When did winemaking start in France?

Making of wine started in France approximately 2600 years ago:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_French_wine

Winemaking really got going in Italy broadly about 3000 yrs ago, though there's indication that it went back much further.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_wine

However, the oldest mention in history of winemaking comes from Armenia approx. 6000 yrs ago.

Much of what we know as modern wine culture derives from the Greek civilization, who in turn passed it onto Italy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_wine

I have a neat book about the history of Chianti, the region in Tuscany, and the earlier section of the book covers the history of wine in general. It's Chianti, by Raymond Flower, fascinating to me, and not just about the wine.

Biblical chronology mentions post deluvian winemaking as far back as 4500 +/- years in what was probably Asia Minor.

I think more on a family level rather than an orgnized venture.

Winemaking in the regions where France and Italy are stated long before those countries existed as nations.

Right.

I'll drink to that
Clink!

Yep. The wines of Bordeaux were developed by the Brits.

Tired of the beer, eh?

Nope, Just showing the French how it's done.



Psssst......still doing it....

http://m.harpers.co.uk/357123.article?mobilesite=enabled

The region belonged to them at the time, and there weren't many places in the British isles with the same amount of sun, so they planted wine there.

Of course the Brits were mostly French back then... They had taste. :-)

Kidding - although if we just wait a bit, present English soil may get warmer.

Lordyawas has attachment to France, which I enjoy hearing about.

I tried to pull his lordship's leg a bit but he didn't reply...

Hah, you got it that I was kidding. Should have known.

His Lordship had gone to bed, dreaming of his imminent return to Southern Burgundy, and the small vineyard that he may one day nurture and harvest.

Last week I was patting a very friendly one of these......

Part of my trip included going with my "French" brother to have a look around this place....
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/overseas-property/property-47618456.html



We went just out of interest, really.

With the London house prices the way they are, and the French properties going SO cheaply (plus the exchange rate being so high against the problem euro), I could not only swap my ordinary London three bed home for this, but have enough left over to renovate most of the place.
I can see half of Europe moving to France before too long if the prices remain the same.

In the event it wasn't right for several reasons, but we sort of knew that before we set out and it proved a very interesting exercise.
Something about half that size (or even a quarter) with about two acres would do nicely, but it has to be ancient. If a small vineyard is included in the land, I would be in heaven.
Not long now.......

That's the Limousin breed, if I am not mistaken. That sire looks quite lordshippy, too...

Like Jo is saying, with global warming I think I'm gona retire in Wales or Scotland, tending my little vineyard there. A place by the sea, so the breeze will refresh us when the sun hits too hard...

Il est un Charollais!

Great for beef, not very good for milk.

The breed I mean, not the bull. No bulls are very good for milk. It makes the coffee taste strange.


My way of thinking is that with global warming, Burgundy should soon have Provencale type temperatures, and with the sea levels rising, I should eventually end up on the coast.
Just a theory.

These remind me of the Tuscan/Umbrian Chianina bull -

http://eng.agraria.org/cattle/chianina.htm

Sorry, I meant Charolais. The Limousin breed is red. Both for meat.

You remind me of a sci-fi novel i read in my teens, where the Mediterranean was indeed reaching Lyons due to rising sea levels. I doubt it'll come to that anytime soon. For one thing, my own corner of a vineyard in Provence would then be submarine...