French wine History

French is for majority synonymous of wine pleasure, since the early century of our world as you can see with this chronology :

  • 600 before J.C: Creation of Massalia (Marseille) and first introduction of vine in France. Beginning of the story of the french wine
  • 125 before J.-C: 1st big area of vineyard, across the Via Domitia : la Narbonnaise
  • 1st century : Vineyard in the vallée du rhône.
  • 2nd Century:First vine in the area of Bordeaux
  • 3rd Century: Turn to the Vallée de la loire to cultivate vine grape
  • 312 : Eumène d’Autun write the first law to legalize Burgundy wine
  • 350 : Vine is cultivated everywhere in France.
  • 1098 Birth of the Citeaux Monastery,  imoprtant for the rules of viticulture.
  • 1152 Wedding of Eléonore d’Aquitaine with Henri II de Plantagenêt, King of England. Beginning of the first commercial exchange between Bordeaux and London
  • 1241 Priority for Bordeaux area wine. Other wine maker must wait the day of the St Martin to sell their wine.
  • 1305 Discovery of distilation process for « Eaux de vie »
  • 1351 First law to protect consumer. It’s now forbidden to give a name to a wine different of its origin of production.
  • 1360First Royal law identify three AOC : French Wine, Burgundy Wine and Grand Prix wine.
  • 1395 Paris is the first vineyard of France.
  • 1492 Vine is now importated in New Zealand, Australia, South america
  • 1531 A bishop of Limoux discover by chance how to make effervescent wine.
  • 16th century: Dutchmen create in South west a new process of wine making for white wine with high degree of alcohol. It’s the birth of Cognac and Armagnac.
  • 1695 The prior of Hautvillers en Champagne abbay, Dom Pérignon, invent the first cork for effervescent wine.
  • 17th century Wine is consum near is production aera. But by the end of 17th century. A la fin du 17ème, wine could be transported easily with the invention of the bottle and cork.
  • 1731 Louis XV King of France banned  new plantation of vine outside knowing historical area.
  • 1776 End of Bordeaux wine priority : l’Edit de Turgot allowed transportation of wine in all the country.
  • 18171.977.000 ha of vine in France. Most important never seen.
  • 1889Legal definition of wine in the law of August the 14th.
  • 1919 First law on AOC wine
  • 1935 Official Birth of the INAO, National institute for AOC.
  • 1945 Birth of VDQS : First AOC of quality superior
  • 1948 Creation of the CIVB, first syndicat for Bordeaux Wine.
  • 1991 Evin Law banned all publicity in France on alcohol and wine.

Some data on French wine

  • 850 000 ha of vine
  • 3 924 000 000 bottles produced in France
  • 43 litter of wine per habitant per year

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