The History of Winemaking in France

Posted by kalen mok on June 11th, 2022

If you love learning about different cultures, you'll appreciate learning about the history of winemaking in France. From aristocratic families to the earliest communes, France's wine industry has a rich history. But to understand its history, you must know how grapes are harvested. In the past, the grapes were brought to France from the New World. But the influx of new grapes led to a sharp decline in yields, largely due to diseases brought by the New World. But as the 20th century rolled around, the country's winemaking industry was booming, thanks to a new law that allowed citizens to buy wine at birth.

The rise of wine trade was one of the main incentives for the Greeks, Etruscans, and Romans to expand their influence across the Mediterranean Sea. They brought with them new technology, social customs, and religious beliefs, and they replaced a fermented drink derived from different natural products with wine. The history of winemaking in France reveals a rich, diverse history of invention and a flow of technology and ideas.

In the 1970s, a new generation of winemakers took up the tradition of viticulture and established a national system of classification for wine, called terroir. These factors contribute to the unique flavors of wine. In France, terroir is the combination of climate, soil, and altitude that make a certain grape grow well in a particular region. This is why there are so many different appellations and sub-regions, each producing a different type of wine.

Bordeaux, which became the main region for winemaking in the Middle Ages, is the wine-making hub. This region had favorable climate conditions and was shipped by sea to the English ports. During the 12th and fifteenth centuries, huge shipments of wine were made to England. This wine was made from green and black grapes and had a rosy color. Throughout the seventeenth century, clairet became the dominant wine style.

Winemaking has been a staple in human evolution since the mists of time. Ancient Greek poets and writers praised wine, and even used it as a metaphor. Homer's 'wine dark sea' caused much debate about the true colour of the Mediterranean. While some say Homer's wine was blue, Caro Feely believes the phrase referred to the sea in the evening. Regardless, a history of winemaking in France is a fascinating one.

After the fall of the Roman empire, France slipped into the shoes of its southern neighbours. Christianity began requiring wine for liturgy. Monks were notorious for drinking. As the church gained popularity, winemaking began to spread throughout the Christian world. Charlemagne even owned vineyards in Burgundy. However, the aristocracy began to be more interested in winemaking during the medieval period.

The first winemaking in France dates back to the 1st century B.C., and grapes were brought from Italy to southern France by the Etruscans. Archaeologists have long believed that winemaking by Etruscans was brought to southern France by these people. This theory was confirmed when archaeologists examined the residue left in ancient Etruscan amphoras. These amphoras were used as shipping containers to carry wine, olive oil, and other goods around the Mediterranean.