How To Drink French Wine From The Chicest Regions On The Cheap
Photo by Elle Hughes/Unsplash
If you compare a burger from a fast food joint to one from a farm-to-table gourmet emporium, it will be clear why the latter is 10 or more times the price.
From the way the burger is cooked and presented (assembly line vs. thoughtfully curated) to the way the meat for that burger is grown (grim factory farm vs. fields of grass from a family farm down the street) the gourmet version’s relative bona fides are apparent, even as the more basic burger has its own charms and merits. Whether it’s a matter of economics or taste, not everyone will opt for the premium burger, but few would dispute its inherent superiority.
But with wine—and especially French wine—the comparison of basic and premium wines is less clear-cut, especially when they are produced in the same region using the same grapes. Why did a recent vintage of Burgundy’s bold-faced Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Pinot Noir, crafted from grapes grown in the Romanée-Conti Grand Cru vineyard drop for north of $10K a pop, whereas a Pinot Noir from their less-known but still well-respected neighbor in the Côte de Nuits village of Fixin, Maison Louis Jadot, start at $11, despite high marks from critics?
To be fair, DRC’s reputation is practically unparalleled in the world of wine. All of its Grand Cru vineyards are also UNESCO world heritage sites, and it boasts an 800-year history riddled with intrigue and eccentric owners like the Prince of Conti, who refused to share a single bottle of the wine produced there after purchasing the estate and naming it after himself in the 1700s.
But the extreme juxtaposition—$10K vs. $11—speaks to a larger reality in the world of French wine and pricing. Luckily, finding top-quality wines that vastly out-perform their price points is fairly easy once you know what to look for.
Look for Wines Made by Reputable Co-Ops
In France, co-operative wineries became a matter of economic survival in the early to mid-1900s as the industry struggled to recover from the devastating economic impact from phylloxera. (The louse-borne disease almost wiped out the entire wine industry in France and many other countries.)
Today, co-ops produce more than half of the wine that emerges from France. The Alsace-based Grands Chais de France is the largest, with multiple well-known Bordeaux brands under its umbrella, including JP Chenet, Calvet and Grand Sud, in addition to smaller regional brands.
The economic model for the co-op is simple: When wineries work together to pool their resources on everything from marketing to farming and winemaking equipment, they save money, and the savings can be passed onto wine lovers. In France, co-ops also benefit from special tax breaks and loans at lower interest rates than other businesses.
“The co-operative is a ubiquitous part of the French wine landscape,” says Matthew Cocks, a vinicultural expert with the VinoVoss AI Sommelier wine search engine and recommendation system developed by BetterAI. “There are more than 600 co-ops in France producing 51 percent of all French wine. Because they operate under shared ownership and pooled vineyard holdings, growers gain access to expert winemakers [and] marketing teams, and they lower their costs of production and cultivation.”
There is some inherent bias against co-ops in the wine industry, and some of it is valid. Co-op winemaking can be generic and more driven by profit than quality, which will obviously result in wines that taste like they emerged from the winemaking equivalent of the Golden Arches.
But there are several iconic “these came from a co-op?” French wines from the country’s most sought-after regions that even the most cynical oenophile enjoys, which serve as testaments to both a desire for profit and premium quality.
In addition to Grands Chais de France, there’s Nicolas Feuillatte in Champagne (starting at $25), les Dauphines and Cave de Tain in the Rhone (starting at $12), Cave de Ligny in Burgundy (starting at $15) and Wolfberger in Alsace (starting at $23). These wines retail for a happy meal budget and frequently deliver grass-fed burger results.
Pay Attention to Lesser-Known AOCs in Famous Regions
While major French wine-growing regions like Bordeaux offer a range of wines, serious collectors and industry gatekeepers (like major critics and leading restaurant wine directors) focus on iconic subregions, like Pomerol or St. Emilion, both of which have built their reputations over centuries.
While that’s starting to change, with producers in less fashionable regions garnering increasing attention and love, prices often still reflect the old paradigm.
“For the major brands with high prices, there is a reputation, a stability in quality of many decades and an image that explains their higher price. It is true in every wine region of the world—look at the price of Napa Valley, Washington and Oregon,” says Jean-Christophe Meyrou, Château Le Rey’s general manager. “But now, regions like Fronsac, Francs, Castillon, where we are located, and other AOCs are starting their rebirths.”
Castillon, adjacent to St. Emilion, actually has the biggest limestone surface in Bordeaux, Meyrou explains. There is also a newfound sense of freedom in these subregions of Bordeaux that is seeing young vintners throw off some of the old constraints of style.
“At Château Le Rey, I have decided to make different cuvées depending on the nature of my terroir,” Meyrou notes. “One cuvée on blue clay, one cuvée on limestone. In the past, we would have blended both to make only one wine. This freedom is relatively new in Bordeaux and offers us a new perspective. It is much easier to do this in Castillon, for example, than St. Emilion, where the classification does not allow so much ‘fantasy.’”
Pauline Lurton, Château Reynier’s owner and oenologist, agrees and adds the Entre Deux Mers where her winery is located to the list of up-and-coming Bordeaux AOCs worth seeking out.
“We are lucky to have a very unique terroir of limestone and clay on the top of an old stone quarry, which is similar to the best St. Emilion soil and terroir,” she says. “You will find the wines with the best bargain in our appellation, especially when it is labeled Bordeaux or Bordeaux Superieur. You will also find more soul and feel the passion when you drink a family estate wine like ours.”
Château Le Rey and Château Reynier’s prices start around $16 a bottle.
Don’t Be Afraid To Think Big (Production and History)
It would be difficult to find a country that has been more foundational to the global system of wine than France. From the classification system that grades wine on quality based on production and growing methods to the widespread use of wood barrels for aging wine to the shipping of wine across the world for all to enjoy, France either invented it or innovated on the original enough to claim inventor status.
Chris Gill, a sommelier at Crown Block in Dallas, says he’s always looking to cater to all of his clients’ budgets “without compromising on quality or character.”
When he’s choosing affordable but aspirational wines for his by the glass and bottle program (or his own cellar), he gravitates to the Languedoc-Roussillon region and the Loire Valley for more affordable French wine.
“Both of these regions focus on accessible grape varieties that pair well with food or can be enjoyed on their own, and their centuries-old winemaking traditions emphasize quality and consistency,” Gill says. “Red wine lovers will find enormous value in the Languedoc’s robust blends showcasing flavors of dark fruits and spices, and white wine lovers should explore the Loire, which is renowned for its crisp Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc wines.”
Some of the chicest-cheapest from the Languedoc are Gérard Bertrand’s, which start around $12.
Seek Out ‘Second Lines’
Another way to enjoy the winemaking skills and terroirs of some of the best winemakers in the world is to seek their side projects. Analogous to what Danny Meyer has done with his restaurant empire—which offers Michelin-starred cuisine in exchange for beaucoup bucks at the Gramercy Tavern while also serving up craveable fast-casual smashburgers and ethereal milkshakes at the chain Shake Shack—these wine brands take their obsession with quality and apply it on a much larger scale.
Nicholas Glumineau, winemaker at Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in Pauillac created the second-line Château de Pez in Saint-Estèphe to offer a more economically accessible line of French wines that would be ready to drink right away (as opposed to more expensive options that are meant to be aged before being consumed).
“The idea of the second wine emerged in 2019 after the vinifications and during blending sessions,” he explains, adding that during the previous year, they added a series of less-expensive conical stainless-steel vats to their traditional cellar, which was dominated by temperature-controlled wooden vats.
Today, there are 40 vats that allow Glumineau and his team to vinify almost every plot in the estate separately for ultra-precise winemaking.
“We wanted to make a supple, fruity, well-made Bordeaux wine ideal for drinking upon release,” he says, adding that the wines do have aging potential of five to eight years. “The grapes that make it into Pez wines are largely from young vines. We are hoping to promote these wines to a new generation.”
Pichon wines start around $138, while Pez wines start at $45.
Look for Climate Change Beneficiaries
Climate change isn’t good for anyone, but there are a few French wine regions that have seen the quality of their wine improve due to warmer growing seasons. Prices have not, thus far, caught up with the boost in caliber.
“You just need to know where to look to find better but still relatively cheap wine,” says Cocks. “The Bordeaux region of Moulis-en-Médoc is a prime example. Large parts lie on outcrops of gravel-based soils that mimic those of the best producers in the most prestigious appellations of Pauillac and Saint-Julien.”
The free-draining nature of these gravel soils make them ideal for growing Cabernet Sauvignon, the Médoc’s most iconic grape.
“Despite the advantages of the soil, the inland location of Moulis-en-Médoc made it cooler, and the Cabernet Sauvignon struggled to achieve the same degree of ripeness as the warmer riverside appellations. That lower quality was reflected in lower prices.”
But today, those grapes are ripening well, with producers like Château Anthonic offering wines starting at $27 and often tasting like their much pricier neighbors in Pauillac and Saint-Julien did a decade or more ago.
Find Wines That Rely on Technique as Much as Terroir
Terroir trumps all when it comes to wine, except occasionally.
Wines that rely on extremely precise picking times and technical production methods that have an outsized effect on the final flavor are excellent ways to drink well on a shoestring budget, Cocks says.
“Champagne is made in a way that the method of production, in contrast to the origin of the grapes, plays a large part in establishing the quality and style of the final wine,” he says. “The traditional method used to make Champagne, which has become a global icon for quality, is also used in many other wine regions of northern France, like the Loire and Burgundy.”
The similarly cooler climate of these regions, combined with similar grape varieties and an identical production method, means these wines can be excellent facsimiles for Champagne.
Gill concurs.
“Sparkling wines like Crémant de Bourgogne deliver elegance and finesse at a fraction of the price of Champagne,” Gill says. “The fine bubbles and balanced acidity make it a versatile choice for celebrations or casual gatherings, showcasing the affordability and accessibility of French sparkling wines beyond Champagne.”
A great place to start is Domaine du Close des Aumones Vouvray, for $20, or Albert Bichot Cremant de Bourgogne Brut Reserve, for $24.
Happy hunting!