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This is the third in Andrew Jefford's series of wine books and joins The New Spain and The New Italy as building blocks in any wine lover's collection of must-have books.
From Champagne to Corsica and everything in between, Jefford leaves none of the country's 14 wine regions unexplored. He describes France as "elemental alchemy" that "historically, has turned its earth and air into wine of greater beauty and profundity than any other nation on earth." And it's from here that Jefford makes his case for the wines of modern France that now must compete on the world stage and do so with alacrity as a new generation of French winemakers abandon the chauvinism of their fathers.
Jefford is passionately convinced that France leads the wine world because they understand that terroir matters. The winegrowers understand their land, respect it by sustainable cultivation and allow its unique qualities to characterize the wine thus making truly great wine. The Appellation Controllée system for the most part works and works well, helping to preserve and promote this important regional diversity. And in France, it is still mainly families that make wine, not big corporations.
This is easily a groundbreaking work and not only because its focus goes beyond Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne. Its scope is broad and lesser regions are explored. Throughout this intimate and in-depth portrait, Jefford acquaints us with some of the most interesting and influential figures in each region, never losing sight of how France has changed and progressed in its winemaking. The New France is a rewarding journey into modern French wine.
Reviewed by Judith Lane, wine writer | 
