One of the most well-known wine producing countries in the world is France. Their history with wine dates well back into history and besides Italy, may be the country most associated with the delicious beverage.
The French are incredibly protective of their wines and go to great lengths to ensure their quality is preserved. They even have an entire system dedicated to ensuring high quality standards and regulations are met. This system is called the Appellation
d’origine contrôlée.
If there's something the French know just as well as wine, it's food. French wines are specifically designed to pair well with food. It can be as simple as a baguette or as complex as the intricacies of fine French dining. Their wines are meant to be enjoyed with food and they are meant to be aged.
Another concept that you may have heard of before that originated in France is "terroir". Terroir is meant to describe the unique natural characteristics of a particular vineyard (such as slope of terrain, altitude, soil makeup and sun orientation). The French believe that when the same varietal of grape is planted in different regions, the wines will have their own unique taste.
One more unique thing about French wines - have you ever looked closely at the labels? You'll notice that French wines are not labeled according to their grape varietal as we are used to seeing in American or Australian wines. Rather, they are labeled according to the region of soil from which the wine was produced.
Here are some more fun facts about the French wine region!
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