Introduction to France

Question 1

France’s wine history up to 1600

Answer 1

• Roman Gaul (1C BC to 5C AD)
  
  • Wines from Italy
  • planting in Marseille (‘the Greek colony”)
  • large scale vine growing in South: 1st C in Rhone Valley and near to Bordeaux - sea access
• Charlemagne (Roman Emperor 800 AD) big expansion
• Monasteries 1000 AD big expansion
• Middle Ages (1066-1485) important exports to England, Scotland, Flanders & Holland

Question 2

What was key geographical driver in France’s early wine development?

Answer 2

• Transport by water
  
  • Rivers and sea created key markets
  • Bordeaux access to Britain, Holland & Flanders
• Transport on land tricky
  
  • Paris supplied by major rivers
    
    • local vineyards (Auxerre, Chablis, now abandoned)
    • Loire

Question 3

What was the key development in Bordeaux in 17th C

Answer 3

• Draining of the marshes in the Medoc by Ducth engineers
  
  • exposed fast-draining, gravel soils
  • ports close to Bordeaux became key trading channel for N Europe and Paris
• Led to 1855 classification

Question 4

Setbacks to french viticulture in seoncd half 19th C?

Answer 4

• powdery mildew
• downy mildew
• black rot
• phylloxera

only recovered in early 20C as solutions found, then implemented industry-wide

Question 5

France’s vineyard area (incl table grapes and brandy) was dramatically reduced between 1970 and early 2010s. Why and by how much?

Answer 5

• EU vine pull scheme
• area fell by 1/3

Question 6

Climate extremes of France grape growing regions generally

Answer 6

• Latitude 42-49 degrees North
  
  • northerly Atlantic-infleunced Muscadet
  • continental Burgundy
  • Mediterranean Province

Question 7

Vineyard management in France generally

Answer 7

• Mainly high density trellis-trained
  
  • often cane-replacement pruned Guyot with VSP
• bush vines in South of France

Question 8

Increase in certified organic grape growing in France?

Answer 8

• Fourfold in decade to 2017

Question 9

Top 10 grape varieties grown in France and approximate hectarage

(incl wine, brandy and table grapes)

Answer 9

1. Merlot 115k
2. = Ugni Blanc 80k ha
3. = Grenache Noir 80k ha
4. Syrah 62k ha
5. Chardonnay 52k ha
6. Cabernet Sauvignon 50k ha
7. = Cabernet Franc 33k ha
8. = Carignan 33k ha
9. Pinot Noir 32k
10. Sauvignon Blanc 30k ha

Question 10

Three of France’s contributions to wine-making progress according to WSET

Answer 10

• Chaptalisation (enrichment) in cooler areas
• Maturation in oak barrels (large cooperage industry)
• Large sciencific sector: institutions in Bordeax and Monpellier

Question 11

Describe the laws governing the French wine industry

Answer 11

• 1935 INAO (Institut National des Appellations d’Origine, now et de la Qualité)
  
  • oversaw Appellation d’Origine Controllé AOC
  • 2009 Indication Géographique Protegee IGP
• ​AOCs geographical based on terroir: prescribed
  
  • varieties, planting density, training systems, max yields, min alcohol, min maturation, earliest sale date

Question 12

Can French wines have the grape variety on their labels?

Answer 12

• Yes, due to success of varietally labelled new world wines
  
  • from 2009 all EU wines can have grape(s) alongside appellation eg Bourgogne AOC Chardonnay
  • wines w/o geogrpahical indication can carry name of varieti(es) and vintage

Question 13

One slide on wine business of France

Answer 13

• Av vineyard size much higher than Italy/Spain but
  
  • co-ops 40% total production (small growers)
• consumption per capita half 100 years ago
• 3/4 vol sales through small/med local cos/ private label - highly fragmented. Top 3 Castel Freres (12% vol sales), Carrefour France, ITM Enterprises
• Exports less volume than Spain or Italy, but 50% more value than Italy and 3 x value of Spain
• Imports cheap wine, esp from Spain, causing tension between importers & French growers