Again back at you with the best of wines news of France. By the way for the non Romans LXVIII is no 68, The wines of France are just super simply awesome and a great tradition. Often imitated, some time equaled ,but never surpass! Therefore, let me tell you some news shall we. Hope you enjoy it as I.
Here are some tips to avoid confusing a Sancerre with a Muscadet in front of a witness. The first rule of survival: never admit ignorance from the start. Instead, it’s better to adopt the strategy of benevolent mystery. “I have my little habits” or “I prefer to discover” project an aura of discreet connoisseurship without committing to compromising details. Next, the so-called “answer a question with another question” technique, so dear to politicians. When asked for your opinion, skillfully turn the question around: “And you, Alexandre, what do you like about this wine?” A perfect turn of phrase to appear curious and humble, while gaining precious time to listen to others’ arguments. Swirling your glass is a good idea, but not like a windmill. Three small circular movements are more than enough. Smell the wine, yes, but without plunging your nose into it like a jam jar. And above all, never, ever hold your glass by the chalice, or you’ll look like a barbarian. But the ultimate fateful moment remains the food and wine pairing. We’re entering high-level sport here. The golden rule is to stick to the accepted classics. “A red with meat, that’s for sure” or “This white goes beautifully with fish,” no more. Finally, the most valuable piece of advice: listen more than you speak.
Something I participate wholeheartly every season as this Fall 2025, The Foire aux Vins or Wine Fairs ! At Carrefour, the wine fair has already begun in hypermarkets, but it begins this October 2nd in supermarkets. 1,000 products from €2.85 to €89.95 for hypermarkets. From September 23rd to October 6th, 2025 550 products from €3.50 to €49.95 in supermarkets From October 2nd to 19th, 2025 I did my shopping already ! And the brand that started it all way back E Leclerc ! After a 2024 selection focused on freshness, E.Leclerc is keeping the same motto, but with nearly 50% new products this year. E.Leclerc Wine Fair, from September 30th to October 12th, 265 products from €1.79 to €79.80 I already did my shopping here too lol !!!
Entre-Deux-Mers is undergoing a revolution. Surrounded by the Dordogne and the Garonne, the largest of the five Bordeaux wine-growing territories, was for a long time the “wine granary” for the Bordeaux trade. Located between these “two seas” or two tides, the Dordogne and Garonne being subject to the tidal bore, this vast vineyard has some 200 winegrowers, 17 AOCs and 1 IGP, making it the largest AOC territory in Gironde, all colors combined. And it is at the heart of this geographical sea, that the Entre-Deux-Mers appellation stands out, across 133 towns/villages, granted in 1937 for dry white wines (1292 hectares in 2024) and in 2023 for reds (138 hectares in 2024). The winegrowers of Entre-Deux-Mers are 50% independent and 50% cooperatives with average areas of 40 hectares. Big names from Bordeaux such as Lucien then Thierry Lurton at Château de Camarsac, André then Jacques Lurton at Château Bonnet, etc., mergers of cooperatives such as Bordeaux Families, and family estates make up an ecosystem as diverse as the local terroirs. Another area of renewal: wine tourism, still discreet in Entre-Deux-Mers, which nevertheless has ten wine routes. But also a cycle path, the Piste Lapébie, which crosses the vineyards, Entre-Deux-Mers intends to ride the wave.
The Entre Deux Mers tourist office on its wines : https://www.entredeuxmers.com/se-distraire/vins-produits-du-terroir/#
The Entre Deux Mers region AOC wines : https://vinsentredeuxmers.com/
After the harvest, Normandy expects a promising wine production, The owner of the Leprince estate, located in Bourg-Achard in the Eure department, has marked his first year of production with 40 hectoliters harvested. This equates to 4,000 liters, or 5,000 bottles. Muscari, Sauvignac, Soreli, and Fleurtai now flourish on his two-hectare property. Starting to market in 2026, Normandy seems no more incompatible with viticulture than other regions. Vignobles Leprince Facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/VignobleLeprince
Climate change, falling demand, upheavals in international trade… Faced with all these challenges, winemakers must demonstrate a capacity for adaptability, with the increasing temptation to step outside the bounds of specifications. Pomerol trembled this summer 2025 following the decision of Château Lafleur to withdraw from this appellation on the right bank of Bordeaux. The family that owns this emblematic estate announced at the end of August, two months after irrigating its vines, despite the restrictions, that it wanted to abandon the Pomerol and Bordeaux appellations of controlled origin (AOC) and, from the 2025 harvest, produce in Vin de France. The region has introduced 10% of alternative grape varieties into its appellations. Among them are forgotten varieties, such as Castets, and others are more exotic, such as Touriga Nacional (Portuguese). Everyone must improve their resilience to the challenges facing the vine. Mildew here, drought there, rising temperatures everywhere. Climate change is putting winegrowers to the test. The Fitou appellation posted a catastrophic yield last year, barely 17 hectoliters per hectare. From Bordeaux to Provence, including Languedoc-Roussillon, French viticulture finds itself at a crossroads. A balance remains to be found between preserving the identity of the terroirs and adapting to climate change. New grapes, new planning and less vineyards for exploitation will means scarser wines and prices up,fyi
The syndicat général des vignerons de la Champagne or the general union of Champagne winegrowers conducted a post-harvest assessment this Thursday, October 2. 2025 ,Harvests are currently estimated at between 9,000 and 10,000 kg of grapes per hectare on average. A more than encouraging agricultural yield after difficult years. Between customs duties and the “trade tensions we are the target of,” producers fear losing a market on which they are very dependent, since “75% of the volume is exported to the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy.”
The official syndicat général des vignerons de la Champagne (see for news La Champagne Viticole and for the bubblies see Champagne de Vignerons ) : https://www.sgv-champagne.fr/
Limited editions and special editions: Bollinger’s strategy to give the French a taste for champagne again, The Aÿ-Champagne house confirms its strategy of launching limited editions and special editions. While Metro Goldwyn Mayer has purchased the James Bond rights from the Broccoli family, the Champagne house remains a partner in the license. While waiting for the next installment in the series, fans can enjoy the Bollinger James Bond limited edition with 007 case revealed for James Bond Day, October 5. Note that this special cuvée will be on sale worldwide except in France, due to the Evin law. (The Evin law regulates the sale and promotion of alcohol and tobacco. It prohibits all forms of tobacco advertising and severely limits alcohol advertising in order to protect young audiences.) However, the French have been able to purchase the B16 cuvée, presented as the essence of Bollinger, for a few days now. 2016 was a very difficult year from a viticultural point of view, but it produced high-flying wines. The backbone of this vintage is made up of the Bouzy and Verzenay crus. The B16 is an extra-brut. The brand is also releasing a new cuvée from its PN series: the PN TX20, a Pinot Noir cuvée from the Tauxières terroir based on the 2020 vintage, is a wine with peach aromas that reveals notes of redcurrant on the palate; it is a vinous champagne that bears the house’s signature. PN and B16 are sold at prices of 125 and 140 Euros.
The official Champagne Bollinger: https://www.champagne-bollinger.com/en/the-house/
The Lanson-BCC group is investing 50 million euros to acquire the Heidsieck & C° brand. The champagne house Vranken-Pommery Monopole signed a memorandum of understanding with Lanson-BCC on Wednesday September 24 2025 to sell Heidsieck & C° Monopole for 50 million euros, to which will be added the sale of labeled stocks for an additional amount, Vranken-Pommery Monopole announced. Heidsieck & C° Monopole, one of the oldest champagne houses, has belonged to Vranken-Pommery Monopole since 1996. Lanson-BCC will take over its business on January 1 2026. On this occasion, Lanson will acquire the brand’s wine library, covering historic vintages, including 1907 bottles recovered from the wreck of the Jönköping ship, which sank in 1916 in the Baltic Sea and was found in the late 1990s, as well as stocks of products already packaged under the brand at the time of the final sale. The group, which will be called Maison Pommery & Associés on January 1st, This house, historically a producer of “tailor-made” champagnes for major European accounts, holds the teams and assets necessary for the development of Heidsieck & C° Monopole champagnes, including grape contracts with 650 Champagne winegrowers
The Lanson-BCC Group on its brands : https://www.lanson-bcc.com/fr/groupe/maisons
The Heidsieck & Cie Champagne house : https://www.heidsieckandco-monopole.com/home#1
Maison Besserat de Bellefon has inaugurated its new headquarters in the heart of Épernay. The renowned Champagne House officially unveiled its new headquarters and unveiled its plaque labeled “Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars – UNESCO World Heritage.” This listed 18C mansion has undergone meticulous restoration: the facades, shutters, slate roof, marble, and parquet floors have been restored to their original splendor under the watchful eye of the Bâtiments de France (French Buildings Authority). The House’s iconic colors, blue and white, are found in every room, punctuating the spaces. They sign the visual identity of the place, under the gaze of a bust of Marianne in the image of Brigitte Bardot, who lent her image to the brand, and her name to one of the most prestigious vintages of the House. The building houses the headquarters offices as well as three exceptional suites, overlooking the French garden. The Brigitte Bardot, the Victor and the French Touch were designed as warm living spaces and, in the spirit of BB , On the ground floor, the right wing has been converted into a champagne bar with terrace and boutique. The house also has reception rooms, a tasting room, kitchens and a reception lounge to be able to welcome its occasional visitors as well as professionals in the best conditions. the private wine library, located in a cellar discovered by chance after the building was purchased, and whose door had remained hidden, it has been refurbished and now houses bottles of historic vintages, carefully selected. They are lovingly arranged around an original (empty!) bottle of Cuvée des Moines dating from the 18C. Besserat de Bellefon reserves visits to its wine cellar for its most loyal customers. Besserat de Bellefon, 5 rue Jean Chandon-Moët 51200 Épernay. The boutique and champagne bar are open Monday to Sunday, 10h30 to 19h, The official Maison Besserat de Bellefon : https://www.besseratdebellefon.com/index-en.php
The Maison Ruinart has just turned a new page in its three-hundred-year history. Caroline Fiot has been appointed cellar master and will officially take up her duties on January 1, 2026. Since 2016, she has already been part of the tasting committee and has led several research and development projects, ranging from the study of the impact of the taste of light on Blanc de Blancs to the development of the “Second Skin” case. An agricultural engineer and oenologist, graduated from the Institut Agro de Montpellier, Caroline Fiot began her career in the family vineyards in Saint-Émilion before expanding her horizons internationally, from the United States to Vietnam. Her time at the LVMH Chair at ESSEC Business School then allowed her to complement her scientific approach with a strategic dimension. From 2021 to 2024, she managed the Moët & Chandon wineries in Épernay, where she oversaw blending and fermentation. This experience prepared her for today’s position in one of the most prestigious positions in Champagne.
The official Maison Ruinart on Caroline Fiot : https://www.ruinart.com/en-us/carolinefiot.html
A new and very stylish collaboration: Veuve Clicquot has called upon the great Simon Porte Jacquemus to create a limited edition of the Grande Dame 2018, an exceptional year for the Champagne House. Tradition, fashion, and expertise are the key words for this limited edition, full of finesse. A handwritten logo enhances the label, which retains its unmistakable yellow color, used since 1877 and referencing the color of the rising sun. A sublime embroidered white linen dresses the bottle, directly inspired by an ancient Italian method that consisted of using a cloth soaked in water to keep the bottles fresh. The box, covered in a “toile du Marais” fabric, is also a little couture gem. A collaboration faithful to the “Grande Dame of Champagne,” Madame Clicquot, who made Veuve Clicquot an iconic house. The official Veuve Clicquot on the bottle : https://www.veuveclicquot.com/en-us/reveallgd18jacquemus.html
On January 24 and 25, 2026, Cheilly-lès-Maranges, Dezize-lès-Maranges, and Sampigny-lès-Maranges will host the 82nd Saint-Vincent Tournante, a major celebration of the patron saint of winegrowers. Residents are competing in their imagination to turn each alleyway into a veritable setting. Each village will have its own identity: jazzy ambiance in Cheilly, disco in Dezize, rock in Sampigny. Colors, shapes, and sounds will guide the steps of visitors, who will move from one atmosphere to another. On Saturday morning of the weekend of January 24 and 25, at dawn, more than 80 mutual aid societies from all over the region will parade, carrying banners and statues of Saint Vincent. Three reds and four whites from the Maranges village 2018 to the Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune 2023 will offer a glimpse of the nuances of the vineyard. Ephemeral bottles, never before sold, which will only be tasted that weekend. The atmosphere will not be limited to tastings. Vine maze, musical workshops, treasure hunts, “parent-powered” rides for children, street performances: everything has been designed so that the visitor, whether alone, with family or friends, can find what they are looking for. Finally, an exceptional banquet will also take place on Saturday, January 24, at the Palais des Congrès in Beaune. Three big names in Burgundy gastronomy , Éric Pras, Maison Huez and pastry chef Marie Simon will create a six-course dinner, designed to enhance the Maranges wines.
The Beaune tourist office on the 82nd Saint-Vincent Tournante : https://www.beaune-tourism.com/to-see-and-do/wine-tourism-experience/top-6-top-wine-themed-events-in-beaune-and-villages/saint-vincent-tournante-festival/
The Centre-Loire appellations: Pouilly-Fumé, Sancerre, Menetou-Salon, Reuilly, Quincy, etc. with the first harvest on August 22nd 2025 for the Reuilly Pinot Gris, traditionally the earliest, by September 1st, the harvest was in full swing in all the region’s appellations. In the appellations that produce reds: Sancerre, Menetou-Salon, Reuilly, Coteaux-du-Giennois, and even Châteaumeillant (although the wine in the latter is made primarily from Gamay), there is unanimous agreement on the quality. For the Pinot Noirs, which are the majority, phenolic maturation was particularly long, which explains why they are picked after the Sauvignon Blancs. We’re therefore heading towards an “exceptional vintage for reds.” Eight areas within the Centre-Loire have been awarded the AOC geographical distinction, with Sancerre and Quincy (1936), as well as Reuilly, Pouilly-Fumé and Pouilly sur Loire (1937), among the first. Menetou Salon became an AOC in 1959, Coteaux du Giennois in 1998, and Chateaumeillant in 2010. Côtes de la Charité and Coteaux de Tannay hold IGP status
The official Centre Loire wines : https://www.vins-centre-loire.com/en/
On the eve of the framework agreements signed on August 21 2025 between the European Union and the United States, the entire French wine industry was still hoping that wines and spirits would be exempt from the 15% customs duties announced on July 27 by Donald Trump. In 2024, shipments to the United States, the leading export market, were on the rise. They represented €3.8 billion, or 24.5% of French wine and spirits exports worldwide. The impact is therefore considerable. Far from being a uniform market, this federal country has fifty states, each of which imposes its own taxes, between 4 and 9%. Thus, the customs duties desired by the American president are often increased. In other words, a wine shipped for €10 sees an initial increase of 15% upon arrival in the United States (Trump tariffs). To this €11.50 are then added local taxes. And the price climbs between 11.96 euros and 12.53 euros, depending on the State. Another handicap for European producers is the devaluation of the dollar. Before Donald Trump’s election, the euro and the dollar were at parity; today, the American currency is devalued by nearly 15%. Thus, the accumulation of various taxes and the devaluation of the dollar results in an increase in the cost of wine of around 40 to 46% for the American consumer. Yes pay more for the best , trade barriers are always not good, let free commerce rule on both sides.
Soft cheeses with washed or bloomy rinds, cooked or uncooked pressed cheeses, fresh cheeses, goat cheeses… Adding to your cheese selection is the historic battle between “pro-white wine” and “pro-red wine” when it comes to pairing cheese. White wine has repeatedly demonstrated its value with cheese. But with red wine, the consumer’s “passion” side is expressed and often wins out. Wine and cheese pairing: a pairing that will always work! Here are 5 true and tried tips and wines to drink with your cheese platter, Wine No. 1: the same wine as the main course! Yes, if you’ve already opened several bottles and are worried about a difficult day ahead, then don’t take any risks. The wine for the main course will go very well with cheeses. Wine No. 2: a Pouilly-fumé (Loire), a white wine that offers a good compromise and can therefore be drunk with several cheeses. Wine No. 3: a Petit-chablis (Burgundy), a dry and fruity white wine that’s very pleasant before dessert. Wine No. 4: a Saumur-Champigny (Loire), a red wine that also offers a good compromise, the counterpart to Pouilly-fumé. And Wine No. 5: a Saint-Emilion (Bordeaux), a well-rounded red wine that pairs well with cheeses, like many Bordeaux wines. Again, many other pairings are possible! The wine and cheese pairing is almost endless.
There you go folks, another wine episode of my belle France! The wines news from France that is, superbe, sublime, wonderful, gorgeous, enjoy without moderation but accompanying a meal, family table just perfect. See you in the vineyards of my belle France, Again, hope you enjoy the post as I,
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 