What's in a name?

For French wine growers it must seem like the ultimate betrayal of their appellation system which bestows the blessing of a regional name and status on grapes grown on one side of a road while those from the other side of the road may be nothing more serious than vin de pays.

Such designations can mean a huge difference in price and are fundamental to the structure of the French wine system, although sadly, these prices often have little to do with the actual quality in the bottle.

The reason for the minister's un-Gallic statement is purely commercial. French wine sales have been falling for years and many smaller vineyards are now struggling to survive. Twenty years ago France laid claim to over 50 per cent of the global wine market but now its share has fallen to just 34 per cent and it is the key regions of Bordeaux, Beaujolais and Burgundy which have been hit the hardest.

The solution, says the Federation of French Wine and Spirits Exporters, is to follow the example of the new world of wine and create significant quantities of varietally labelled wines which declare Chardonnay, Merlot or Cabernet on their label – recognisable grape names which act like signposts to their flavours. These may be a lot easier to understand than some of the lesser-known AOC regions such as Cabards, St Chinian and Minervois, but will that actually help the situation?

Take a look at the top 10 selling brands in the UK and the picture is clear. Blossom Hill, Gallo, Hardys and Jacob's Creek occupy the top slots and the rest of the list follows suit with a selection of familiar new world names. All of them sell their wines under well-known grape variety names.

Only at position 15 does France get an entry in the list with the wines from JP Chenet. These popular vins de pays from the south of France are noteworthy for the wonky shape of their bottles, and reasonable, if unremarkable, flavours for the price. And they also use their grape varieties on the label to explain their taste.

Certainly there is plenty of wine in France to sell. Together with Italy, France shares the top spot in terms of annual wine production, and for comparison, it produces twice as much as the US and over 30 times as much as Australia. So why has it been left behind in the sales?

One of the main reasons may be down to the French psyche. Unwilling at first to recognise that the new world even existed, French winegrowers eventually decided to opt for the scornful approach, describing anything from Australia, Chile and South Africa as "technical" wines.

In fact, new world wines are no more technical than French wines made in any well-run winery and, having seen some fairly dreadful winemaking in fly-ridden barns in the less attractive parts of Bergerac, give me clean technology every time.

The other point against France in the race for customers is that winegrowers in France seem to think that their competition is in the next village. They will move heaven and earth to create a point of difference between their neighbours – and set up various committees, soil tests and regulations to make sure that their wines are labelled with a slightly different name. And in this detailed study of their own small village, they totally fail to notice that the combined force of Australia is marching into their market.

So, will varietal labelling help the situation? Certainly there is a case for producing enough of a single wine to make an impact on the UK shelves. But it would be a shame if the recognised great regions of France were to ditch their famous names.

How can a Chteauneuf-du-Pape be described by grape varieties? With 13 permitted varieties in the mix, the label would be a complete muddle. But even in a single varietal wine, the plain name of Syrah could never describe the depth of flavour and taut, spice-ridden potential of Hermitage.

There will be plenty of heated discussion about the minister's suggestions, but in the meantime here are some of the best offers

from France, none of them sporting a variety on the label.

The deep, plummy flavours of Ctes du Rhne Belleruche 2007 from Chapoutier (Majestic 5.99 on multibuy) mainly come from Grenache, with a splash of Syrah to add aroma and spice. Made by one of the Rhne's best producers, this has class well above its offer price and will mature and develop over the next couple of years. My preference is for the 2007 vintage if there is any left on the shelves, but the 2008 is perfectly good. Trade up to Vacqueyras 2007 from Domaine de la Garrigue (Majestic 10.99 on multibuy) which has shaken off its primary fruit and now shows deep, complex earthy flavours, tinged with herbal notes and a long savoury finish. Make sure you try this while there is still a chill in the air and a fire in the grate.

Even if they managed to list all five grape varieties on the label of Domaine d'Aupilhac's label, it would not prepare you for the intense blackberry fruit and chunky tannin of this Languedoc wine (11.95 Terroir Languedoc, www.terroirlanguedoc.co.uk). Its obscure appellation Montpeyroux, Coteaux du Languedoc is one that you may forget but you are bound to remember its flavours.

Chablis is another French wine whose flavours could never adequately be described by its grape variety, Chardonnay. Try Marks and Spencer's crisp, crunchy, unoaked Chablis (9.99) which comes from one of the best co-operatives in France, La Chablisienne or experience the minerally, tart apple and spice notes of Domaine des Malandes Chablis (11.95 Field and Fawcett, 01904 489073).

And even the most ardent Sauvignon Blanc fan would never swap the definitive name of Sancerre for a plain varietal. Treat yourself to Domaine Naudet 2008 Sancerre (11.99 Waitrose) for distinctive citrus and asparagus notes backed by almost gravelly crunch.