France
France is one of the countries best known for wine
production, and indeed, vineyards can be found all around the country from
north to south. Around 8 billion bottles are made in France every year, making
it one of the world’s biggest wine producers.
Wine has been produced in France since the 6th
century BC, and many of the regions in France best known for wine making can
date their history back to Roman times. Many grape varieties are grown here,
including the most famous types like Pinot Noir, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc,
Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact, France was the country of origin of
all of these famous vines which have now spread around the world. France has
also been the source of many of the wine making styles and practices which are
now in use elsewhere in the world.
Traditionally, France has been the biggest consumer of its
domestic wines, however over the last four decades wine consumption
domestically has fallen and therefore foreign markets have been the target of
French wine producers. The country is perhaps best known for its champagne and
expensive classified and ranked wines, but these make up only around 5% of
total French wine production.
In general, French wines focus less on fruity flavours than
on earthy ones, and French wine has sometimes been described as tasting like
mushrooms or chalk.
Some of France’s best known wine producing regions include
Burgundy, best known for its rich pinot noirs, Bordeaux with its distinctive
Merlots and Cabernet Sauvignons, the Loire Valley with its varied wines, Alsace
with its strong German influences, the Rhone, with its signature Mourvedre,
Grenache and Syrah blends, Languedoc and Roussillon with its warm climate
flavours and the roses of Provence, not forgetting the classic champagnes of
the same-named region.
