Down on Burgundy? Try these 9 lesser-known French wines

This article was originally written by Elin McCoy of Bloomberg

You love Burgundy, but oh, those prices. You can’t drink Champagne all the time, and Bordeaux is just not what you’re craving.  

So? There’s plenty of other French wine you shouldn’t miss out on. I’d argue the country is still the world’s No 1 spot for the combination of wine quality, variety and value, though Italy comes close.

Sadly, until the beginning of this decade, US imports of French wine had long been in decline. But I was surprised to learn that in 2017, French wine shipments to the US rose by double digits in percentage terms, according to figures from Business France, a government agency.

Part of the big jump is rosé from Provence, up 46 per cent in 2017. It’s become America’s “summer water,” and apparently there’s no end to our clamour for this pink stuff. 

It’s also because the younger generation of vignerons is energising regions all over France, from Beaujolais to Muscadet and Mâcon, where top Burgundy producers have been investing in vineyards.

All was looking rosy (forgive me), and then came the 2017 harvest, which brought frost in Bordeaux, hail in Beaujolais, and drought in the Rhône Valley, Provence, and the Languedoc. Wine production was down almost 20 per cent from 2016, when already it had reached a 30-year historical low. Luckily, the 2014s and 2015s are still on retail shelves.

Hint: Before prices tick up, stock up. And check out the latest under-the-radar regions getting buzz. 

Saumur