Wine is a map before it is anything else. Here is every region we keep coming back to.
The same grape grown in two places makes two different wines, which is why so much of understanding wine comes down to geography. Below is every region we explore, each with our articles and, where we have drawn one, the wall map to go with it.
Our hand-drawn maps put a whole region on one wall, drawn to scale and labelled.
The benchmark for age-worthy reds, split by the Gironde into a Cabernet-led Left Bank and a Merlot-led Right Bank.
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay pushed to their limit on a thin strip of limestone, where the exact plot matters more than almost anywhere.
France's most versatile river, from crisp Sancerre to Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc.
Syrah in the north, Grenache-led blends in the south, and some of the best value in France.
The sunny, fast-moving south, and a hotbed for ambitious, well-priced wine.