France

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

Two concepts central to the finest French wines are the concept of terroir—which links the style of the wine to the places where the grapes are grown and the wine is made—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 within each of France’s hundreds of geographically defined appellations, which may encompass 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 in other wine-producing countries. Although some producers have benefited in recent years from rising prices and increased demand for some of the prestige wines of Burgundy and Bordeaux, the French wine industry has seen a decline in domestic consumption and, internationally, has had to compete with many New World wines.