France

Despite what some people might think, there's no doubt that France is still the home of exciting, benchmark styles of world class wines that inspire even the most experimental winemakers across the globe. What's more, not only are French wines elegant, food-friendly and value for money, but they come in all manner of styles too, as one of its trump wine cards is diversity.Red and white Burgundies are the perfect expressions of seductive, silky Pinot Noirs and moreish, nutty Chardonnays respectively. Beaujolais as a region and a wine style is fantastic both for juicy, everyday drinking red wine as well as more serious red wines, while the Rhône Valley makes soft but spicy wines out of its most important local grape, Syrah.

Bordeaux's famous reputation is thanks to its production of some of the world's most highly-prized red wines. More often than not red Bordeaux (i.e. claret) is a blend of two or three varieties, the blackcurrant-flavoured Cabernet Sauvignon and plummy Merlot make up the lion's share but the aromatic Cabernet Franc plays an important role too.  And let's not forget this region's mind-blowing exotic sweet white wine, Sauternes, either.

Meanwhile, in the picturesque region of Alsace, hugely underrated dry wines from aromatic varieties like Gewurztraminer, Riesling and Muscat are gorgeously pure and elegant, and are a natural match with spicy food or cheese.

But wait, haven't we missed out a large chunk of the country? Yes - Languedoc-Roussillon! These two huge regions in the south have less-established winemaking histories than the rest of France, which means they're responsible for producing some of France's most interesting and funky wines in recent years, both on the white and red wine scene.

So what are you waiting for? Dive in and make the most of everything France has to offer, which is quite a lot as you can see.