France

France unquestionably is home to some of the greatest wine regions and benchmark wines on earth. Arguably the world's most important wine-producing country, it has produced wine in greater quantity, and quality, than any other nation over centuries. Of course, wine is ingrained in near every corner of the country and its culture, at near every level of society. It is the drink of both the elite and the common people, and a key symbol in Roman Catholicism, France's majority religion.

History, prestige, and volume aside, the sheer styles and range of wines available is impressive. Red, white, rosé, sweet, dry, sparkling, opulent, austere, mineral-laden, fruit-forward… there is something for everyone. Just look to some of the famous regions: Champagne, Bordeaux, Bourgogne, Rhône, Loire, Jura, Languedoc +++, and there is most certainly something to suit all palates. In modern winemaking, it has been fascinating and rewarding to see the new generation of winemakers (sometimes 5/6/7^th generation vigneron) telling the story of the soils and regions in new ways.