Brief History of French Wine Making

French winemaking started in the 6th century BC after the Greek settlers colonized Southern Gaul. However, it was the Romans who planted vines in all the major wine regions in the 300s. Since then, the French wine industry continued to flourish – until mildew and Phylloxera spread in the 19th century, and entire vineyards had to be destroyed and replanted.

The following economic downturn in Europe, and the two world wars led to a depression in the French wine industry that lasted for a few decades. In 1935, the Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) was established to protect French interests. This system defined geographical wine regions and their distinct characteristics (terroir) to protect the quality of the produce and to prevent fraud.

Later, huge investments and the efforts of a new generation of French winemakers since the 1970s created the modern French wine industry as we know today.