Wine Regions : France
Wine is produced in several regions throughout France, on over 2 million acres of vineyards, and in a
typical year some 7 to 8 billion bottles are produced. France has the world’s
second-largest total vineyard surface (behind Spain) and competes with Italy
for the position of having the world’s largest wine production.
The earliest history of French wine goes back to the 6th century BC, and many of France’s regions count
their wine-making history to Roman times. France is the source of more
well-known grape varieties — such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir,
Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah — and winemaking practices than any other country. The names of many French
wine regions, such as Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne, are well-known throughout
the world, and the style of top French wines has long been the benchmark for winemaking in most
wine-producing countries of the world.
Two central concepts to better-quality French wines are the notion of terroir and
the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system. Terroir wines reflect their place of origin,
which are therefore carefully specified on labels of French wine, usually in terms of which appellation the
wine comes from. The appellation rules closely define which grape varieties and winemaking practices that
are allowed in each of France’s several hundred geographically defined appellations, and those rules must
be followed by all producers who wish to use an AOC designation for their wines.
Terroir
- Alsace
- Bordeaux
- Burgundy
- Champagne
- Corsica
- Jura
- Languedoc-Roussillon
- Loire Valley
- Provence
- Rhone Valley
- Savoy
- Southwest France
