3. WINES
When you think of the finest wines the world has to
offer, you almost certainly think of France. France has
been known for centuries as the home of
high-quality gourmet wines. From whites to
Champagnes to reds of every variety (and
varietal), France produces wine with expertise and
finesse.
French wine is produced in several regions
throughout France, in quantities between 50 and
60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles.
France has the world's second-largest total vineyard
area, behind Spain, and is in the position of being the
world's largest wine producer losing it once (in 2008)
to Italy.
5. Vineyards in Vosne-Romanée in Burgundy, a village that is the
source of some of France's most expensive wines.
6. Traditionally, many French wines have been blended from several grape
varieties. Varietal white wines have been, and are still, more common
than varietal red wines.
At the 2007 harvest, the most common grape varieties were the
following:
Common grape varieties in France (2007 situation, all varieties over 1 000 ha)
Variety Color Area (%) Area (hectares)
1. Merlot red 13.6% 116 715
2. Grenache red 11.3% 97 171
3. Ugni Blanc white 9.7% 83 173
4. Syrah red 8.1% 69 891
5. Carignan red 6.9% 59 210
6. Cabernet Sauvignon red 6.7% 57 913
7. Chardonnay white 5.1% 43 887
8. Cabernet Franc red 4.4% 37 508
9. Gamay red 3.7% 31 771
10. Pinot Noir red 3.4% 29 576
11. Sauvignon Blanc white 3.0% 26 062
12. Cinsaut red 2.6% 22 239
13. Melon de Bourgogne white 1.4% 12 483
14. Sémillon white 1.4% 11 864
15. Pinot Meunier red 1.3% 11 335
7. With the number of appellations in France too numerous to mention here,
they are easily defined into one of the main wine producing regions listed
below:
