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Here is finally reissued Roger Dion’s masterpiece, which revolutionized the traditional approach to wine history and geography. No, the quality of French wines is not only due to those of the terroirs, nor to that of the grape varieties. It depends above all on the geographical position of the vineyards in relation to the markets, the tastes and expectations of customers. The classified growths of Bordeaux? They owe their wealth to the commercial strategy of the English, who from the Middle Ages sought quality products for a market made up of princes and merchants. The large installations of Burgundy? They are explained by the requirements of the court of the Dukes of Burgundy in Dijon. The fresh and open nose of the northern Côtes-du-Rhône, dominated by subtle spicy notes? It owes its originality to the expectations of the Lyon bourgeoisie. The success of Champagne? It is the result of an English invention which was very popular in British and French high society. Conversely, Languedoc took time to produce quality wines because the region experienced export difficulties: its barges going down the Canal du Midi were blocked before Bordeaux… For Roger Dion, the terroir is a “social and not geological fact”, a historical construction above all else. A loving ode to the terroirs of French wines and to the men who made them.”