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Wine Guides & Travel · Insider's Wine Travel Guides

France

Every guide and story we’ve written on France.

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Looking for something specific? Try a region (“Willamette”), a vintage (“2022 Bordeaux”), or a question (“how long should I decant?”).

France

Alsace
Alsace: France's Most Germanic Region and Its Easiest Label to Read
  • by Big Hammer Wines

Alsace: France's Most Germanic Region and Its Easiest Label to Read

German grapes, French polish, and the only region in France that puts the grape on...

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Champagne
Champagne: The Chalk, the Bubbles, and the Two Letters on the Label
  • by Big Hammer Wines

Champagne: The Chalk, the Bubbles, and the Two Letters on the Label

Chalk, pressure, patience - and two small letters on the label that change everything. How...

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Bordeaux
A couple enjoying red wine on a patio overlooking a Bordeaux vineyard and chateau.
  • by Big Hammer Wines

Bordeaux Wine: Two Banks, Five Growths, and the Gravel That Decides Everything

Two banks, five first growths, and gravel that built the world's most famous wine region....

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Burgundy
A bottle of Domaine Vincent Wengier Chablis white wine on a stone wall, with a woman walking through golden sunset vineyard rows in Burgundy in the background.
  • by Big Hammer Wines

Burgundy Wine: Two Grapes, One Slope, and 1,247 Arguments

Two grapes, one golden slope, and a thousand years of arguments about dirt. How the...

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France
A bottle of white wine resting in an ice bucket with a view of a winding river in the Loire Valley.
  • by Big Hammer Wines

Loire Valley Wine: France's Longest Wine List

One river, France's longest wine list: Sancerre's flint, Vouvray's honeyed Chenin, Chinon's peppery Franc and...

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France
A couple sitting at a dining table with wine, enjoying a sunset view over the Rhône Valley vineyards.
  • by Big Hammer Wines

Rhone Valley Wine: Granite North, Sun-Baked South

Granite north, sun-baked south: one river, two completely different wine worlds. Cote-Rotie and Hermitage Syrah,...

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France
Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Bordeaux
  • by Big Hammer Wines

French Wine: The Grand Tour, Region by Region

France is the map every wine list is drawn on - and the labels tell...

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Bordeaux
Hilltop village with a tall church spire above rows of vines in autumn
  • by Greg Martellotto

A Wine Lover’s Guide to the Bordeaux Wine Region

Bordeaux proudly wears the crown as France's wine capital, celebrated globally for its exceptional wines...

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France
Woman holding a glass of red wine on a terrace overlooking Paris with the Eiffel Tower behind
  • by Greg Martellotto

How the Judgment of Paris Shook Up the Wine World

Let’s rewind the clock to 1976. The Judgment of Paris—no, it’s not a new reality...

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Bordeaux
Symmetrical stone chateau with shuttered windows, clipped topiary cones and tulip beds in front
  • by Greg Martellotto

Bordeaux Travel Guide 2024: Walking Tour in Bordeaux City - Local's Ultimate Food & Wine Insider Tips

Explore Bordeaux's best restaurants, wine bars, châteaux tours, and hidden gems. Local expert guide to...

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Burgundy
Red wine pouring from a dark bottle into a glass against a deep red background
  • by Greg Martellotto

The Best Burgundy Vintages in the Past 20 Years

Burgundy produces excellent wines year after year. That’s why the wines from the region are...

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Bordeaux
Woman in a blue dress and striped sun hat walking between sunlit vineyard rows
  • by Greg Martellotto

Bordeaux Beyond the Classics: Exploring Lesser-Known Appellations

Dive into the intriguing world of Bordeaux's hidden treasures beyond the classics, where tradition and...

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Bordeaux
Aerial view of rolling green farmland and villages under sun rays breaking through clouds
  • by Greg Martellotto

The Beauty of Bordeaux, Explained by Wine Experts

Ah! Bordeaux. A region we are all familiar with. There is a lot to know...

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Bordeaux
Bottles hanging with tags in a shop, one labeled "Bordeaux makes one proud to be a wineaux"
  • by Greg Martellotto

Learn about Fourth Growth Grand Cru Classified Bordeaux

The Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 is a system to classify the best producers...

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Bordeaux
First Growth Bordeaux Explained by Online Wine Store
  • by Greg Martellotto

First Growth Bordeaux Explained by Online Wine Store

Crème de la crème Bordeaux Wines Bordeaux first growths are some of the most sought after...

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France
Stone arch bridge reflected in a river beside wooded banks and a town in the Loire Valley
  • by Greg Martellotto

Loire Valley Wine

The Loire is a long storied, wine growing region that traces the Loire River which flows...

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France
Rhone Valley Wine
  • by Greg Martellotto

Rhone Valley Wine

Famous, Delicious but Not Simple The Rhône Valley isn’t just one wine region, it’s actually...

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Champagne
Champagne
  • by Greg Martellotto

Champagne

Champagne: The Google of Wine Champagne not only created and defined the category of sparkling...

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Burgundy
Burgundy Wine
  • by Greg Martellotto

Burgundy Wine

What is the Secret to Burgundy Wine?  Burgundy’s wines are single-varietal wines made from grapes...

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Bordeaux
Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac
  • by Greg Martellotto

Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac

Château Mouton Rothschild was not originally included in the First Growths of Bordeaux, the estate...

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Bordeaux
Chateau Cheval Blanc Saint Emilion
  • by Greg Martellotto

Chateau Cheval Blanc Saint Emilion

The 'Castle of the White Horse' sits at the very peak of the Saint Emilion...

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Bordeaux
Chateau Angelus
  • by Greg Martellotto

Chateau Angelus

Chateau Angelus has one of the longer histories in the St. Emilion appellation. The de...

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Bordeaux
Chateau Leoville-Las Cases
  • by Greg Martellotto

Chateau Leoville-Las Cases

Chateau Leoville-Las Cases is one of the oldest Medoc estates, Domaine de Léoville belonged to some...

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Bordeaux
Chateau Pouget Margaux
  • by Greg Martellotto

Chateau Pouget Margaux

Chateau Margaux’s history and renown stem equally from the intrinsic genius of the place as...

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