Why has the french wine industry Flourished?

Question

I have no current ideas, but I have a suspicion that It is he soil that helps the grapes grow and be nourished.

Answer 1

Grape vines can actually grow in a wide variety of soils and climates (giving different types of grapes and different qualities of wine), not necessarily in poor soil as France has excellent, sediment-rich soil for agriculture with regions capable of supporting both cereal crops and quality vineyards (the Berry and Loire for instance). But the important factor for wine is good drainage rather than soil composition. Most French soils are very sandy and contain limestone, which allows for good drainage.

However soil is not the only reason. France owes its viticulture to its Roman and Catholic heritage. Romans introduced wine-making and later, Catholic monks continued producing it and, most of all, they perfected it (Roman wine is thought to have tasted more like vinegar). Therefore they have several centuries of know-how, which they exported, along with their vines, to the wine-growing regions of the New World, especially in California. Before the Roman conquest, Gaul was a beer-drinking country.

Edit: I don't understand the first respondent's theory/logic since France is one of the countries "where cereal grains flourish" the most. It is one of the world's major wheat producers and exporters. The agricultural surface area devoted to cereals is over 9 times larger than the surface devoted to vineyards. Have you ever driven through French cornfields? All you see for hours and hours (sigh...) is corn. Comparatively (to country size) France produces much more cereal than the US and is the second exporter in the world.

The Neolithic people were growing wheat in the fertile Rhone and Loire valleys (now famous wine regions) and wine developed in areas that had already been settled due to the abundance of natural agricultural ressources, so the culture of wine certainly didn't derive from an inability to grow "more nutritious crops", on the contrary it was able to thrive in regions where people could feed themselves. And how do you think the Gauls were making their beer if not from cereal?

>>> Which reminds me: it was the Gauls who invented the wooden barrel (to keep their beer), so it improved the fermenting process, thus the quality of wine, as the Romans borrowed their invention when they invaded Gaul. Another thing, wild grape vines are native to the Mediterranean regions and were growing naturally in the south of France. The Romans took advantage of the fact that the ingredient was available.

Answer 2

Actually viticulture flourishes in places where the soil will not support other crops but where there is sufficient sun and rain to allow grapes to grow. Places with better soil tend to raise more nutritious crops.

EDIT: Grapes obviously CAN grow in better soil but the question is why so much attention is placed on viticulture in France.

In every nation people grow first what can be grown and concentrate on doing the best they can with what they have.

The grape grows in places that wheat does not do well. In places where cereal grains flourish  that is the crop that is planted and the arduous process of growing grapes is ignored.

EDIT2: Yes, I understand that France today is the premier agricultural nation in Europe. And the French don't traditionally raise grapes where they can raise cereal grains. In this they are no different than any other country.

Its also true that almost every nation makes alcohol of some kind.

Making alcohol from grapes is an example of good land use because grapes which produce good wine grow well in areas where cereal grain production would be low. The flinty soil which produces the best grapes is not the best soil for raising wheat.

Yes, the Gauls were good farmers but that was more a factor of their development of better farming methods and tools than the quality of the soil.

Answer 3

Seems to me it is the American wine that is flourishing. American wines are winning  most of the great wine tastings. Now, come to Napa valley and try some really great wine.