Great French Wine Doesn’t Have to Be Expensive — These 14 Bottles Prove It
From crisp whites to juicy reds, these French wines are all under $25.
People tend to think of French wine as "fancy," but the truth is that France is probably the place on earth that most thinks of wine as an everyday, every-table beverage. So while there are certainly ultra-pricey bottles out there, there are many more affordable ones from every region in the country. The wines below are the best French wines under $25 for everyday enjoyment.
White Wines
2024 Pas de Problème Vin de France Sauvignon Blanc ($13)
"No problem," the producer's name says, and that's certainly true of this bright, citrusy, lightly herbal Sauvignon Blanc from the Languedoc. It's a fun, friendly white, exactly the vibe implied by its unpretentious label.
2025 Famille Perrin Côtes du Rhône Réserve Blanc ($16)
The Perrin family owes its fame to its benchmark Châteauneuf-du-Pape property, Château de Beaucastel, but it also makes stellar value wines, like this full-bodied, nectarine-scented Rhône white.
2023 Hecht & Bannier Vin de France Piquepoul-Chardonnay ($17)
In this unusual white blend from southern France, the Piquepoul (which translates as "lip-stinger") provides brisk, salty freshness, while the Chardonnay (about 25% of the blend) adds some nice mid-palate body. And it's made with organic grapes.
2025 Licence IV Le Blanc ($17)
Sold in 1-liter bottles and with only 12.5% alcohol, this white blend of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Grenache Blanc from the Languedoc-Roussillon region is light, buoyant, and full of pineapple-accented flavors. What's not to like?
2024 Trimbach Pinot Blanc ($23)
The Trimbach family, who've been making wine in the tiny town of Riquewihr since the 1600s, blends roughly 75% Auxerrois (which is allowed to be sold as Pinot Blanc in Alsace) and 25% Pinot Blanc; the former provides rich, pearlike fruit, the latter creates the wine's snappy minerality.
2023 Le Fief Noir l'échappée Anjou Blanc ($25)
Chenin Blanc is having a moment, and wines like this one from the Loire's Anjou region—round and inviting, its melon-pear fruit balanced by juicy acidity—make it clear why.
Red Wines
2024 La Vieille Ferme Rouge ($12)
Year in and year out, La Vieille Ferme's iconic red—known as the "chicken wine" for its label—is full of ebullient berry fruit that's appealingly mouthfilling and ripe without being too ripe. Is it complex? Not really. Does that matter? Not at this price!
2024 Maison Les Alexandrins Le Cabanon Syrah ($15)
Maison Les Alexandrins is a partnership between Rhône Valley growers Nicolas Jaboulet (whose family founded the famed domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné) and Alexandre Caso. This is a full-bodied, blackberry-rich Syrah for a stellar price, powerful and fresh at the same time.
2025 Terres Blondes Vin de France Cabernet Franc ($16)
It's hard to find French Cabernet Francs under $25 that don't lean too far into the variety's leafy green herb notes, but this one is just right. Think abundant purple berry flavors, soft tannins, and a hint of hillside herbs. At only 12.5% alcohol, it's a great one to chill down, too.
2024 Domaine les Gryphées Cuvée Centenaire-Les Balmes Beaujolais Rouge ($18)
Beaujolais for those who want to live on the wild side: Winemaker Pierre Durdilly summons tingly green peppercorns and wild strawberries from the fruit of these old vines. The word gryphées refers to the seashell fossils found in the vineyard.
2023 Mas de Gourgonnier Les Baux de Provence Rouge ($23)
A mainstay of affordable, organic, southern French reds, Mas de Gourgonnier's Provençal blend of Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Carignan is always a steal. Dark purple-red in the glass, it's full of dark berry fruit with a suggestion of dried herbs on the finish.
2023 Domaine Allimant-Laugner Vin d'Alsace Pinot Noir ($25)
Alsace Pinot Noir gets little attention, lost amid the region's famed white wines, but when it's good—as with this transparent ruby-hued bottling, with its scent of dried flower petals and tea leaves—you have to wonder why.
2023 Domaine de la Charmoise Touraine Gamay ($25)
France's premier region for Gamay is Beaujolais, but there are plenty of appealing versions from the Loire Valley, too, among them this subtly savory, light-bodied, crisp red. This is another one you could chill down even in the winter months.
2022 Georges Duboeuf Morgon Jean Descombes ($25)
Georges Duboeuf is one of the biggest names in Beaujolais, but if you're smart, you'll look to the cru bottlings the family makes from individual growers around the region. The Morgon Jean Descombes is one of the best, with black raspberry and boysenberry vivacity and fine, light tannins.
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