The Best Wines and Vineyards in France
- Couly-Dutheil (12 rue Diderot, Chinon; tel. 02-47-97-20-20; www.coulydutheil-chinon.com): Many of its medieval cellars are carved into the rock undulating through the area's forests. Most production here involves Chinon wines (mostly reds), though its Bourgueil and St-Nicolas de Bourgueil wines are growing in popularity in North America.
- Taittinger (9 place St-Nicaise, Reims; tel. 03-26-85-45-35; www.taittinger.com): Taittinger is a grand marque of French champagne, one of the few still controlled by members of the family that founded it, in 1930. It's one of the most visitor-friendly houses.
- Domaines Schlumberger (100 rue Théodore-Deck, Guebwiller, near Colmar; tel. 03-89-74-27-00; www.domaines-schlumberger.com): Established in 1810, these cellars blend early-19th-century brickwork and modern stainless steel; a visit will enhance your understanding of the subtle differences among wines produced by the seven varieties of grape cultivated in Alsace.
- Domaine Maurice Protheau (Château d'Etroyes, Mercurey; tel. 03-85-45-10-84; www.domaine-protheau-mercurey.fr): The 50 hectares (124 acres) of grapevines straddle at least two appellations contrôlées (a regulation system that ensures a wine has been produced where the bottles says), so you'll have a chance to contrast reds (both pinot noirs and burgundies), whites, and rosés produced under the auspices of both Rully and Mercurey. Headquarters is in a château built in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
- The Winegrowing Region around Bordeaux: This area is among the most glamorous in France, with a strong British influence, thanks to centuries of trade with London- and Bristol-based dealers. One prestigious grower, Société Duboscq, Château Haut-Marbuzet, St-Estephe (tel. 05-56-59-30-54), welcomes visitors who phone in advance of their arrival Monday to Saturday. Free visits to the cellars are followed by a complimentary dégustation des vins of whichever of the company's products a visitor requests.
