Regions

Europe

Austria

Austria is enjoying a renaissance as a modern wine producing nation. Grüner Veltliner and Riesling are the flag bearers

Bulgaria

Bulgaria has a long history of viticulture, and its modern wine industry is introducing regions, grape varieties and wine styles. 

Croatia

Croatia has been making wine for well over two thousand years. More recently, the last three decades have seen a steady rise in quality.

France

France is arguably the wine world's most important country, and home to famed regions such as Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne. For centuries it has produced wine in a wide variety of styles in greater quantity than any other country.

Georgian Republic

Georgia is one of the world’s oldest winemaking countries. The red grape Saperavi and the white grape Rkatsiteli are the key varieties grown here 

Germany

Germany's best Rieslings are some of the greatest whites in the world, while fine wines are also made from a number of other red and white grape varieties. Beer brewing is also a key part of the culture here.

Greece

Greece has been home to a winemaking industry for at least three thousand years. Nowadays it combines tradition with modernity, using both native and international grape varieties.

Hungary

Hungary's wine industry is best known for Tokaj and Bull's Blood. But its wine portfolio is much broader in terms of wine styles, grape varieties and regions.

Italy

Italy is the home of Chianti, Amarone and Prosecco. It has a rich and diverse wine heritage, and a bewildering diversity of both grape varieties and wine styles.

Portugal

Portugal has long been famous its Port and Madeira and Vinho Verde. But in the last decade or two it has gained acclaim for its new wave of rich, ripe, table wines, with reds from the Douro Valley particularly prominent.

Slovakia

Slovakia's vineyards are mostly clustered around Bratislava and scattered eastwards along the border with Hungary. The eastern fringe of the Tokaj wine region lies in Slovakia

Slovenia

Slovenia is a small European country with a long history of wine production. Despite the cultural and political turmoil that has besieged the Balkan states over the past century, Slovenia has maintained its wine industry, one which has been particularly successful since the country gained independence from former Yugoslavia, in 1991.

Spain

Spain is home to more hectares of vineyards than any other country, and has a national wine output exceeded only by France and Italy. Though a wide range of wine styles are made, Tempranillo is by far the dominant grape variety.

Switzerland

Switzerland is not widely known as a wine-producing nation, largely because the Swiss keep much of their output to themselves. The white Chasselas grape is the specialty here, though Pinot Noir, Syrah, Merlot and Chardonnay all feature.

Turkey

Turkey may well be where wine production first began, more than 6000 years ago, Today the country grows more grapes than almost any country on earth, though few are made into wine.

UK

The United Kingdom is best known for its beer, cider, whisky, gin and other spirits. It also has a small wine industry which has undergone recent expansion, particularly with respect to sparkling wine production.

North America

Canada

Canada is famous for its high-quality ice wines, but powerful Cabernet blends and aromatic dry Rieslings are also key features in the country's wine portfolio

Mexico

Mexico is renowned for its Tequila, Mezcal and beer. But wine has been made here for longer than anywhere else in the Americas. The Vitis vinifera vine came to Mexico with the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th Century.

USA

The United States  is home to many quality wine regions, though its global reputation still rides on the success of California and the Napa Valley in particular. Whiskey distilling and beer brewing are both integral parts of American culture.

South America

Argentina

Argentina is the largest producer of wine in South America. It is very closely associated with Malbec, its principal grape variety; in recent decades they have together risen to global prominence.

Brazil

Brazil has a burgeoning wine industry led by its sparkling wines, though Cachaça is still its best known export beverage

Chile

Chile occupies a thin strip down the western coast South America and is home to an enviable variety of wine terroirs and styles. Capable of both quality and volume, it is best known for Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and its USP, Carmenère

Uruguay

Uruguay is the fourth-largest wine-producing country in South America, best known for red wines from Tannat. Wine grapes have been grown here for over 250 years, although commercial vineyards were first established in the second half of the 19th Century.

Oceania

Australia

Australia is a leading wine producing country, both in terms of quality and scale. Vast in size, its climatic and geographical range offers versatility, though Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay lead the way

New Zealand

New Zealand is rising to wine stardom, fueled mainly by Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. But the country has ten major regions spread across the North and South Islands.

Asia

China

China vies with several countries as the world's sixth largest producer of wine by volume. Its best producers are gaining international recognition, and its domestic market continues to grow

India

India is a rapidly emerging wine economy in terms of both production and consumption, with the potential to become a significant player. Whisky and spirits distillation has a longer history.

Israel

Israel has ancient wine connections, though its modern industry has mostly developed in the last few decades. The Judean Foothills and Galilee are the largest regions

Japan

Japan is famous for sake rice wine, though grape wine has been made there for several centuries. Beer and whisky production have also become established in the last hundred years

Lebanon

Lebanon has an ancient wine culture and a modern industry dating from the 19th century. Its vineyards are concentrated mostly in the Bekaa Valley, home to leading wineries Chateau Musar, Chateau Ksara and Chateau Kefraya

Africa

Morocco

Morocco's wine industry retains a strong French influence over six decades from independence. Key grapes are Syrah, the Southern Rhone red varieties, plus Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

South Africa

South Africa is a key wine nation, despite its isolated position. Pinotage and Chenin Blanc have been its signatures, but Shiraz, the red Bordeaux varieties, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are also widely planted.

Others

Rest of World

'Rest of World' is a collection which changes with each year that passes in the modern global beverage industry. Regions all over the world are gaining sufficient attention to be raised out of this catch-all group.

Signature Regional Styles

Read about the best known regional styles and find the most popular signature style wines.