ALSACE-CHAMPAGNE-ARDENNE-LORRAINE, France — There is so much to see and do in France. But there seems to be one way to enjoy it.
"Wine is sharing. So, I need to share a bottle with my friend, my parents, with my girlfriend. Someone good," winemaker Emile Coddens said.
Wine is the thread woven into the French culture.
"I believe that wine is something considered sacred in France," Sabrina Marzaro said.
Vineyards stretch across the spectacular countryside in the Alsace region. Giving birth to grapes the Hugel winery has been using to make wine for nearly 400 years.
"We store about 80,000 bottles, only the greatest," Mark Andre Hugel said.
He continues a family lineage of growing and producing wine for generations.
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"This is the cellar from 1543," Hugel said.
Inside is their biggest barrel.
"This is 161 hectare liters, which if you compared to a regular bottle, that would be 20,000 bottles. A normal human being's consumption for a few years," Hugel said.
In the cellar once used as a hideout for people during World War II is this barrel.
"Here comes the masterpiece of the cellar," Hugel said.
It is recognized as the world's oldest barrel.
"This is the date of creation. It's 1715," Hugel said.
So, in a country with a long history of winemaking is a deep view of what wine means to the French lifestyle.
"This is what connects people. It's our social lubricant, like my uncle used to say," Hugel said.
In Provence, you may be surprised who is making the wine.
"We are monks. We are contemplating the goodness of God," Father Odon said.
Benedictine monks are working in the first French papal vineyard, planted in 1309 by the Pope Clement V. The popes lived in the region of Avignon for 70 years and created vineyards, including the Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The first papal vineyard is Via Caritatis.
The monks work with winegrowers to make red and white wine.
"We want to reveal the finest of the fruits," Father Odon said.
The monks find a spiritual connection to their work.
"It's the goal of this wine. To be an instrument of the sharing of this goodness of God," Father Odon said.
Father Michael is an American. He moved to France from Virginia to become a monk.
"I was attracted to an ancient form of spirituality," Father Michael said. "Our role in the church is to glorify and praise God."
Their work in the vineyard continues a storied tradition in the Olympic host country.
"They say most of the great vineyards in France in Burgundy and Bordeaux," Father Michael said. "The really top wines are created by monks."
It is a country known for spectacular beauty and perfect soil.
"We're definitely in the area where it's capable to make great wines," Father Michael said.
Winemakers continue a history of growing grapes, perfecting the taste in every glass, creating moments for people in the Olympic host country, enhancing every shared moment for wine lovers all over the world.