France is one of the largest wine producers in the world. French wine originated in the 6th century BC, with the colonization of Southern Gaul by Greek settlers. Viticulture soon flourished with the founding of the Greek colony of Marseille. France has made it a part of their civilization and has considered wine-making as an art for over two thousand years. Not only did the Gauls know how to cultivate the vine, they also knew how to prune it. The wines produced range from expensive high-end wines sold internationally to more modest wines usually only seen within France such as the Margnat wines were during the post war period. France is the source of many grape varieties  - Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah that are now planted throughout the world, as well as wine-making practices and styles of wine that have been adopted in other producing countries.