In ancient times France was part of the Celtic territory known as Gaul or Gallia. Its present name is derived from the Latin Francia, meaning "country of the Franks," a Germanic people who conquered the area during the 5th century, at the time of the fall of the Western Roman Empire. It became a separate country in the 9th century. Since the 17th century, France has played a major role in European and world events. In the 20th century, it experienced numerous crises, including the devastation of two world wars. It has, however, survived and emerged from the ruins of World War II to become an important nation and the third largest country in Europe.

Ever since the Middle Ages, creators of everything from palaces to subway stations have drawn at least some inspiration from designs born in France. The monuments tell the stories of a land that was shaped by the rise and fall of rulers and empires since ancient times. Nowadays France is a developed country with the sixth-largest economy in the world. It is considered as one of the post World War II great powers. France remains one of the most popular international tourist destinations in the world.

One of the best reasons to visit France is to enjoy the abundant variety and quality of their foods and wines. France has a long and fascinating heritage of wine-producing. But how did France become the established wine trend setter, the gold standard for so many producing countries? Experience and exceptional terroir have all played a key role in building the French reputation for classic wines. History reveals that the Greeks and Romans are credited for planting and growing the early vineyards. Then around the 5th century the church became the dominant keeper of the vine and the primary producer of the wines, used predominantly for the Holy Sacrament. Through the centuries the vineyards of France continued to develop as did foreign trade.

However, in the 1800s many of the French vineyards fell victim to disease (primarily phylloxera – a small insect that destroys the roots of vines) that crippled the country’s dominating wine production. In the 1900s after France suffered economically under two world wars, contributing in part to a significant decrease in the quality and availability of prestigious French wines, the A.O.C. (or Appellation d’Origine Controlee – meaning “regulated origin name”) was devised. The A.O.C. outlined the standards for today’s modern wine regulations and laws that serve both to define grape growing regions as well as protect the quality of wines. The A.O.C. served to redeem the country’s wine reputation and determine structured protocol for quality and consistency within the French wine market. France's range of wine types, flavors and tastes is as diverse as the various wine regions of this country.

There is a strong relationship between food and wine in France, perhaps because wine and food have evolved in a parallel form. Also, many recipes include wine as an important ingredient. It's said that for every food there is the perfect wine!

French Cuisine is the most refined style of cooking in the world. This cuisine is a result of centuries of political and social change throughout France. It wasn't until the year 1765 that restaurants in France could make and sell food. Up until this point foods to be sold had to be purchased from the food guilds. A tavern owner named Boulanger served soups, challenging the guilds in court, and won. Boulanger called these soups restaurants, also known as restoratives, and will be forever credited with the term we all use today.

Many great chefs of France worked for royalty, dukes and the noble families. With the French revolution and the fall of the monarchy, many private chefs were now out of jobs. With restaurant owners now able to make and sell food many of these great chefs opened their own restaurants. Ten years later you could find more than 500 restaurants in and around Paris alone, never mind all of France. Many of these great master chefs refined the style of cuisine we all know as Classical Cuisine. Intense technique, elaborate steps of service, and most importantly, obsessive attention to detail, have made this cuisine what it is today. French cuisine must be cooked with heart and passion, needs to be executed with perfection, and only the strong, highly trained, and most skillful of cooks can succeed. Modern French cooking is dominated by nouvelle cuisine. This trend, spearheaded by the famous chef Fernand Point in the early 20th century, is characterized by simpler, less time consuming dishes, lighter sauces, smaller portions, and a greater emphasis on local, high quality, in season ingredients. Nouvelle cuisine exploded onto the American culinary scene in the 1970s and remains a significant culinary influence.

French cuisine is some of the most exquisite in the world. For decades French cuisine has been taken as a model in many culinary schools as a base for cooking because of its technique. The French take pride in every detail of their culinary creations from the simplest appetizer to the most sophisticated dessert. Traditional French chefs are keen to hold on to their traditional cuisine, but modern chefs are combining innovative techniques and unique ingredients to achieve new culinary masterpieces.

Exclusive Travels is delighted to offer three pleasurable itineraries to suit your tastes: