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Wines of France

There’s abundant evidence that winemaking in France dates back thousands of years to the presence of the Ancient Romans. Modern production has its roots in the Middle Ages when communities of monks started to refine vinicultural practices. The following centuries saw wines from across the country gaining popularity and commercial success in surrounding countries with much European nobility enjoying their particular regional favorites. This productive bedrock led to French vignerons developing growing methods and winemaking processes that form the foundation of viniculture around the world today.

A large European country with varying landscapes, soils, and microclimates, France produces a vast assortment of quality wine styles for every budget. Each region in France proudly boasts its star grapes and wine types and the diversity is astounding. Chilly Champagne is famous for its iconic sparkling wines, balmy, damp Bordeaux for its world-class Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blends, and cool Burgundy produces benchmark Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. All of these wines have strict production rules and tend toward higher price tags. At the other end of the scale, southern France implements more flexible regulations and is home to a plethora of grapes that thrive in hot temperatures, giving rise to huge quantities of good, wallet-friendly reds, whites, and rosés. As well as its flagship wine Champagne, sparkling wine is made all over the country from each region’s grape varieties, offering a point of difference for this popular style.

France has a stringent hierarchy in place to classify the styles and quality of wines across its regions. Called an appellation system, the lowest rung of the ladder represents wine made from grapes harvested from around the country while top wines come from precisely demarcated (and sometimes tiny) vineyards with impressive quality pedigrees. Examples of acclaimed wines include those labeled ‘Grand Cru’ from Burgundy and ‘Cru Classé’ in Bordeaux.