon blanc beautifully, and there are lots of wines to choose from. For the most elegant expressions, allez directement (go directly) to the southeastern part of the Loire Valley (three great appellations to try are Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé or the lesser-known Reuilly). Bordeaux also produces some lovely wines from sauvignon blanc, often blended with semillon which can take the edge off the acidity and add a more luxurious texture and more pronounced fruit (apricot, pear, etc.) to the wines.

Recommended Appellations: Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé, Reuilly, Bordeaux (Blanc)

Bordeaux Blanc Sec 2022, Château La Râme

Reuilly Blanc 2023, “Les Pierres Plates,” Denis Jamain

Perfect Pairings:
Vegetable-forward dishes, goat cheese or blue cheese salad, anything seafood, lighter meats, pad thai, butter or cream sauces, stewed white beans, cheese plate

Now it’s over to you

Try the exercise above to match your preferences with some new white wines from France, and let me know if it helps. Having a few possible appellations in mind that you know generally produce wines in a style you may like can be a great strategy for avoiding overwhelm in a restaurant or wine shop. Limiting the options is a great way to expand your wine knowledge without feeling stressed.

Wine is meant to be enjoyed!

As always, les ami-e-s, if you have questions about French wine or if you have another favorite type of wine to use as a reference point and would like some ideas of good French wines to try, let me know in the comments. I love hearing from you!

A nos amours (to our loves),

Karen

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