"The more I visited vineyards on my travels and got to know the wine growers and the regions, the more disillusioned I became with French wine, " he says.

WSJ: Will Lyons on Wine: From Big Wins to Big Wines

They're building a French wine empire by taking cues from their New World counterparts, using simpler labels and emphasizing regions recently embraced by the U.S. consumer: Spain, Chile, Argentina and the once- neglected Languedoc region of France.

FORBES: Bye-Bye Bordeaux