A global economy

The famous wines of France are increasingly appreciated by a growing global middle class. Unfortunately only the very rich can now appreciate some of the great wines of the world. DRC, Mouton Rothschild, Lafite…….all of these wines are well out of my reach. Demand has also driven the price of some quite ordinary examples of some of France’s most famous appellations to levels they don’t justify. If you want to taste good Chateauneuf, Chablis or Sancerre go a reputable wine merchant. Don’t buy the inferior cheap wines that are widely available. The retail buyers have pushed prices so hard that a well known Chablis producer is currently under investigation for allegedly passing off inferior Appellations as Chablis.

If you want to experience great French wines without breaking the bank look outside the most famous appellations. In Touraine just to the west of Sancerre and Pouilly there are winemakers making great Sauvignon wines that knock the spots off cheap Sancerre

For an alternative to Chateauneuf and other increasingly expensive Rhone Cru look to the Languedoc Roussillon