20 / 102
"pie
W
mes
of
France
KODUCING
some
2,000
différent
varieties of
wine,
the
most
noted
Brandy
distilled
from
wine,
and
varions
liqueurs
based
on
wine,
France
stands
to-day
foremost
among
the
nations
as
a
wine
country.
Its
vineyards
are
innnmerable.
It
lias
not
attained
this
point
of
supremacy
so
easily,
how-
ever,
as
the
story
of
the
vine
in
France
pictnres
many
difficul-
ties
and
hardships,
the
vineyardists
struggling
against
ail
nian-
ner
of
discouragement.
In
fact,
throughout
the
entire
history
of
this
country,
the
story
of
wine-making
is
closely
interwoven,
and,
at
some
of
the
most
critical
times
in
its
history,
the
part
played
by
the
vine
was
important.
Yet,
strange
to say,
the
vine
was
not
native
to
France,
but,
according
to
best
authority,
was
introduced
there
during
the
sixth
century,
B.
C.
It
was
with
the
advent
of
the Christian
Church,
however,
that
the
planting
of
vineyards
became
universal
in
France,
and
its
more
glorious
history
then
began.
Indeed,
the
monks
are
largely
responsible
for
the
popularity
of
wine
drinking,
making
and
seliing
it
them-
selves,
and
have
given
to
the
world
some
of
the
more
popular
^
arieties.
But,
to-day,
the
position
of
France
as
a
wine-making
conn-
try
is
unquestioned,
and
this
is
one
of
the
country's
most
im-
portant
industries,
and
is
so
recognized
to
such
an
extent
that
the
Government
has
become
paternalistic
in
regard
to
it.
For
example,
a
law
adopted
December
17,
1908,
established
the
boundaries
of
the
région
from
whose
grapes
the
wine
produced
is
alone
permitted
to
be
called
Champagne,
and,
during
the
présent
year,
a
new
law
has.been
proposed
to
further
guarantee
the
origin
of
Champagne
wine
in
the
région
whose
boundaries
were
fixed
in
the
former
law.
The
soil
of
France
is
varied
in
the
différent
sections,
which
are
known
as
"departments,"
and
in
each
of
thèse
departments
wines
of
entirely
différent
character
are
produced.
Those
which
are
most
generally
and
favorably
known
are
Champagne,
Sau-
ternes,
Clarets,
and
Burgundies.
As
other
articles
in
this
book
are
devoted
to
Champagne,
Sauternes,
and
Clarets,
it
is
un-
necessary
to
dwell
upon
them
at
length
here.
The
story
of
Champagne,
however,
bears
ont
what
has
been
said
about
the
important
part
played
by
the
Church
in
developing
the
making