Growing Regions

Grape vines do not grow everywhere in France.

If you look at a map of the world you'll see that France is located at about the same latitude as northern New England—in other words, quite a bit farther north than California. And the climate in France is correspondingly cooler.
To some extent, the climate is moderated by the presence of the Mediterranean Sea to the south and the Gulf Stream current of the Atlantic Ocean to the west. But, even so, there are many areas of France where fine wine grapes will not ripen to maturity.

The great wine-producing regions of France are generally located in river valleys. The shelter provided by the valley and the added reflection of sunlight by the river can help to raise the temperature enough for the grapes to mature.

The most famous winegrowing regions of France include:

Sunny days, cool nights, rolling hills, and winemaking families that go back