France - Introduction

Question 1

Where were vines initially planted in France and why?

Answer 1

• Only in the south of the country
• E.g. Rhône valley and near Bordeaux with easy access to the sea for trading

Question 2

What was the main driver for the development of key export markets?

Answer 2

• Major rivers and the sea facilitated the movement of wine
• Difficulty of transporting wine overland

Question 3

What region saw a huge expansion in 17th to 19th century and why?

Answer 3

• Bordeaux
• Draining of the marshes in the Médoc by Dutch engineers in the 17th century

Question 4

What problems did France face in the second half of the 19th century?

Answer 4

• Powdery mildew, downy mildew, black rot and phylloxera
• Only fully recovered in the beginning of the 20th century

Question 5

Why and by how much did the area under vine fall between 1970 and 2010?

Answer 5

• EU vine pull scheme
• By 1/3

Question 6

Between what latitude range the regions in France?

Answer 6

42-49° N

Question 7

How are almost all vines in France planted and trained?

Answer 7

• High density
• Vines trained on trellises (often Guyot with VSP)

Question 8

What percentage of vineyards is organic? What is the trend?

Answer 8

• 10%
• Strong increase

Question 9

What institute shaped the French wine industry and when was it founded?

Answer 9

• INAO
• 1935

Question 10

Was does the INAO oversee?

Answer 10

• AOC
• IGP

Question 11

What is the AOC?

Answer 11

• Geographically defined appellation system
• Includes detailed rules about production
• Is based on the idea of terroir

Question 12

How much of the vine is produced by co-operatives?

Answer 12

40%

Question 13

How does France compare to Italy and Spain in terms of avg. size of vineyards holding?

Answer 13

• Much higher
• 10.5 ha

Question 14

How does France compare to Italy and Spain in terms of export by volume and value?

Answer 14

• Exports less volume
• Exports by far the most value