France

French wine is produced throughout France in quantities ranging from 50 to 60 million hectoliters per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. Alongside the Italian, Spanish, and American wine regions, France is one of the world’s largest wine producers. The history of French wine dates back to the 6th century B.C., with many French regions tracing their winemaking history back to Roman times. The wines produced range from expensive wines sold internationally to more modest wines typically found only in France, such as the post-war Margnat wines.

Two key concepts for the finest French wines are the concept of terroir, which links the style of the wines to the places where the grapes are grown and the wine is produced, and the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system, which was replaced by the Appellation d'Origine Protégée (AOP) in 2012. The appellation rules strictly define which grape varieties and winemaking practices are permitted for classification under each of France’s hundreds of geographically defined appellations, which may cover regions, villages, or vineyards.

France is the origin of many grape varieties (such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah) that are now grown around the world, as well as winemaking practices and wine styles that have been adopted by other wine-producing countries. Although some producers have benefited in recent years from rising prices and increased demand for some of the prestigious wines from Burgundy and Bordeaux, the French wine industry has seen a decline in domestic consumption and has had to compete internationally with many wines from the New World.