Buy Manoir Grignon at ’t Bockje Bathmen

In France, origin is fixed by law, and it determines which grapes are permitted. Whoever puts Chablis on the label may only use chardonnay; whoever writes Sancerre only sauvignon blanc. So the name of the region tells you which grape is in it, if you know which region goes with which grape.

Roughly: Bordeaux is cabernet and merlot, Burgundy pinot noir and chardonnay, the Rhône syrah and grenache, the Loire sauvignon and chenin blanc. In the Languedoc and the Pays d’Oc looser rules apply; there the grape is in fact often on the bottle.

The French regional name is not a fancy trick. It tells you exactly which grape you get.