Stories of the wine-growing countries · France

French wines

Drinking wine is an integral part of French life. No country shapes the wine world more strongly.

With around 900,000 hectares of vineyard and about 45 million hectolitres of wine per year, France is at the top of the world, both in quality and quantity. Around 144,000 winemakers craft wines whose standards are still regarded as a model for winemaking today. The best-known growing regions are Bordeaux, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Alsace and Champagne.

Vineyard area: approx. 900,000 ha
Production: approx. 45 million hectolitres per year
Wine-growing estates: approx. 144,000
Top regions: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Alsace, Beaujolais
Curious fact: The International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) is based in Dijon

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The history of wine in France

Finds from around 500 BC suggest that the Greeks brought wine to France. The Roman occupiers then gave the impetus to cultivate wine throughout the country.

Centuries later, Benedictine monks took on the leading role in its development. One of them was Dom Pierre Pérignon, whose techniques are still used in sparkling wine production today.

Like the rest of Europe, France was not spared from phylloxera and mildew: winegrowing was almost completely wiped out before tireless individuals dared to make a fresh start, allowing the vines to spread across the country once again.

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Winegrowing today

With around 900,000 hectares of vineyard area and about 45 million hectolitres of wine, France leads the world in both quality and quantity. French standards are still regarded as the benchmark for producing good wine.

The French themselves drink about two thirds of the production straight away: wine is firmly rooted in the culinary culture and way of life. Besides the top regions, the Loire, Provence, the Rhône Valley, Jura, Corsica, Savoie and the old south-west of France are also well worth exploring.

03/Grape varieties