French wine is produced in several regions throughout France, on over 800,000 hectares (over 2 million acres) of vineyards, and in a typical year between 50 and 60 million hectolitres of wine is produced, or some 7 to 8 billion bottles.OIV - Situation du secteur vitivinicole mondial en 2004 France has the world's second-largest total vineyard surface (behind Spain) and competes with Italy for the position of having the world's largest wine production. The earliest history of French wine goes back to the 6th century BCE, and many of France's regions count their wine-making history to Roman times.

France is the source of many grape varieties (such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah), several winemaking practices,and the names of many French wine regions such as Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne are widely known.

French wine plays an important role in French identity and pride. The combination of French wine and the equally influential French gastronomy has been an important one. Over the last decades, however, international competition in the wine industry has become more fierce, and France has been challenged both by winemakers of the New World and by traditional wine-producing countries in southern Europe, while domestic consumption of wine has decreased. Because the French wine industry is heterogeneous and ranges from production of cheap table wine to expensive First Growths and similar "luxury" wines, these changes have had varied impacts on winemakers. Regions plagued with constant overproduction of low-quality wines cannot find buyers, and many smaller growers have an increasingly difficult time making a living; however, many top producers experience high demand and high profits.

Two central concepts to high-quality French wines are the notion of terroir and the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system. "Terroir wines" reflect their place of origin, which are specified on labels of French wine, usually in terms of the wine's appellation. Appellation rules closely define which grape varieties and winemaking practices are allowed in each of France's several hundred geographically defined appellations. These rules must be followed by all producers who wish to use an AOC designation for their wines.

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