🍷 Vive La France: Five Wines That Define French Elegance

When I landed my first job moving to Hawaii as the opening bar manager of Nobu Waikiki, I quickly realized I needed to get serious about wine. If I was going to curate a wine list—and at times even step in as the “acting” sommelier—I needed to learn quickly how to speak, taste, and truly understand wine. Knowledge mattered just as much as presentation.

So my first step was enrolling in a class at the International Wine Center (IWC). That’s where the world of wine started to open up for me. But it wasn’t until my deeper introduction to French wines that I really understood something bigger: we weren’t just tasting grapes or vintages—we were tasting history and tradition, soil and climate, terroir and time, all captured in a single glass.

France is special because its winemaking has always been about restraint—minimal tampering, strict traditions, and an obsession with letting varietals and terroir tell their own story. Every bottle is a snapshot of place, time, and culture poured into your glass.

Here are five French regions and varietals that capture why I fell in love with French wine—complete with tasting notes, pairings, history, and a few bottles you can actually pick up here in LA.

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🍇 Bordeaux — Two Banks, Two Worlds

Bordeaux is one of the most famous wine regions in the world, and with good reason. The Gironde estuary divides the region into the Left Bank (Cabernet-driven) and the Right Bank (Merlot-driven). That split shapes everything.

• Left Bank (Médoc, Graves): Cabernet Sauvignon dominates—structured, age-worthy, with blackcurrant, graphite, cedar, and firm tannins.
• Right Bank (Saint-Émilion, Pomerol): Merlot leads the blend—plush, velvety, red-fruited, and approachable earlier.

💡 The Bordeaux Blend: Bordeaux reds are traditionally made from five key grapes:

1. Cabernet Sauvignon – structure, tannin, blackcurrant
2. Merlot – plushness, plum, softness
3. Cabernet Franc – herbal lift, red fruit, elegance
4. Petit Verdot – color, spice, depth
5. Malbec – dark fruit, richness (used in smaller amounts today)

💡 History Nugget: In 1855, Napoleon III ranked Bordeaux’s best estates for the Paris World’s Fair—the famous “1855 Classification.” Those rankings still influence prestige (and price) today.

Tasting Notes & Pairings:

• Left Bank: cassis, tobacco, pencil lead. Perfect with ribeye steak, lamb chops, or mushroom risotto.
• Right Bank: plum, cherry, cocoa. Try with roast chicken, duck breast, or truffle pasta.

Try This:

• Château Haut-Selve Graves Rouge 2019 (Left Bank) – ~$30, K&L Wine Merchants
• Château de Pitray Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 2020 (Right Bank) – ~$20, Total Wine

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🍇 White Burgundy — Chardonnay, But Different

White Burgundy = Chardonnay, but the French expression is unlike the buttery California style most people know.

• Chablis: crisp, mineral, lemon zest, oyster shell.
• Meursault & Puligny-Montrachet: creamier, rounder, layered with hazelnut and brioche.

💡 History Nugget: Monks in Burgundy were the original terroir nerds. Cistercians carefully mapped the best vineyard plots (“climats”) in the Middle Ages—knowledge still guiding Burgundy today.

Tasting Notes & Pairings:

• Chablis: lean, flinty. Pair with oysters, sushi, or goat cheese salad.
• Meursault: rich, nutty. Ideal with lobster, roast chicken, or creamy pasta.

Try This:

• Domaine Vocoret Chablis 2022 – ~$28, Total Wine
• Olivier Leflaive Bourgogne Blanc “Les Sétilles” – ~$40, K&L Wine Merchants

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🍇 Red Burgundy — Pinot Noir at Its Soulful Best

If White Burgundy is Chardonnay, Red Burgundy is Pinot Noir. Fragile to grow, transcendent in the glass.

• Aromas of cherry, cranberry, violets, and forest floor.
• Elegant, silky texture with depth that unfolds slowly.

💡 History Nugget: In 1395, Duke Philip the Bold outlawed Gamay in Burgundy, calling it “disloyal,” and decreed that Pinot Noir was the nobler grape. That decision set the stage for Burgundy’s reputation today.

Tasting Notes & Pairings:

• Elegant and earthy. Pair with duck confit, salmon, mushroom tart, or roast chicken.

Try This:

• Louis Jadot Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2022 – ~$25, BevMo
• Joseph Drouhin Côte de Beaune-Villages 2020 – ~$45, K&L Wine Merchants

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🍇 Loire Valley — The Brilliance of Sancerre

Sancerre is Sauvignon Blanc at its most refined—zesty, mineral-driven, and endlessly food-friendly.

• Expect lime, gooseberry, chalky minerality.
• Loire whites are vibrant, clean, and perfect for pairing.

💡 History Nugget: After phylloxera wiped out Loire vineyards in the late 1800s, Sauvignon Blanc proved the most resilient for replanting, cementing its dominance in Sancerre today.

Tasting Notes & Pairings:

• Crisp and stony. Pair with goat cheese (Crottin de Chavignol is the regional classic), fresh oysters, grilled asparagus, or sushi.

Try This:

• Domaine Serge Laporte Sancerre “Les Belles Vignes” 2022 – ~$35, Total Wine
• Pascal Jolivet Sancerre 2022 – ~$30, BevMo

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🍇 Alsace — Aromatics That Sing

On France’s German border, Alsace produces expressive whites that are vibrant and aromatic.

• Riesling: usually dry here—zesty lemon, peach, slate, and that famous “petrol” note.
• Gewürztraminer: exotic and floral, with lychee, rose, ginger, and spice.

💡 History Nugget: Alsace has flipped between French and German rule for centuries, influencing everything from its culture to the tall, flute-shaped bottles the wines are sold in.

Tasting Notes & Pairings:

• Riesling: citrus, slate, crisp acidity. Perfect with Thai curries, sushi, shellfish, or pork.
• Gewürztraminer: flamboyant, spicy. Pair with Indian food, Moroccan tagine, or strong cheeses like Munster.

Try This:

• Trimbach Riesling 2021 – ~$25, Total Wine
• Zind-Humbrecht Riesling 2020 – ~$40, K&L Wine Merchants
• Hugel Gewürztraminer 2020 – ~$28, K&L Wine Merchants

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🍷 A Toast to What’s Next — CLIENT EVENT — and You’re Invited!

After writing this, you better believe corks are being pulled. And if you want to taste these wines alongside me, you’ll get your chance soon.

On Tuesday, October 14th at Total Wine in West Hollywood (5:30–7:30 PM), we’ll gather for a special Vive La France tasting. Easy parking, fun times, and a chance to sip some of France’s best wines.

👉 RSVP here: Punchbowl Link

Raise a glass with me, and let’s Vive La France. 🇫🇷🍷