And there's real physical reasons why French wine is so good. Sure some of it may just be marketing or mystique but you can't irrigate in a recognized appellation. That matters a lot. You can't fertilize your vineyard either, again that matters.
There are also down sides to the French market. It's quite hide bound. Innovation in styles is severely limited in an AOC. But you get a very high base level of quality from that system.
And further, innovation and creativity still happens there. France produces significant amounts of Vin nature (natural wine) which has spontaneous fermentation characteristics and oxygenated flavors that can be very unique and delicious.
This type of wine is really taking off with the "Bobo" hipster Parisiens. I've yet to see much natural wine make inroads among Canadian producers.
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