There are ten well-known wine regions in France, each of which offers a unique holiday destination. Sampling the wines from each region will also give you a taste of the culture, history and gastronomic delights that are distinctive to the regions.

You'll find very unique flavours in Alsace, a famous wine region in France's north east - it is known for its sweet and dry white wines.

The area has been producing wines from as early as the Roman conquest and turns out over 165 million bottles a year. The gentle mountains of the Alsace region provide a variety of ways to explore the vineyards, such as hiking and mountain biking.

Bordeaux is known for its 18th Century grandeur and of course, its fantastic wines. It is the best known wine region in France and produces some amazing red wines and white wines. Staying in Bordeaux city and taking day trips to the vineyards is the best way to make the most of what the region has to offer.

If you are looking to match your food with your wine, head to the Languedoc Roussillon wine region. It is the largest of the wine making regions in France and makes some stunning red wines that complement the local cuisine of grilled red meat, pate and roasted turkey.

Most people are surprised that the wine region known as Champagne in France does not actually produce any champagne. Instead it produces Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier - some of which are available as sparkling varieties. If you are visiting Paris on holiday you can easily sample the Champagne region and its wines as a day trip from the city.

For a more diverse wine experience, travel to the Cotes du Rhone region in the country's south-east. The region produces wines that cover a full spectrum, from full bodied red wines to dry white wines. This is due to the varying conditions of the banks of the Rhone River, along which the region is situated. The area is picturesque and the nearby white-walled city of Avignon provides a wonderful base from which to explore the region.

What's more, Corsica, Burgundy, the Loire Valley, Provence and the South West are all excellent wine making regions as well, and make great destinations for weekend breaks and longer stays. Therefore, it is good to know that there are many hotels in all of the wine making regions. Most of these hotels are quite affordable as well. This means you could use your loans and savings on more important matters instead of using all of your resources during your tour in these areas. If you don't know where to start with the wine regions, you will find that most of the France hotels should be able to offer you advice on the best ones to visit. And as they say in France, Sante!