FranceWhile it was not the first country to master winemaking, no other country has determined the course of wine and wine culture as much as
France. From the sparkling wines of
Champagne to the
Pinot Noir and
Chardonnay of
Burgundy; from
Bordeaux's sumptuous blends to
Alsace's
Riesling; and from the
Loire Valley's Sauvignon Blancs to exciting new regions like Pays d'Oc in the south,
France has given the world nearly all the major styles and grape varieties that dominate what we drink today. There are numerous reasons why
France and wine are so inextricably linked, but perhaps the foremost is geography. Few places can rival
France's unique array of hot and cool-climate regions and the abundant maritime influences and mountainous terrain found throughout the country.
