Modern Renaissance

Today's French wine industry balances tradition with innovation. The appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) system, established in the 1930s, protects regional styles and practices. Yet within these rules, winemakers express individual creativity.

The natural wine movement, led by pioneers like Marcel Lapierre and now championed by a diverse new generation, questions the need for additives and intervention. Biodynamic producers follow lunar cycles and use homeopathic treatments, practices that might seem mystical but often produce wines of stunning purity.

Climate change poses new challenges and opportunities. Southern regions experiment with drought-resistant varieties, while warming temperatures allow Champagne to achieve ripeness more consistently. English sparkling wine, made with the same grapes and methods as Champagne, now wins blind tastings—a development that would have been unthinkable a generation ago.