French wine wines. At the 2007 harvest, the most common grape varieties were the following: The concept of Terroir, which refers to the unique combination of natural factors associated with any particular vineyard, is important to French "vignerons". It includes such factors as soil, underlying rock, altitude, slope of hill or terrain, orientation toward the sun, and microclimate (typical rain, winds, humidity, temperature variations, etc.). Even in the same area, no two vineyards have exactly the same terroir, thus being the base of the "Appellation d'origine contrôlée" (AOC) system that has been a model for appellation and wine laws across the globe.
Laws of the Indies Laws of the Indies The Laws of the Indies () are the entire body of laws issued by the Spanish Crown for the American and Philippine possessions of its empire. They regulated social, political, religious, and economic life in these areas. The laws are composed of myriad decrees issued over the centuries and the important laws of the 16th century, which attempted to regulate the interactions between the settlers and natives, such as the Laws of Burgos (1512) and the New Laws (1542). Throughout the 400 years of Spanish presence in these parts of the world, the laws were compiled