About France Wine

France is arguably the world's most important wine-producing country. For centuries it has produced wine in greater quantity, and many would suggest greater quality, than any other. Wine is historically engrained in French culture at almost every level of society; it is the drink of royalty and a key symbol in Roman Catholicism, France's majority religion.

The enduring attraction of French wine is not necessarily its volume or prestige, however, but in the variety of styles available. Consumer preferences have changed over the centuries, encouraging the development of new styles of wine from the terrain and grape varieties available to France's vignerons. Red, white, rose, sweet, dry, sparkling, opulent, austere, fruity or mineral-scented; French vineyards have produced wines to match each of these descriptors.

The diversity of French wine is due, in part, to the country's wide range of climates. Champagne, France's most northerly region, has one of the coolest climates in the wine-growing world - a stark contrast to the warm, dry Rhone Valley 350 miles (560km) away in the south-east. Bordeaux, in the south-west, has a maritime climate heavily influenced by the Atlantic ocean to its west and the various rivers which wind their way between its vineyards. Far from any oceanic influence, eastern regions such as Burgundy and Alsace have a continental climate, with warm, dry summers and cold winters. In France's deep south Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon enjoy a definitively Mediterranean climate, characterized by hot summers and relatively mild winters.

Geology and topography play an equally important part in the diversity of French wine. The country's large number of independently recognized wine regions and sub-regions reflects its wide range of soil types, and the landscapes which created them. Each sub-region can be defined by particular geographical features which, in turn, create specific characteristics in the wines produced there. From the granite hills of Beaujolais to the famous chalky slopes of Chablis and the Loire, the sites in which France's vineyards are planted are considered of vital importance, and are at the heart of the concept of terroir.

A region's terroir inadvertently dictates the grape varieties used to produce its traditional wines. In the days before efficient vine husbandry, vignerons grew whatever was best suited to the local soils and climate, from the range of varieties available to them. Thus, the relationship between French wine regions and their key grape varieties evolved naturally over a long period time. The close relationship between Pinot Noir and the terroirs of Burgundy is a prime example of this. Where a variety has been used in two different regions, the styles of wine it produces have also evolved naturally, exemplified by the difference between Chardonnay as used in the crisp, sparkling wines of Champagne and the richer, fruitier wines of the Languedoc.

France's appellation system was created in the early twentieth century and has since been imitated in many countries around the world. This complex system of laws ultimately defines each wine region and its boundaries, and imposes strict rules around winemaking practices. To protect the names of French wines, and to guarantee the quality and provenance of the products themselves are its key objectives. No other country has developed its appellation system to such an extent; as of 2010 there were over 450 controlled appellations under the AOC and VDQS titles, and a further 150 Vin de Pays titles.

A key factor in the development of the complex, comprehensive categorization of the country's wine styles and quality levels is their sheer volume and diversity, as discussed above. Every year France produces over 50,000,000 hectoliters of wine (6500,000,000 standard bottles) from around 1,915,000 acres (775,000 hectares) of vineyards.