A wine trail is a route selected for tourists that takes you deep into the heart of wine-growing regions, naturally with the aim of introducing you to the local wines, the wine-growers and the vineyards, but also the local cuisine, the cultural heritage, and other regional tourist attractions.
The growth in wine tourism, both in France and beyond, has led to the creation of the concept of the wine trail: both for the benefit of local tourist organisations - with the aim of raising the profile of a wine-growing region - and simply to create a tourist trail that a guide can recommend. A visit to a vineyard remains a unique experience that allows guests to combine discovery of new wines with the exploration of a region!
Wine routes exist for all of France’s different wine regions. The first trails were created from the 1950s onwards, and now the routes offer the unique opportunity to dive, head first, into the heart of a wine-growing region, discovering its cultural and culinary features as well as the wine itself.
Today, nearly 7.5 million wine tourists fill up the vineyards each year, from France and other countries, beginners and experts alike: all kinds of people come together on the journey from winery to winery. From the best known to the best-kept secrets, from the longest to the briefest, the sunniest to the coolest, we’re setting out a brief summary of France’s wine trails for you to visit or, perhaps, revisit.
Undoubtedly the best known wine trail in France, and the oldest as well! The route is followed by millions of tourists each year on a quest for grand cru vintages, amazing grape varieties, the special characteristics of wine growing (such as the late harvests), its rolling hills and its picturesque villages.
A visit to the most famous villages (Meursault, Pommard, Vougeot, ...), a route that covers over 200 kilometres from Chablis to Macon. From time to time you may be surprised to hear Japanese, English, or Portuguese spoken – but as the entire world envies our fine burgundy wines, why not share them?
Tourist trails between Reims and Epernay to introduce visitors to Champagne and the Champagne region, the two concepts being inseparable from one another.
It takes time to cover ground in one of France’s largest wine regions, but there’s nothing to stop you from breaking it down into smaller stages. Get to know the joys of Sancerre, carry on through the Touraine region and its châteaux, then the area around Nantes, home to Muscadet.
From châteaux, to grands crus classés (vintage wines that are sometimes, but not always, unaffordably expensive), the Garonne, Médoc, Libournais: that’s what awaits you during your tour of the Bordeaux wine region.
Often sun-drenched routes that combine wine, mountains, scrubland, and the Mediterranean! A spectacular outdoor experience.
Undoubtedly one of sunniest wine regions, so watch out for heatstroke! Fortunately, the sweet rosé wines and the crisp white wines will be there to help you cool down!
An entente cordiale between north and south that will delight all wine lovers, from Condrieu to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In the northern part of the region, the hillsides are exposed to the continental climate, while the southern parts are exposed a more arid climate.
Beaujolais Nouveau, of course, but not just that! A wine region that is often thought of in terms of its most media-friendly product, Beaujolais also offers an incredible range of different aromas, without forgetting the wine-growing landscape, which is among the most beautiful in France.
As you travel along the Corsican Wine Trail, you loop around the coast, from north to south and east to west. So what are you waiting for?
This isn’t just about Bordeaux, but some wonderful wine regions that extend over the wide-open landscapes that extend from the Pyrenees to Aveyron via Toulouse. You’ll discover appellations including Cahors, Gaillac, Bergerac, Irouléguy, and many more.
Famous for its “Vins Jaune” (“Yellow Wines”) for which the Jura wine region is famous, the routes that we suggest will take you to Arbois, Poligny and Lons-le-Saunier.
A journey of œnological discovery (and plenty of sightseeing) through four Alpine départements awaits. If you choose the winter period, you’ll be able to enjoy Savoy fondue with an accompaniment of Apremont wines!
As surprising as it may seem, the Ile-de-France region, which includes Paris, is actually a wine growing region. It is the fruit of an historic inheritance that encouraged wines to be grown near the French capital, for no other reason than to quench the thirst of the Royal Court!
VINOTRIP has created itineraries around the wine trails of France, with places to stay. You can also customise the routes to suit your preferences or your own travel plans, whether you want to explore Champagne, Alsace, Bordeaux, Languedoc-Roussillon, Burgundy, or the Loire Valley. The different stages of your journey will take you behind the scenes of the region’s wine production and will bring you into contact with our passionately enthusiastic partners, who can’t wait to share their knowledge with you!
