Noble Grape

• Rather confusingly, French wines can be labeled according to region, grape or producer, with 280 appelations nationwide signifying specific growing areas. The largest region is Bordeaux, famous for its blends of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and malbec reds, which are produced in small villages clustered around the hillsides along the Gironde River. The most illustrious chateaux command the highest prices, even if most wines from the region are blends. The Burgundy region encompasses chablis, Beaujolais and Macon wines, but stakes its reputation on pinot noir reds and chardonnay whites. Wines from Alsace, near the German border, usually include the grape variety on the label, such as riesling or muscat, while syrah and grenache grapes make up the bulk of Cotes du Rhone wines. Only sparkling wines produced in the Champagne region can take the region’s name. These double-fermented wines with the distinctive wire cap are de rigueur for special events and celebrations.

Regional Spirit

• French brandy is an offshoot of wine cultivation, produced by distilling or "burning" fermented grapes. This fine, smoky spirit is usually consumed at the conclusion of a meal in a large, bulbous glass used to release the aromas. Three varieties have protected status, of which Armagnac is the oldest. Produced in the southwest near Gascony, the single-distilled brandy is often brought out as an epicurean digestif. Cognac, on the other hand, is double distilled and aged in oak barrels for a minimum of four years. Only brandies produced in the Cognac region in western France can take the region’s name. In Normandy, an area better known for its apples than its grapes, Calvados is the potent apply brandy of choice, distilled in pots and aged for a minimum of two years.

Southern Belle

• Few drinks complement the long, laid-back, al fresco dining of southern France’s Provence region better than pastis. Ubiquitous throughout the south, particularly around Marseille, pastis is usually taken as an aperitif, and mixed with cold water to create a milky beverage steeped in aniseed aromas. The drink blends alcohol with star anise, licorice and pungent local herbs and spices such as sage, fennel, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. Dating from 1805, Pernod was the original brand, with Ricard following much later in 1932. The two companies merged in 1975, and dominate the market to the extent that most patrons order by brand rather than liqueur name. Despite the heady aroma of pastis, the alcohol content is pegged at 40 percent by law -- no more than for most conventional spirits.

Curious Liqueur

• Typical of France’s fierce quality control with regard to alcoholic drinks, only two monks at a time are allowed to know the ingredients for Chartreuse, a naturally green liqueur brewed by Carthusian monks since the 18th century. A favorite of Hunter S. Thompson, the 110 proof liqueur is a special blend of 130 herbs, but is heavy on cinnamon and aniseed flavors. Distilled in copper stills, Chartreuse is matured in oak casks in the largest liqueur cellar in the world in Voiron. Orange flavors dominate Cointreau, a syrupy triple sec digestif steeped in orange peel. Cointreau was first produced in Angers in 1849, and is named after the founding family. Although northern French in origin, the digestif is arguably best known as one of the ingredients in the tropical margarita cocktail.