François Simon, France's least recognised but most respected and most feared restaurant critic thanks to weekly columns in Le Figaro, Figaroscope and disguised appearances on the cable channel...

As Australia's official wine organisations publish a report claiming that the country has a wine surplus equivalent to 75% of total production, and as British wine writer Andrew Jefford...

Over the first eight months of 2008, international exports of French wine decreased by 10% in volume, so perhaps it's good news that the French ministry of agriculture is forecasting a...

In a nutshell: Mostly bordeaux-like, plus some Basque influence. Main grapes: Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Tannat, Negrette, Fer (red); Sauvignon, Sémillon, Muscadelle,...

I'm not a huge enthusiast of the sexual stereotyping of wines but even I can see that Cabernet Franc might be described as the feminine side of Cabernet Sauvignon. It is subtly fragrant and...

The word ‘toothsome’ could have been coined for the wines of South West France, a Pyrenean nursery for diverse and attention-grabbing vine varieties. The flavours can be wild and...

Here is a selection of some of the best French wines to have come my way that are made by those who have left Britain to pursue their (often relatively untutored) dream to make wine. There are...

Quietly, irrigation has now officially been legalised in France.   A decree dated December 6 and published at the end of February permits irrigation from June 15 up to the French...

Yesterday I went to a tasting of French wines chosen by my British wine writing peers and found it fascinating - real vindication of the variety, integrity and in some cases value of French...

Mark Dowman, Var, France: This follows on from my original enquiry last April. I had the good fortune to visit Chateau Montus/Bouscassé last week and tasted the...

Bill Phelan, London: My daughter and that of a friend are each getting married this summer.  I would like to enquire how we might purchase 30 cases (of 12 bottles) of good but...

Amid France's current spate of introspective navel-gazing about the dire state of the market for French wine both at home and abroad, with more French wine producers said to be on the brink of...

This is the text of a talk given in London this month by Jean-Claude Mas of Les Domaines Paul Mas (DPM), makers of that La Forge Merlot 2001, a wine of the week last year, immediately...

Very many thanks to Malcolm Compain of London for reminding me via your turn to remind you that this is prime month for buying wine in France. Over the last few years September has...

The sight of dozens of French families sitting round restaurant tables is not in itself surprising. But in this instance, and at another 239 locations around the country, there were significant...