The history of French Wine began over two thousand years ago, when the region of modern France was occupied by the ancient Greeks. The Roman Empire also supported the manufacture of wine in France. There were benefits and special permits issued by the empire. St.Martin of Tours preached the Christian religion and also explained the potential in developing vineyards to the French. This was the reason why, until the time of the French Revolution, the major vineyards were owned by the monasteries. They were also responsible for preserving the early technique of wine production when the region of modern France was under different pressures during the Medieval Era, the period which started in the fifth century and lasted for a thousand years.

Because the French wine industry, which was run by French monestaries until the early eighteenth century, had flourished on a large scale, it gave the church an enormous amount of control over the economy of the region. In the last quarter of the eighteenth century, this system collapsed and the ruling dynasty took control, which led to the downfall of the French wine industry as it was known then. Immediately after this power struggle took place, the yields in the French vineyards were profoundly affected by an epidemic of Mildew a botanical disease called Grape Phylloxera, causing a great deal of harm to the crops. Major vineyards were destroyed due to this epidemic, which in turn weakened the French economy like never before. The downfall of the French wine industry further continued due to the two world wars. It was only in the second half of the twentieth century that the French wine industry picked up again with support from the government.

In the twentieth century two important organizations were formed in France for the regulation and protection of the French wine industry. These organizations were namely the Appellation d’origine controlee and the Institut National des Appellations d’Origine.
The former organization was formed mainly to protect the French wine at its place of origin while the latter was to control the French wine processing systems.

In modern times, the various names of French wines reflect the location of the vineyards from which the grapes used for making the brand originated. Sometimes, the same region may have two different varieties of grapes and thus each region may manufacture one or more brands of wine. Some of these varieties include Sauvignon Blanc in Loire, Chardonnay in Bourgogne and Cabernet Sauvignon in Bordeaux.