Although ethnic food has changed the nature of French eating habits, most meals in France, even couscous, are accompanied by a glass of wine. (Note that alcohol is forbidden to Muslims.) France produces an enormous variety of wines. This diversity reflects the diversity of French climate and geography. A vast quantity of French land is dedicated to viticulture. The most well-known regions, Bordeaux and Bourgogne, actually produce a small percentage of quality wines. There are 11 major winemaking regions in France: le Bordelais, la Bourgogne, la Champagne, le Beaujolais, l’Alsace, la vallée du Rhône, le val de la Loire, la Provence, le Languedoc-Roussillon, le Sud-Ouest, and la Franche-Comté. In the region of Bordeaux, winemakers tend to mix different varieties of grapes to produce the best wines. There is strict legislation controlling wine production: the best wine carries the label Appellation contrôlée, which means that they are made exclusively from grapes grown in a specific area and must meet certain standards. Ordinary table wines, by contrast, are cheaper wines of unspecified origin.

1		Considérez Est-ce qu’il y a une région dans votre pays connue pour la viticulture? Quels types de vin y sont produits?