French Wine 101 - Unravelling the Mysteries

I'm not going to sugarcoat this. Understanding all there is to know about French wine is a daunting task. I could learn something new about French wine every day, and still feel pretty ignorant.
Entire books have been written about the major French wine regions, so you can really get into this if you want
But, here are a few of the basics that will get you well on your way to talking the talk of a true Franophile.

Burgundy: Grapes not on label (most of the time); Price: Under $20 to over $10,000 per bottle.
Red Burgundy: Pinot Noir
White Burgundy: Chardonnay
Also within Burgundy:
Chablis: Chardonnay
Beaujolais: Gamay

Bordeaux: Grapes not on label. Price: Under $20 to over $2,500 per bottle.
Red Wine: Blend (usually) of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and sometimes Malbec.
White Wine: Blend (usually) of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon

Rhone: Grapes not on label. Price: Under $20 to over $2,500 per bottle
Rhone is split into two major regions with sub-regions within those regions.
Northern Rhone red grape: Syrah; Northern Rhone White grape: Viognier
Major Northern Rhone regions: Hermitage, Cote Rotie, St. Joseph, Cornas and Condrieu (white).
Southern Rhone red grapes: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan and Cinsault.
Southern Rhone white Grapes: Grenache Blanc, Marsanne and Rousanne.
Major Southern Rhone regions: Chateauneuf du Pape (red and white), Cotes du Rhone (red and white) and Gigondas.

Loire: Grapes not on label. Price: Under $20 to over $1,000 per bottle.
Major Loire regions and grapes:
Vouvray - Chenin Blanc.
Sancerre and Pouilly Fume - Sauvignon Blanc.
Chinon - Cabernet Franc

Champagne: Grapes not on label. Price: Under $40 to over $2,000 per bottle.
Grapes used to make white and rose' Champagne: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

Alsace: Grapes are on the label. Price: Under $20 to over $500 per bottle
Riesling
Pinot Gris
Gewurztraminer
Muscat

Sauternes: Grapes not on the label. Price: Under $30 to over $500 per bottle
These are very sweet dessert wines made from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon blends.

Languedoc: Grapes not on label. Price: Under $20 to over $100
Languedoc is the largest producing region in France in terms of overall volume. Most of the wines are value driven.
The two regions you will encounter the most are Cotes du Languedoc and Cotes du Roussillon
Languedoc is just south of Southern Rhone and uses the same grapes, but will also use Chardonny in their whites and Cabernet Sauvignon in their reds.

I hope this helps with your understanding of French wine.
If not, forget about understanding it and just start drinking the amazing varieties of French wines that are available.

Tom