From its source in the Cévennes Mountains, The Loire River flows through about 625 miles of green, peaceful countryside, ancient towns and magnificent châteaux before reaching the Atlantic Ocean. The Loire is the longest river in France, and the variations in soil, climate and grape varieties found along its banks are reflected in the wide [...]

Burgundy, one of the world’s most famous wine-growing areas, is located in eastern France, southeast of Paris. It consists of five major regions, beginning with the northernmost and flowing southward: Chablis, Côte d’Or, Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais and Beaujolais. The Côte d’Or is further divided into two well-known sections – Côte de Nuits in the North [...]

Bordeaux is deemed the most prestigious winegrowing region in the world and is considered the birthplace of wine culture, as we know it today. While steeped in tradition, Bordeaux has continually updated vineyard and winemaking practices in order to improve quality. Bordeaux is currently the leading producer of high quality red wines in the world [...]

Chardonnay remains the most popular white wine-by-name wherever wine is consumed. You can pay as little as $6 for a bottle of California cheapie or $600 for Le Montrachet, the pinnacle of white Burgundy – the region in France where the variety originated. I can’t recommend either of these extremes. Really cheap Chardonnay has no [...]