Anyone that loves wine is probably going to agree that French wines are some of the best in the business, if not the absolute best in the world.  How can such a small country be such a dominant force in the winemaking world?  What makes wines from France so superior to wines you find in other parts of the world?

The country of France has been one that has always taken pride in its food, and French wines are a very important part of that.  Professional chefs have long been highly regarded in French society, and this has been true for hundreds of years.  During the Middle Ages, lavish banquets were common, and during the time of Napoleon the ability of personal cooks and chefs to produce new and exotic dishes was almost revered.  The French celebrated virtually everything with large meals and painstakingly prepared dishes, and enjoyed rich food for their everyday meals as well.  To this day the French still consider food preparation and the making of wine an art form and go to great lengths to maintain a very high standard for the rest of the world.

Wine is also commonly enjoyed in France, and not saved for special occasions the way it is with some cultures.  This no doubt has contributed to the reasons why French wines are of such high quality; after all, if you're going to enjoy a beverage every day, it would only make sense that you would do everything to improve upon it and its varieties.  Think of what happened with coffee in the United States in the last few years - since so many enjoy it every day, why not spruce it up a bit with some new varieties and improve the quality as much as possible? 

Many grapes used by other winemakers actually originated in France and have long been a part of real wines from France.  This means that many wines from other parts of the world are trying to imitate these wines from France.  Some of the most well-known winemaking practices and processes were perfected on French wines before they were pursued by other winemakers around the world.  The names of many regions such as Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne are well-known throughout the world, and have become synonymous with fine wines. 

In the past few years, French wines have faced stiff competition from other regions around the world when it comes to the winemaking industry.  It's interesting to note however that French wines are available in such wide varieties from such diverse growers that some vineyards have suffered quite a bit due to this competition while other, more established wineries have been hardly affected at all.  Some of the smaller, less quality, table wines have had a hard time keeping up while the most popular and more expensive wines are virtually untouched when it comes to their sales figures.

So it seems that French wines will always be considered the best when it comes to the winemaking industry, and since the French take such great pride in all things they produce, it's really no wonder.