Vins de France 101

I am a Francophile of sorts. I adore all things French – wine, cuisine, and haut couture, in that order. My distinct pleasure is to introduce you to my first adoration on the list, the wine regions of France. Welcome to Vin de Francais 101. Bonjour, mon amis, et a votre sante! as we journey throughout France to “experience” why She is the undisputed mistress of wine.

The wine world has a love-hate relationship with the French. France produces more fine wine than any other country. Wine is rooted into its culture and has affected – and influenced – the world. Why is this so? It’s not just that the French are passionate; it’s about geography. France receives the benefits of two climate-affecting bodies of water: the Atlantic on the west and the Mediterranean to the south. This helps to create varied wine regions with long growing seasons that allow grapes to ripen fully. Qualities only a winemaker could love.

What sets each wine region apart? Terroir, of course. It is not only a quintessentially French concept; it is what creates distinctive wine styles from each region. Terroir is what Mother Earth gives to the grapes all on her own. Temperature, rainfall, sunlight, altitude and soil composition are all-natural gifts unique to each vineyard. As a result, the character and quality of each wine reflects the terroir from which it came and contributes the many wine styles of France.