France
France is the leading wine country, even though there are others that surpass it in some aspects. For example, France does not always produce the most wine in the world – sometimes it is indeed France, but often it is Italy. Moreover, many countries produce more inexpensive wines, such as Chile and South Africa.
The climatic conditions for viticulture in France are ideal: not too harsh winters, not too dry summers, with sufficient rain and sunshine. Many wine regions also benefit from a microclimate and possess an enormous variety of soil types. The composition of the soil often varies per district, per municipality, and often even between adjacent vineyards. These factors, in combination with the right grape varieties and the deeply rooted traditions per region, result in an enormous variety of wines.
Wine is intertwined with French culture, although per capita consumption has significantly decreased over the past decades. This has nothing to do with quality, but in France, too, regulations regarding alcohol advertising and drunk driving have become increasingly restrictive over the last few decades.
In total, there are approximately 850,000 hectares of vineyards in France. About half of these are classified in the highest category. The French term for the highest category of quality wines is: Appellation d'Origine Protégée (AOP). French wines serve as a benchmark for the rest of the world.
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