9 Top French Wines That Shaped the World

France. This is the original wine influencer, and the nine wines I'm introducing today define what most of us drink. But before we explore these nine incredible wines, let's set the stage with some interesting statistics that prove France's dominance on the wine world. And as a side note, we're starting to see a paradigm shift in the wine world. To find out more about that, join me. I'm Madeleine Paquette, and this is Wine Folly. Let's get back to France and how influential it's been in defining what most of us drink. Did you know that of the top 10 grape varieties planted worldwide, seven originate from France? That's right. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, they're all French at heart. Now let's shift our focus to what people call New World wine regions. These are countries that have imported foreign grapes to establish their winemaking culture. They include countries like the United States, Australia, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, South Africa, and even China. These areas are dominated by plantings of French grapes and make wines fashioned after famous French regional wines. So let's uncover these nine regional wines so you know way more about what's happening in the wine world. Located just a couple of hours from Paris by Teixeira train, Bordeaux is a powerhouse in the wine world. The left bank of the Gironde river with its gravelly soils is a perfect place to plant Cabernet Sauvignon. If you've never had a well-made Cabernet Sauvignon before, you are in for a treat. Expect rich aromas of black currant, black cherry, a touch of pencil shavings, subtle whiffs of brown baking spices, and a whiff of mint. It tastes big and bold with high tannin and is the perfect wine for aging. Of course, you should expect to spend a bit more for this wine to find great quality because of the amount of time and production cost involved with making it. Plus, it's a very popular grape. Next up is Merlot, the smooth and approachable sibling of Cabernet Sauvignon. Merlot is definitely the crowd favorite and the French wine that put Merlot on the map is called Saint-Emilion and it's in a region just east of the city of Bordeaux. Saint-Emilion is known for its clay limestone soils which are perfect for Merlot. They make it bold and robust. Expect a wine that's big and velvety with plum and blackberry notes with a hint of chocolate and even meatiness. Just like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot benefits from oak aging which does actually increase the production costs so you should expect to pay a little bit more for quality but not as much as Cabernet. Chardonnay is so versatile that there are three French wines that make three different styles of Chardonnay. The purest version of French Chardonnay is definitely Chablis from Burgundy in France. This area has cumerigian soils which are rich in limestone and even fossilized oysters and because of that Chablis wines are crisp and mineral driven and never almost ever oaked. That means they'll have appley and fresh flavors. If you want to try this style you can definitely get Chablis but they're a bit expensive so you can find similar tasting wines from down south in Burgundy in a region called Macanay for a little better value. The richest version of French Chardonnay is Merceau from the Cote de Beaune in Burgundy. Merceau enlists a winemaking process that includes oak to give Chardonnay a creamy texture with caramely buttery and vanilla notes. Because of the need for special oak and aging the Cote de Beaune area makes some of the most expensive Chardonnay in the world. The most celebratory style of French Chardonnay is definitely Champagne. Champagne is defined by its secondary fermentation that happens inside the bottle which produces these fine bubbles that have a mousse-like texture. Aged Champagne just get even better and more nutty. To find purely Chardonnay Champagne look for Blanc de Blanc on the label and it's quite popular and thus pricey so maybe try next door wine Cremant the Bourgogne from the Burgundy region. Syrah is the grape that's all about intensity and depth and Hermitage is the region in the Rhône Valley that's synonymous with Syrah. The granite soils here produce powerful concentrated wines with spicy notes of blackberry, blueberry and black pepper. Hermitage Syrah are built to age with high tannins and high acidity. Hermitage is a small area so wines can get quite expensive. You might try an Appalachian next door such as Crow's Hermitage for better value. Sauvignon Blanc is a grape that's all about freshness and vibrancy and Sancerre is the region most synonymous with Sauvignon Blanc in France. This wine bursts with zesty flavors of white peach, grapefruit, freshly cutted grass and a mineral edge. Sancerre is famous so prices can get high but you can find other great Sauvignon Blanc regions in the Loire Valley like Pouillet-Fumé, Quincy or Touraine. Pinot Noir is the grape that's all about elegance and finesse. Pinot Noir reaches its pinnacle in Burgundy's Côte-de-Nuit region. The clay and limestone soils here produce wines that are elegant and complex with flavors of red cherry, raspberry and earthy undertones. These wines are built to age but have subtle tannins with high acidity. You can find Pinot Noir at every price point in Burgundy from a Burgundy village to those Grand Cru vineyards which can cost thousands and thousands of dollars. And finally we have Malbec from Cahors. This is a region in southwest France and it's known for its inky colors and richly intense flavors of blackberry, plum and smoky earthy notes. Now while Malbec is more famous today in Argentina, the original Cahors is actually a rich and meaty wine that's great for pairing with foods like lamb or beef stew. So there you have it. These nine wines getting to know them from either France or somewhere else in the world will give you a huge understanding of what's out there in the world. And that's both a good and a bad thing. On the one hand it's great because it's just a short list of wines to get to know. And on the other hand it's a bad thing because there is so much great wine out there to try and often at a greater value. And in fact this next video will give you some secrets on other delicious wine varieties that you absolutely must try. So until next time, happy tasting, peace out. And if you want to know what this is, I'm drinking Crow's Hermitage.