French wine

French wine is produced throughout all of France in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles.

[3][1] French wine originated in the 6th century BCE, with the colonization of Southern Gaul by Greek settlers.

[6] During the Middle Ages, monks maintained vineyards and, more importantly, conserved wine-making knowledge and skills during that often turbulent period.

Monasteries had the resources, security and inventiveness to produce a steady supply of wine for Mass and profit.

[9] The advance of the French wine industry stopped abruptly as first mildew and then Phylloxera spread throughout the country and the rest of Europe, destroying vineyards.

Then came an economic downturn in Europe, followed by two world wars; the French wine industry was depressed for decades.

Large investments, the economic revival after World War II and a new generation of vignerons yielded results in the 1970s and the following decades, creating the modern French wine industry.

For the former AOC wines, the move to AOP involved only minor changes to the terminology of the label, while the actual names of the appellations themselves will remain unchanged.

All common styles of wine – red, rosé, white (dry, semi-sweet and sweet), sparkling and fortified – are produced in France.

In most of these styles, the French production ranges from cheap and simple versions to some of the world's most famous and expensive examples.

Quality levels and prices vary enormously, and some wines are made for immediate consumption while other are meant for long-time cellaring.

At the 2007 harvest, the most common grape varieties were the following:[18][19] The concept of terroir, which refers to the unique combination of natural factors associated with any particular vineyard, is important to French vignerons.

[12] It includes such factors as soil, underlying rock, altitude, slope of hill or terrain, orientation toward the sun, and microclimate (typical rain, winds, humidity, temperature variations, etc.).

[12] The amount of influence and the scope that falls under the description of terroir has been a controversial topic in the wine industry.

Since New World wines made the names of individual grape varieties familiar to international consumers in the late 20th century, more French wineries started to use varietal labelling.

Labels will also indicate where the wine was bottled, which can be an indication as to the quality level of the wine, and whether it was bottled by a single producer, or more anonymously and in larger quantities: If varietal names are displayed, common EU rules apply:[23] The recognized wine-producing areas in France are regulated by the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO).

It is situated in eastern France on the river Ill and borders Germany, a country with which it shares many grape varieties as well as a long tradition of varietal labelling.

Due to the carbonic maceration that producers use during the wine-making process Beaujolais wines are brightly colored with a low level of soft tannin.

[24] Beaujolais region is situated in central East of France following the river Saone below Burgundy and above Lyon.

Bordeaux is a large region on the Atlantic coast, which has a long history of exporting its wines overseas.

Brittany is not an official wine region anymore, but it has a rich history related to grapegrowing and winemaking and has recently been demonstrating a revival of its viticulture.

Burgundy or Bourgogne in eastern France is a region where red and white wines are equally important.

Five villages of Ile de France (north-east of the Seine et Marne department) are part of the Champagne, area and more than 200 small recreational vineyards were established in the last decades covering about 12 hectares altogether.

The region covers six appellations and is related to Burgundy through its extensive use of the Burgundian grapes Chardonnay and Pinot noir, though other varieties are used.

40 villages of Picardy (south of the Aisne department) are now part of the Champagne area and several small recreational vineyards were established in the last two decades e.g. in Coucy le Château, Gerberoy, Gouvieux, Clairoix, etc.

The styles and varietal composition of northern and southern Rhône differ, but both parts compete with Bordeaux as traditional producers of red wines.

French regulations in 1979 created simple rules for the then-new category of Vin de pays.

L'Office national interprofessionnel des vins, abbreviated ONIVINS, is a French association of vintners.