An article written by Marie Lebert. Normandy, France, was a wine region, a fact that might surprise many of us for a region that is now known for its cider. But Normandy was a region of vineyards (and wine) before being a region of apple trees (and cider). Vineyards were ubiquitous on the slopes of Norman hills in the 11th and 12th centuries, before apple trees began to replace vineyards in the 13th century.