Wine Map of France
France vineyards cover 787 000 hectares. It has the third largest vineyard in the world after China, second now and still growing. The title of biggest vineyard is still for Spain. Each year France disputes the title of world biggest wine producer with Italy and Spain. According to OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine), France was the second biggest wine producer in 2017 after Italy.
The appellation system is based on AOP (Appellation d'Origine Protégée), IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) and Vins de France (generic wines). The main wine producing regions are Bordeaux, Burgundy, Languedoc, Champagne, the Loire Valley, Alsace, Rhône, Provence and Corsica (cf. our wine region maps below).
Some History :
600 BC : Wine growing appears in France with the creation of Massilia, Marseille, by the Greeks. From the close suburbs of the town where the first vineyards were cultivated by the greeks, the viticulture spreads in Gaul to Provence (Ile de Martigues, Lançon) and Languedoc (Port de Lattes) in the Vth century BC.
50 BC : The vineyards have moved north in the Rhône Valley and reached Lyon.
70 AD : Vines are cultivated in Bordeaux area.
92 AD : Domitian, 11th Emperor of the Roman Empire, bans the plantation of new vineyards in Italy and orders that half the existing vines be uprooted in the Roman provinces. It comes after the destruction of Pompeii area vineyards in the Vesuvius Eruption of 79 AD and the market unbalances resulting from vine plantations in Roma area in the following years leading to a shortage of cereals.
276 AD : Marcus Aurelius Probus, 47th Emperor of the Roman Empire, repeals Domitian's edict allowing vineyards to be planted removing any restrictions on the development of viticulture.
IIIrd AD : Vineyards reach the Loire Valley and Jura.
IVth AD : Vines are cultivated in Ile de France, Champagne and Moselle.
476 AD : The end of the Roman Empire is the dawn of a new era for french vineyards which will survive under the control and security of the clergy.
Middle Ages : With the Christian Church need of sacramental wine and the fear aroused by the monks during the barbarians invasions, monasteries and abbeys became the caretakers of the vineyards and the winemaking tradition in France.
1152 AD : The wine trade between Bordeaux and England increases dramatically following the marriage of the heir to the Duchy of Aquitaine, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Henry Plantagenet, who will become King Henry II of England.
Some Geography :
The main wine regions of France are Alsace, Beaujolais, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Corsica, Jura, Languedoc, Loire, Provence, Rhône, Savoy and the South West of France.
There are currently 339 AOC / AOP (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée / Appellation d'Origine Protégée) and 74 IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) for french wines.
Vineyards and Wineries of France
- Domaine de Papolle
- Armagnac
- France
- Champagne DEVAUX
- Champagne
- France
- Champagne PELIGRI Christian
- Champagne AOC
- France
- Château Haut-Garriga
- Bordeaux
- France
Wine regions of France
Alsace Vineyard Map
Alsatian Vineyards and Grands Crus wines
Beaujolais Vineyard Map
Beaujolais Villages et Beaujolais AOP
Bordeaux Vineyard Map
Médoc, Libournais, Graves and Sauternes vineyards including Pauillac, Saint-Estèphe, Saint-Julien, Margaux, Pomerol, Saint-Emilion, Pessac-Léognan, Sauternes
Bugey Savoie Vineyard Map
Vin du Bugey, Vin de Savoie, Crépy and Sessel
Burgundy Wine Map
Côte d'Or: Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune; Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais. Appellations régionales, communales, premiers crus et grands crus.
Chablis Chatillonais Vineyard Map
Vineyards of Chablis Grand Cru, Chablis Premier Cru, Chablis, Petit Chablis, Saint-Bris, Irancy
Champagne Vineyard Map
Vineyards of Champagne: Vallée de la Vesle, Vallée de l'Ardre, Montagne de Reims, Vallée de la Marne, Côte de Blancs, Côte de Sézanne, Troyes, Côte de l'Aube and Rosé des Riceys
Corsica Vineyard Map
Corsican Vineyards and Wines: Patrimonio, Ajaccio, Vin de Corse Sartène, Fin de Corse Figari, Vin de Corse Porto-Vecchio, Vin de Corse Calvi, Vin de Corse
The last Languedoc Roussillon Vineyard Map
Vineyards and wines of Languedoc Roussillon: Coteaux du Languedoc, Costières-de-Nîmes, Clairette de Bellegarde, Muscat de Lunel, Muscat de Mireval, Muscat de Frontignan, Muscat de Saint-Jean-de-Minervois, Minervois, Cabardès, Côtes de la Maelpère, Corbières, Blanquette de Limoux, Fitou, Côtes du Roussillon Villages, Maury, Côtes du Roussillon, Collioure, Banyuls
Loire Valley Vineyard Map
Loire Valley Vineyards and Wines: Sancerre, Coteaux du Giennois, Orléanais, Touraine, Anjou-Saumur, Pouilly fumé, Pouilly sur Loire, Menetou-Salon, Valençay, Quincy, Reuilly, Châteaumeillant, Saint-Pourçain, Côtes Roannaises, Côtes d'Auvergne, Côtes du Forez
Provence Vineyard Map
Vineyards and Wines of Provence: Côtes de Provence, Coteaux Varois en Provence, Coteaux d'Aix en Provence, Coteaux de Pierrevert, Coteaux des Baux de Provence, Palette, Cassis, Bandol, Bellet
Rhône Valley Vineyard Map
Rhône Vineyards and Wines: Côtes du Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages, Côte Rôtie, Château Grillet, Condrieu, Saint-Joseph, Crozes Hermitage, Hermitage, Cornas, Saint Péray, Clairette de Die, Châtillon en Diois, Coteaux du Tricastin, Côtes du Vivarais, Gigondas, Châteauneuf du Pape, Lirac, Tavel, Vacqueyras, Rasteau, Beaumes de Venise, Costières de Nîmes, Clairette de Bellegarde