French Wine History
France and wine have been intertwined for thousands of years. Through the good and bad times throughout France’s history, wine has almost always been involved some way or another. And in turn France has had an enormous impact on the world’s wine industry.
France’s wine industry began with the Ancient Greeks. They were the first people to spread the grapevine and begin making wine in France. Later, the Ancient Romans continued the Greek custom of winemaking and went on to spread the vine to even more regions of modern-day France. They also introduced new technologies and techniques to improve both winemaking and grape growing.
The Catholic Church’s Role in French Wine
Once wine was introduced an industry quickly began flourishing. But after the decline of the Romans, it was actually the Catholic Church that became the main group involved in winemaking. The Church needed wine for their services and customs. The Catholic Church dominated the wine industry throughout the Middle Ages, and owned a large portion of France’s vineyards. Many monasteries of different orders were in charge of growing grapes and making wine for both the monastery and the church. The knowledge of winemaking and grape growing were preserved by many monks throughout the Church. These same monks also contributed new techniques, inventions, and ideas to the world of wine, some of which are still in use today.
The majority of the French wine industry was in the hands of the Church for centuries. However, this came to an abrupt end with the rise of the French Revolution. One of the goals of the French Revolution was to limit the massive amount of power and influence the Catholic Church had acquired. This was done in part by taking away many lands the Church owned, including many vineyards. These vineyards were passed out among the general population, ending the Church’s control over France’s wine industry.
France’s Wine Faces Hardships
By the 19th century, grapes were growing in almost every region over France, even Northern France, which today is known for cider production rather than wine. Wine had become a staple in the French diet, and plenty of wine needed to be produced to meet the demands. This continued until France experienced several historical events that would harm both the wine industry and country. The first was the grapevine disease, phylloxera from the United States. This disease nearly wiped out all of France’s vineyards before a feasible solution was found to stop the disease. The second and third were World War 1 and World War 2. Both wars created major hardships for both the French people and their wine.
Despite these major setbacks the French wine industry has remained strong in modern times. France is currently the second largest wine producing country in the world, behind only Italy. They produced a staggering 46.6 million hectolitres of wine in 2020, which accounted for about 18% of the world’s total wine production. Some of the most famous wine regions in the world are located in France, including Burgundy and Bordeaux. Both of which are responsible for producing some of the most expensive bottles of wine in the world.
Below is a timeline of some of the most important moments in France’s wine history. Together they show how France has achieved their successful modern-day wine industry, and how they became one of the world leaders in wine today.
-
6th century BC
The first wine was produced in France
French wine dates back to the Greek colonization of Southern... -
125 BC
Planting of the “Narbonnaise,” a vast wine region through by the Via Domitia begun
Narbonne, the provincial capital of the Gaule narbonnaise, was established... -
7 BC
Greek geographer Strabo observed that places around Massilia and Narbo would be able to produce the same crops as Italy.
Strabo, a Greek geographer, reported in 7 BC that whereas... -
43 AD
First vines in Bordeaux
Bordeaux wine production appears to have started sometime after 43... -
92 AD
Roman Emperor Domitian prohibited the planation of grapes in Rome
In addition to forbidding the planting of new grapes in... -
496 AD
Champagne’s place in history was secured
Before the Middle Ages, wine was blessed and used to... -
800-888 AD
Influence of the Carolingian era
With the rise of vineyards in medieval France, a new... -
1098
Citeaux monastery was founded
A group of monks from Molesme Abbey established Cîteaux Abbey... -
1110
In Burgundy, Clos de Vougeot vineyard was established
The majority of the vineyard land belonging to the municipality... -
1152
The marriage of Henry Plantagenet and Aliénor d’Aquitaine impacted wine production
Despite being widely consumed locally, French wine was rarely exported... -
1295
The effect of the Auld Alliance
The Scots had easy access to French wines thanks to... -
13th Century
In order to offer Bordeaux wine a distinct commercial advantage, police des vins code was established
The police des vins are a system of laws and... -
1305
The move of the papacy to Avignon from Rome
Following Pope Clement V’s election in 1305, the pope was... -
1453
Gascony came back under French control improving the Bordeaux-English wine trade
When Gascony returned to French power in 1453, the Hundred... -
1531
The process of turning still wine into sparkling wine was discovered
The method of converting still wine into sparkling wine was... -
1600-1650
Wine and Brandy Trade between France and the Dutch Republic increased
The Dutch (especially those from Holland and Zeeland) had a... -
1668
The abbey of Hautvillers selected Brother Pierre Perignon as its treasurer
Located north of Épernay, the abbey of Hautvillers appointed Brother... -
1756
The Academy of Bordeaux requested papers from students on the subject of wine clarification
With university-sponsored studies and treatises on wine-related themes, the study... -
1814
love of Champagne that united the European powers at the Congress of Vienna
The four major European nations that opposed the French Empire... -
1855
The 1855 classification of Bordeaux in 1855 Paris Exposition
Emperor Napoleon III asked the Bordeaux merchants to compile a... -
1863
First case of Phylloxera was recorded in France
Europeans had been experimenting with American vines and plants in... -
1907
Languedoc growers’ uprising occurred
The French government of Georges Clemenceau suppressed the Revolt of... -
1919
the law Protection of Appellations of Origin introduced
Geographical indications of the origins of products, particularly wine and... -
1935
Burgundy wine region created
Burgundy wine is produced in the valleys and slopes west... -
1935
Joseph Capus founded the “Institut National des Appellations d’Origine” and the AOC regions.
The French agency in charge of policing French agricultural products... -
1936
Loire Valley wine region established
Despite being the third-largest producer in France, Loire Valley is... -
1948
Creation of Law to establish the ‘Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux’
The Bordeaux Wine Council, or “CIVB,” is an organizing body... -
1949
VDQS wine areas were created
In order to bridge the gap between the most renowned... -
1951
Provence VDQS first established
The major appellation of the Provence wine area in southeast... -
1953
Alsace Wine Route established
The Alsace Wine Route is France’s first wine route. Its... -
1969
The ‘Union de la Sommellerie Française’ (UDSF, French Sommelier Association) was established
The Union de la Sommellerie Française, which was founded in...
References:
Karlsson, Per and Britt. n.d. “Wine Production in the World in 2020, a Detailed Look.” Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/karlsson/2021/12/30/wine-production-in-the-world-in-2020-a-detailed-look/.