Description
These hand illustrated French wine maps are beautifully drawn by Brushery. We are adding maps of some of the best known French wine regions to our range for 2023. We will be stocking a few of the Brushery range, four wine maps from France together with one from Italy. In France we are beginning with Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne and Rhone. These four wine regions are home of some of my favourite wines. Each poster size print is not only a beautiful piece of art but also a great way to improve your wine knowledge.
Why not start your collection of these hand illustrated wine maps. Begin the journey, dream, plan your travels and create a space where you and your friends can share wine stories.
Bordeaux
France produces huge volumes of wine in a range of styles however perhaps some of the most celebrated of these come from Bordeaux. Bordeaux is the largest appellation region in France. It stretches through South Western France through the region where the Dordogne and Garonne rivers merge and form the Gironde Estuary. The whole area benefits from the warming effect of the Gulf Stream which extends the growing season. Bordeaux is home to some of the world most prestigious wines. The Gironde Estuary separates the wines of the Left and Right Banks. Wines on the Left Bank include St Estephe, Paulliac and Margaux. On the Right Bank the best known are Pomerol and Saint-Emilion.
There is certainly a lot to learn. I’m going to be hanging this gorgeous poster in my kitchen and I’m sure I’ll be referring to it all the time. It is the perfect guide.
Burgundy
Although other grapes grow there, the best known Burgundian wines are made from two world famous grapes. Firstly there is the white grape, Chardonnay and secondly, the red grape, Pinot Noir. Burgundy is situated in the centre of France further North than Bordeaux. The climate is coolish and therefore is ideally suited to a thin skinned grape such as Pinot Noir. Use this beautiful map and discover where some of the world’s most iconic wines are created. Start at Chablis in the North of the region. Then travel down to the Cote D’Or where you will discover wines such as Gevrey-Chambertin, Nuits St Georges, Montrachet and Pommard.
Champagne
Some of the world’s most prestigious sparkling wine comes from Champagne. I love Champagne. It’s at the centre of so many celebrations and life events. This beautiful map gives the perfect guide to the region. It’s situated in North Eastern France where the cool climate is ideal for slowly ripening the grapes. The area is comprises hundreds of villages however only some of these have a cru status. 44 have a premier cru rating and 17 are grand cru. It’s a region with a great history together with beautiful landscapes, picturesque villages, forests and, of course, superb vineyards.
Rhone
The Rhone Valley is located in the South of France. The area divides into two sub regions. The first is the Northern Rhone. This is narrow with extremely steep vineyard sites. It is home to some premium red wines predominantly made from the Syrah grape. However, there are also world famous whites such as Voignier and Condrieu. The vineyards of the Southern Rhone are planted on flatter terrain and the best sites have stony soils that absorb the sun. The dominant red grape varieties are Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. Look out for wines from Chateauneuf du Pape and the surrounding appellations.
About Brushery
Linnea Hellstrom and Elin Aschberg founded Brushery in Sweden in 2020. Their common interest in wine, food and beautiful objects led them to collaborate. They now sell across Scandinvia and in the USA. They share a similar philosophy to us at Top Note Design and we are proud to be their first UK stockist. I love this quote from their website which sums our shared ethos up perfectly.
… a glass of wine is related to joy for most of us, and it often extends outside the drinking moment. It’s like planning a journey, we long, plan and discuss it. Why not extend the experience? Whenever you open a bottle of wine your eyes can travel over the terroirs and find satisfaction when it hits the goal. You get a deeper understanding of its origin and the map will hang there as a reminder of the delicious wines you’ve tasted or wish to taste one day.
Good prints require high quality paper. Brushery print these hand illustrated French wine maps on a FSC®-marked design paper with a discreet creme white shade. The paper has an uncoated soft surface that highlights images in the best way.
Wine Inspired Art from Top Note Design
We began Top Note Design in 2012 when we created a range of fine art prints inspired by the capsule of some of our favourite wines. Find out more about our artwork.
