Bordeaux to Alsace, Provence to Burgundy, the Loire to Champagne — wherever you find yourself in France, you’re probably just a cork’s toss from a vineyard.

Worldwide, France is second only to Spain in the amount of land dedicated to the vine, and only Italy surpasses it in annual wine production. Wine is big business, and winemakers, especially in today’s competitive economy, put forth a special effort to promote the fruit of their labor.

In addition to offering wine tasting on the wine estates, many vintners participate in wine shows. Unlike the party-down atmosphere of summer wine festivals (no dancing on the tables here), these events have a serious purpose — to introduce customers and future customers to wines they might want to spend some time with. The vintners strive to help you understand your wine preferences, the virtues of their wines and then match you with the wines of your dreams.

The wine shows, or salons des vins, come in many shapes and sizes and take place all year long across France. Some are region-specific, such as the Salon des Vins de Loire and Salon des Vignerons de Bourgogne et du Jura. Others focus on wine paired with special gastronomic delights, such as the Salon Mer and Vigne (sea and wine), which features seafood, along with wine.

The Salon des Vins des Vignerons Indépendants — wines of independent vintners — is particularly conscientious about its mission. Members adhere to a nine-point charter that includes promoting wine culture and perpetuating winemaking traditions.

First and foremost of these guidelines is to respect the "T-word," terroir. Often thought of as a "sense of place," terroir refers to the natural factors of the acreage where the grapes are grown — the soil, slope of the land, exposure to the sun, etc. Though winemakers around the world may disagree, many French vintners fiercely maintain that terroir rules — that the magic worked by the terroir is sacred and its impact on wine supersedes even the grape variety.

In fact, in France terroir is considered so significant that it is officially protected by the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée. "AOC" on a wine label indicates that the wine was produced by a certain grape, by a certain method and in a certain location, reflecting all the special characteristics of that place, real or imagined. (By the way, there are AOCs for lots of French products from lavender to lentils, cheese to chickens.)

At a recent Salon des Vins des Vignerons Indépendants in Strasbourg, nearly 500 vintners, accompanied by countless cases of wine, set up shop under one roof. A nominal fee bought a short, stemmed wineglass and access to a huge exhibition hall filled with long, neat rows of stands, each clearly labeled with the names of a winemaker, winery and region. Colorfully decorated food stalls lined the perimeter, displaying all sorts of items, including freshly assembled cheese baguettes and oysters from Brittany, which were being shucked on the spot.

Cheerful vintners manned their counters topped with a dozen or so open bottles of wine and copies of their wine lists. Everyone was upbeat, happy to compare vintages and to make suggestions.

Once the vintners poured the wine, the tasting ritual began. First came holding the wineglass to the light to behold the wine’s hue or "robe," then the sniffing, swirling and sipping. (Buckets were available for pouring out any excess.)

There was no pressure to purchase but most people were buying — and buying a lot. Michael and Melanie Barbret of Heidelberg, salon des vins veterans, came away with 18 cases. (Tip: Go prepared as the Barbrets did — take your own trolley to transport the wine cases back to your car.)

A good salon des vins personalizes the winemaking process by connecting you directly with the folks who devote their lives to the vine. Congenial Yves Lamiable of Château Puy Bardens explains that winemaking is more than a job. It is a way of life.

"Winemaking is my métier," he said. "It’s demanding. Most of it is done by hand. I am involved throughout the entire process from planting the vines to pouring the wine. It’s a difficult life, but a good life."

For customers, it can be the same. The more time you spend with wine the better it becomes. And if you find one you really like, it could turn into a long-lasting relationship.

Gayle Smith Padgett lives in Heidelberg, Germany. Her e-mail is padgettgayle@yahoo.com.

Know and GoFor a list of wine shows in France, go to www.chateauloisel.com. For more information on Vins des Vignerons Indépendants, see www.vigneron-independant.com. Both are in French only.

Before going to a salon des vins, learn some of the lingo so you can discuss wine with the experts :

• Acidity: Wines with high acidity taste crisp and bright.

• Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC): Regulated place-name. First of four wine classifications in France, followed by AOVDQS (Appellation d’Origine Vins de Qualité Supérieure), Vin de Pays and Vin de Table (lowest rating).

• Château or domaine: Wine-producing property.

• Finish: Length of time the flavor lasts on the palate.

• Grand cru/Premier cru: Esteemed vineyards that produce exceptional wines/vineyards that produce wines with status just below "grand cru."

• Robe: Color of the wine.

• Terroir: Natural factors (soil, sun, etc.) that determine the distinct flavor of the grapes.

• Vendange: Grape harvest.

• Variety (In French, cépage): Type of grape such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, or Riesling. Except for Alsace, usually not listed on a French wine label.

• Vintage: Year grapes harvested

• Non-vintage (NV): Grapes harvested in different years.

• Viniculture: Study of wine.

• Viticulture: Study of grapevines.