As you travel around France, you’ll want to enjoy the culinary specialties and wines of the various regions. In total, France has 27 regions, each boasting unique and savory dishes and some of the best wine. We’ve highlighted a few of the regions below to give you a head start on sampling some of France’s finest cuisine and wines.

Ile-de-France

Ile-de-France is made up mostly of Paris and the surrounding metropolitan area. The historic home of the French royalty, Ile-de-France features rich and succulent dishes and fresh ingredients including the Faro apple, the Montmorency cherry, the Groslay  pear, chevrier beans and Argenteuil asparagus.  Beef, veal and Brie feature their way into dishes like tête de veau vinaigrette and Paris-Brest dessert. The region has an impressive 152 plots of vines privately or publically owned. The main grape varietals produced are chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinot noir, pinot beurot, sémillon and gamay. Many Paris hotels feature restaurants with regional dishes and wines from these local vineyards. You’ll also find regional specialties in the cafes and bistros around town.

Burgundy

You’ve probably sampled Burgundy inspired dishes if you’ve ever dined in a French restaurant. Popular menu items include escargots à la Bourgogne, Boeuf Bourguignon, and Coq au Vin. The wine is also legendary, with the most famous being the “burgundies,” dry, red wine made from pinot noir grades and white wines made from chardonnay grapes. When visiting the region, there are several top restaurants with the highest Michelin ratings, or you can purchase fresh ingredients at a local market if you want to try your hand at cooking a famous Burgundy meal.

Champagne-Ardenne 

While the Champagne region has a delicious assortment of dishes, it’s the wine that really stands out. That’s because Champagne, France is the location where the sparkling wine champagne is made. Produced from pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier grapes, Champagne appellation law dictates specific guidelines for growing, fermenting and bottling champagne.  While sparkling wine is produced worldwide, many countries only allow the use of the word “champagne” on the bottle if it is indeed made in Champagne, France. All other wine is simply referred to as “sparkling wine.” As for food, the region features large hunting grounds which inspire dishes featuring such game as venison, boar, rabbit and pheasants. The area also borders Belgium and you’ll find many Flemish dishes, such as guafres (Belgian waffles) sold at restaurants and shops.

Lorraine

Any visitor to Lorraine must try quiche Lorraine. The dish is made with bacon, cream and eggs sitting on a base of pastry. Chefs use these basic ingredients to create a wide variety of quiche Lorraine flavors. Another popular dish is Potée Lorraine, also called Lorraine Hotpot. Made with meats, carrots and leaks, the dish is cooked over a fire all day long. Smoked meats are also a Lorrain tradition, as is pâté, various fruit concoctions.  For wine, the best known of the region is Côtes de Toul.  You’ll also find the popular Gris de Toul, a gray wine made from the gamay grape.