France

France remains the benchmark for fine wine, home to many of the world's most celebrated vineyards, historic estates and sought-after, age-worthy wines. Its extraordinary diversity of climates, soils and grape varieties has shaped centuries of winemaking tradition, with many of the world's great wine styles and varieties still judged against their French counterparts.

Bordeaux is renowned for its structured, long-lived blends of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, while Burgundy produces remarkably precise, terroir-driven expressions of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Champagne, made principally from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, is the world's most celebrated sparkling wine, equally capable of marking a special occasion or developing wonderful complexity with age.

Elsewhere, the Loire Valley stretches from mineral Sauvignon Blanc and wonderfully age-worthy Chenin Blanc to elegant Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir. The Rhône Valley brings another contrast, from the perfumed, structured Syrah of the Northern Rhône to the rich, Grenache led blends of the south. Provence has become synonymous with elegant, pale rosé, while the Languedoc and Roussillon offer an exciting combination of historic vineyards, Mediterranean varieties and exceptional value.

From everyday regional wines to some of the rarest and most coveted bottles in the world, few countries can match France for its breadth of styles, sense of place and enduring influence on the world of wine.