Corney & Barrow 

France is without doubt the world’s supreme wine-producing country, unmatched for the finesse, style and sheer diversity of its wines. Bordeaux , Burgundy , Champagne , Alsace , Languedoc-Roussillon , Loire and Rhône valleys… France’s revered wine regions form a roll of honour beyond compare. The enduring appeal of France’s classic wine styles turns on the peculiarly French – and often controversial – concept of terroir , the belief in wine with a ‘sense of place’, with flavours and textures unique to its location, climate, terrain and soil, for which the grape provides a blank canvas. While competition from new world wines – consumer-friendly, fruit-forward and labelled by variety (French, naturellement ) – is helping to revitalise France’s wine industry, France’s terroir approach is bringing exciting change to new world wine countries too, reaffirming France’s pioneering role in the world of wine.

Photo: Vineyards in Chambertin, Burgundy