Wine Regions

Below is a listing of all the wine regions by country. In the sidebar you can quickly jump to any of the regions in a particular country.

Argentina

Rio Negro

The wine region of Rio Negro is located in the northern part of the wild province of Patagonia. The region is known as a major producer of fruit, mostly apples and table grapes, but winemaking is still in its early stages here. The cooler climate and alluvial soils make it perfect for the production of Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. The Rio Negro region is widely believed to have the greatest potential for producing exceptional wines.

Australia

Adelaide Hills

This is one on the country’s few genuinely cool climates. If you have ever spent an Autumn night outside your friend’s house in Crafers, you would know what I mean. Chilly. This is where wealthy Adelaide families once kept a home to retire to in summer and escape the dry hot days. Now they just drain the power grid with massive air conditioners. The Adelaide Hills

District is in the Mount Lofty Ranges and that means altitude. This area offers good acid retention and a longer, slower ripening season.

Barossa Valley

The Barossa is not really a warm climate, it’s hot! Ripeness is never an issue here, but drought often is. The big names like Penfolds have their homes here, but smaller wineries also make there mark. This is the birth place of internationally recognised Shiraz and it is this variety that still leads the charge here today.

Clare Valley

This gets my vote for the most beautiful region in Australia. That was not an easy choice, but I had to decide. You are really in the country here and it is still easier to get a nice cup of tea and some scones than a latte. A latte is possible though. The reds here are great, some of the country’s best, but Clare’s reputation is based on its Riesling. It is hard to explain to those who didn’t grow up with consistently dry and food friendly Riesling, what a pleasure it can be. The citrus fruit and the pungent nose is more like a restrained Sauvignon than an off-dry German or Ontario Riesling.  Great wines.

Coonawarra

The Coonawarra is really just a tiny area about 1.5 kilometers wide by 15 kilometers long.  Still, the area surrounding it is starting to make great wines too.The nights in Penola get pretty cold. This means that acidity stays in the grapes to balance the ripe fruit. The famous ‘Terra Rossa’ soil is due to the iron in the soil. It makes sense, being a rust colour and all. This brings interest and complexity to the grapes as the vines take their water with all the minerals that come with it, from this soil. This is where Australia grows some of its very best Cabernet and more and more great wines are being born in and around this region each day.

Hunter Valley

This is part quality wine region and part tourist trap for the suckers who come up from Sydney. Some of Australia’s oldest and most respected names are based here, but there is some god-awful wine made here too. Remember that this is a warm to very warm climate that offers its own challenges to the winemaker. The wines here are always full bodied and gutsy, so know what to expect.

Margaret River

This was a sheep grazing area until the lat 60s and early 70s. Now the Margaret River makes some of the best Cabernet and Chardonnay based wines in the country and seems to make a success of anything that is planted. There is no industrial planting here, just family estates and independent winemakers who want to make top quality wines.

This is a warm area, by all means, but the Freemantle Doctor is a cool and incessant breeze that comes off the Indian Ocean to cool the vineyards and ward off potential diseases and insect issues. 

McLaren Vale

Five minutes from Adelaide’s best beaches (Aldinga and Moana, just so you know) this is a glorious warm climate cooled by welcome sea breezes. Make sure you get an outdoor table at the Victory Hotel on the hill overlooking Sellicks Beach and ask to go down to their cellar for an older bottle of some of the regions best wines. This is the home of the small wine producer. Idiosyncratic wines

Mornington Peninsula

Victoria

This is a little state by Australian standards, tucked away in the South-Eastern corner of Australia. Keep in mind that it is still roughly the same size as Great Britain.

Canada

Okanagan Valley

Here in the prime growing area of British Columbia we find ripeness levels that would be hard to achieve in this northern clime if not for the tempering effects of the Okanagan Lake. The vineyards tend to sit on well drained sandy soils. in 1988 nealy three quarters of the valley's vines were pulled up and vitis vinifera vines planted. Many varietals are planted here as B.C. still searches for its vinus identity. Bordeaux blends do well. 

Prince Edward County

A mere 2 hours from the heart of Toronto a quiet revolution is taking place. here a small group of producers are working with a passion to produce the best fruit vineyards can offer.

This is Canada's fastest growing wine region. The local limestone soils and cool climate would seem to offer a perfect foothold for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

On top of all this, it is a very pretty part of the world.

Chile

Central Region

France

Alsace

This is the home of some of the finest white wines in all of Europe. This is the only Appellation Controlee in France that groups its wines by grape variety, making it much easier for the consumer. Here the big four are Riesling (we are not worthy) Pinot Gris, Muscat and Gewürztraminer. Pinot blanc and Pinot Noir (the only red grape) make up the supporting cast). Alsace runs north to south between the Vosges mountains and the Rhein river and has a long a troubled history as Germany and France have fought over it like it was a remote control. The people here are very much their own masters and have found a culture of their own, no matter whose flag flies on the government buildings. There are Grand Cru sites here as in other areas and they can be stunning. The wines in the south have a lush generosity, while their northern cousins have a steely minerality that can truly dazzle. The wines are dry, but they make some glorious sweeties here too called Vendange Tardive (Late Harvest) and Selection de Grain Nobles (selected from nobly rotted grapes) that can fetch high sums. If you have never tried Alsace, you must not punish yourself any more. There is something here for everyone.

Bordeaux

This is both the foot-soldier and emperor-king of French wines. There are many great (and some forgettable) everyday drinking wines from Bordeaux and these make up the vast majority of this regions enormous production. Still, we remember Caesar, but not the names of all his soldiers. Names like Château Margaux, Château Latour and Château Pichon Longueville hold Bordeaux’s reputation in their grasp.

Bordeaux is bisected by the Gironde estuary that comes in from the Atlantic and this soon forks into the Dordogne and Garonne rivers. The wines are often described as Left Bank and right bank.

The Left Bank to the West of the Gironde and Garonne, is the Medoc and its famous Cabernet Sauvignon dominated wines from St. Estèphe (Château Montrose, La Croix Bonis), Pauillac (Château Mouton Rothschild, Château Pibran, Château Lafite Rothschild), St. Julien, Margaux, Graves and even some fine Haut-Medoc (Château d’Agassac). These are wines that can deserve some serious aging in a better vintage. These are the longest lived of all non-fortified (red) wines.

A little further up river is Sauternes and some of the world’s best sweet wines. Here the cooler water of the Ciron collides with the tidal Garonne in autumn and the resulting fog allows Botrytis to take hold and shrivel the Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes. The resulting sweet wines (Yquem, Climens, and Suduiraut) are some of the most complex and long lived wines in the world. These are the original kings of Bordeaux.

The Right Bank offers the glorious Merlot based wines of Pomerol (anyone heard of Petrus or Château Petit Village) and St. Emilion (Château Figeac). This is on the Eastern bank of the Dordogne. These can be more approachable when young thanks to the suppleness of Merlot, but still make fine additions to a long-term cellar.

The centre area between the Dordogne and Garonne is the Entre-Deux-Mers (between two seas) and this is the home of many simple AC Bordeaux.

Bourgogne

Burgundy – Cote d’Or
Why is Burgundy so expensive and why on earth should I buy it? This isn’t simple, but here goes.

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are both early ripening grapes. That means that in a warm or even just a vaguely normal climate they would ripen quickly. Good, right? Wrong. Sure, they’d get enough sugar organised to make enough alcohol, but alcohol, isn’t flavour, no matter what the vodka companies want you to believe. Complex grape flavours come from phenolic ripeness and a long slow ripening process allows the whole grape to mature.

The Cote d’Or is easily divided into two There is the southern Cote de Beane centred around the town of the same name that makes some of the best white wines in France like Meursault, Chassagne Montrachet and Savigny-les-Beaune. The northern Cote de Nuits around Nuits-Saint-Georges is the home of Pinot Noir, with Vosne Romanee, Morey-St.-Denis and Echezeaux.

Burgundy has predominantly limestone soils that help retain acidity while making the vines work for a living. Still every plot is different. Different topsoil, different aspect (meaning it gets sun at differing times or better wind protection), different altitude (more or less temperature variation) and so on. Altitude matters for another reason. All the best vines are on the left hand side of the road (RN-74) as you go north on east facing slopes of the hills that make up the ‘Hills of Gold’. These make up the village, premier and grand cru vineyards respectivel y. The Village sites tend to be at the bottom of the hills where the more fertile alluvial soils have deposited and the vines don’t have to struggle and at the very top where their no top soil and too much wind for vines to make a decent go of it. The best are in the middle where the vines have to fight, but tend to win the war. No rules go without exception though and it is worth noting that the famous La Tache vineyard in Vosne-Romanee rest very close to the bottom of the slope. In this region a few yards makes all the difference and steping over a stone wall can be the only difference between a $50 and $500 dollar wine. Here’s the thing though. There really is a difference. Have a Gevrey-Chambertin and a Chambolle-Musigny (2 miles south). The cathedral-like structure and concentration of the Gevrey may make it unapproachable in youth, but the Chambolle with fragrant and soft. Go figure. Have a Santenay and a Puligny-Montrachet (3 miles up the road). The intense minerality and focus of the Puligny gives it away, something that comes from the soil, the place. It makes it very special, not to take anything away from a good Santenay.

Of all of these it is the Grand Crus that make the consistently finest wines. Richebourg, Montrachet, Musigny, Corton-Charlemagne, Romanee-Conti and Mazis-Chambertin are all worth a considerable amount. Keep in mind that wonderful those these wines are, part of the price is because of their scarcity. Burgundy as a whole makes very little wine. When you take Beaujolais out of the equation (which is made much further south and from the Gamay grape), Burgundy makes about a fifth of the wine Bordeaux makes. Now keep in mind that these grand Cru constitute less than one percent of that production. There just isn’t much to go around. And its famous. That means rich people who don’t understand it want it anyway. Now you see the other side of the problem. Demand and supply can really be a drag. Nonetheless, Burgundy has offered me and thousands upon thousands of others some of the finest wine experiences of our lives. It is the Holy Grail for wine lovers, but not for the faint hearted.

Burgundy - Beaujolais
Very different. Gamay is a soft and fruity grape designed for young drinking. Ten Crus exist within, but the region as a whole makes enjoyable light reds that you don’t have to put your thinking cap on to enjoy.

Languedoc-Roussillon

Fifty years ago the Languedoc-Roussillon was world famous for bad wine. This was the wine lake oof Europe where bad wines were made from ordinary grapes for the lunch tables of France. Like the rest of the world France discovered soft drinks and this heralded disaster for cheap swilling wine. Since then a number of enterprising people have joined the quality producers who had been there before (like little oases in the vinous desert) to transform this region into one of the most dynamic and interesting in France. Unencumbered by AC regulations specifying what grapes and techniques to use, producers here are making the wines they want to make and the wines they think will do best in the climate. This iss one way in which it is like Australia and California. The other comparison is the climate itself with its warm summers that give full ripeness to any variety you can name. Syrah from this region can be particularly exciting, combining the charms of Rhone Syrah with the ripeness of Australian Shiraz. Well, it’s not quite that ripe, but you get the idea!

Rhône

The Rhone

These is a way to group two very different areas that amke very different wines from different grapes.

The Northern Rhone is a narrow valley swept by a strong (and fairly unpleasant)wind known as the Mistral. The wines are all made from a single grape called Syrah. The hills of Hermitage, Cote-Rotie and Cornas all sit close to one another making peppery and frightfully expensive wines for long ageing)with a couple of exceptions. Here Chave, Jaboulet, Chapoutier and Guigal have all made wines at top prices. Some are really worth it. Some are not. No names.

The world’s most expensive Viognier is also made here in the tiny area of Condrieu. I don’t understand why people pay so much for fruity whites best drunk young so I won’t bother trying to explain.

The Southern Rhone

Here around the former home of popes in Avignon we find some of the most pure expression of Grenache. Châteauneuf-du-Pape means just that, the New Château of the Pope. Here producers like Château du Beaucastel, Clos des Papes, Château Rayas and Domaine des Senechaux are allowed to use up to thirteen different grape varieties in their blend.

Before you ask: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Counoise, Terret Noir, Picpoul, Vaccarese and Muscardin are all red and there are three white grapes allowed. These are Clairette, Picardin, Bourboulenc and Roussanne. Some Grenache Blanc is also grown for the white version, but no one talks about it separately because it mucks up the numbers.

Many great wines are made with all thirteen (Beaucastel) or just one (Rayas with Grenache) of these grapes. The wines can be concentrated with layers of red fruit and pepper. If they lack the focus of some wines, they more than make up for it with mouth-feel and complexity.

The picture is much simpler in Gigondas. The main grape here is Grenache and although they can few producers add anything but Mourvedre or Syrah. These are generally simpler wines than their more famous neighbour, but are rapidly catching up in terms of both quality and recognition.

They have far more elegance and smoothness than Vacqueyras and Rasteau where some really enjoyable wines are also made.

The Côtes du Luberon sits to the South-East of Avignon and loosely fits within this region. This received its Ac status as recently as 1988, but this is for Grenache and Syrah based wines. The south of France is also a place for the French to make wines in a ‘New World’ style with a focus on grape varieties that are recognised and well received the world over. Most of the best and most interesting Vin de Pays wines are now coming from places like this and the Languedoc-Roussillon.

Hungary

Tokaji

Tokaji (formerly known as Tokaji-Hegyalja) in Northernmost Hungary has been the production area for one of the world's finest sweet wines since the late 1500s. It has seen a recent rebirth in quality since the collapse of Communism and the introduction of international investment in the early 1990s. All manor of white wines are made here, predominatly from the Furmint grape, with Muscat and Zeta also present. The dry white wines are prized throughout Europe, but international fame rests firmly on the basis of the sweet Tokaji Aszu and Essencia wines. Sweetness is measured in puttonyos (from 3 to 6) and then Aszueszencia for the sweetest  at 180grams of residual sugar per litre (also known as diabetes).

Italy

Alto Adige

This region also known as the Südtirol has only been Italian since the first World War and the majority of the population are still primarily German speakers. Here the altitude allows for temperature fluctuations that retain acidity while ripening fruit and thus this is an ideal home from dry and fragrant white wines since the introduction of modern temperature controlled fermentation techniques.

New thinking has lead to new vine training from the pergola system used to minimize disease and frost and allow for more grapes per vine to Guyot that has more concentration due to ground warmth, but at the expense of lower yields.

Emilia Romagna

Emilia and Romagna lie to the south of the river Po. This region has some of the richest cuisine in Italy with Parma ham, Parmesan cheese and Bolognese sauce to name but three. The wines have a reputation they are beginning to shake off of being low in quality and high in quantity. Emilia is best known for its sparkling Lambrusco such as Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC and the cheaper Vino da Tavola versions. These are trained on high trellises to retain acidity and their soft low alcohol resultant sparkling wine is a fine accompaniment to rich food. Faenza and Forli in Romagna however, make Sangiovese di Romagna to rival some Tuscan wines. These wines can display a glorious purity of fruit and a much more typical expression of varietal character than their more famed Tuscan neighbour.

Friuli

Friuli-Venezia Giulia or Friuli for short gave Italy its first truly clean fresh and fruity whites. These single varietal wines can be made from over twenty different grape varieties. This is due to the geographical closeness of Austria and the historical ties with France due to the Habsburg control of the region in the 19th century. Varieties include the local Ribolla, Malvasia and Picolit or Austrian imports like Riesling and Franconia and French varietals like Pinots Bianco and Grigio. All fall within the DOC regulations. Within Friuli the hillside regions of Colli Orientali where some reds are grown and Collio contain marl soils and make wines of body and delicate styles respectively. The Grave del Friuli with its gravel and well drained soils makes Pinot Grigio with elegance and consistency.

Marche

Piemonte

Nebbiolo is Piemonte's most notable grape and one of the icon grapes of Italy. Barbera and Dolcetto make up the wines for everyday drinking, but have seen enormous leaps in quality in the last 30 years. White production has increased to 25% of Piemonte's total and includes the sparkling Moscato d'Asti as well as the excellent crisp and lemony Cortese of Gavi. Average temperatures in summer and rainfall are close to those of Bordeaux.

Barolo

The home and heart of Nebbiolo has many different faces, but tends to construct a dense garnet coloured wine with aromas of plums, dried roses, liquorice and white truffles. These wines are tannic and have a strength of alcohol and extraction. Two dominant soils divide the region. Tortonian carlcareous marls are fresher and more fertile and surround the towns of La Morra and Barolo. These make softer fruitier and faster ageing wines for younger drinking. Around Barolo itself Cannubi and Brunate are the most famed vineyard sites. In La Morra La Rocche and Cerequio are the glory boys. Helvetian sandstone is poorer and less compact and results in more structured slower ageing wines around Serralunga d'Alba. Bussia and Ginestra are highly regarded here. Softness is all relative. In modern times some producers have opted for shorter fermentation and oaking times to make more approachable wines, but the traditional approach is still the most prevalent and yet to be disproved as the best.
Barolo wines are required by the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) rules to age for a minimum of 3 years, 2 of which must be in barrels. Barolo Riserva must age for 4 years and Barolo Riserva Speciale wines must have 5 years of age. 

Barbaresco

Barbaresco was brought to prominence by the work of Giovanni Gaja in the 1960s.A red is produced from Nebbiolo similar in characteristic to neighbouring Barolo. Both DOCG zones were created in 1980. Tortonian carlcareous marls dominate here. Some of the famed vineyards include San Lorenzo near Barbaresco itself and Santa Stefano near the town of Neive. The minimum ageing here is one year in wood.
Alba and Asti are the home of the classic Barbera and Dolcetto wines. While Dolcetto offers soft, deep coloured and fruity wines for young drinking, the Barbera grape shows wines of depth with great balancing acidity capable of long term ageing.

Puglia

The heel of Italy (called Apulia by most English speakers) has historically provided Italian wines with ripe grapes for cheap blending material. In recent years however, small producers have seen the value in local grape varieties such as Negroamaro and Primitivo. These are now making rich a full red wines at remarkable prices. We expect to see more.

Sicilia

Sicily might at first seem to be too warm for quality wine production due to its southerly heat. Just as people have always fled to the mountains to avoid the heat, so do the better vines. High altitudes offered by Sicily's peaks means that acidity can be retained while sunlight imbues the grapes with a added depth of colour and tannin to balance the rich ripe fruit.

Toscana/Tuscany

This is the home of not only six of the country's DOCG wines, but also the birthplace of the IGT super-Tuscans that have stirred the cobwebs from many a wallet.

The hilly countryside, with altitudes of up to 500 metres, provides some of Italy's finest wines. These hills offer aspects that allow added sunlight Sangiovese needs to ripen. At the same time they offer poorer soils that make the vines dig deep for water and mineral nutrients (fertile top soils tend to collect in valleys). The altitude itself offers temperature variation as the vines are closer to the sun by day further from the Earth's radiated heat by night. This helps retain acidity and ripening all at once. From Brunello and Vino Nobile to Chianti itself, Sangiovese has its true home in Tuscany.

Since the late 60s, we have seen the introduction of French grape varieties and small barrel fermentation that produce wines of density and extraction once eschewed in this region. The popularity of these ‘Super-Tuscan' wines around the world can only lead to an increase in this style.

Chianti
The zones of Chianti are as follows: Chianti Classico — the traditional home of Chianti and the only recognised area before 1932. Very hilly and with high altitude, these are some of the best and longest lived wines from the region.

Rufina — North-east of Florence, this tiny cool zone makes makes some of the best Chianti, but with higher acidity and fuller body than Classico.
Colli Senesi: This is the largest sub-zone so the quality of the producer is key. Overall they are best in their youth, but the warmer southerly climate makes them very drinkable when well made.

The others are Colli Aretini (medium bodied wines for young drinking from around Arezzo), Colline Pisane (light and fresh wines from the hills around Pisa), Montalbano (soft wines from west of Florence best had in youth) and Colli Fiorentini (sits between Classico and Rufina and makes all levels of Chianti). Remember there is also straight Chianti that falls outside these zones and can make some truly forgettable wines.

Bolgheri
Where? Do the names Sassicaia, Ornellaia and Argentiera help? Bolgheri is the little coastal town that lends its name to the region that proved Italy could grow world class Cabernet, Merlot and other French varietals.

It all started in 1965 when Marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta decided to plant a little Cabernet sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. That became Sassicaia and that made the authorities grumpy so it had to be called Vino da Tavola. These wines have a depth of fruit character that comes from their proximity to the sea and the Mediterranean climate. Their most endearing attribute is that they tend to produce fine wines in vintages where other regions struggle, making them a consistent source of quality.

Brunello di Montalcino
Brunello is the name of the Sangiovese grape in the Montalcino area of Tuscany. This is a very young region by Italian standards with Biondi-Santi bringing attention to their potential quality in the late 1800s. Under DOCG rules established in 1980, Brunello must spend a minimum of 42 months in oak casks. This remarkably long period, can make production almost preclusively expensive and explains the proliferation of rosso di montalcino for younger drinking and faster returns for producers.

Vino Nobile di Montepulcino
Vino Nobile di Montepulcino is one of Tuscany's greatest wines. Since it became a DOCG in 1999, Sangiovese has dominated the blend although its history goes back to the 1660s. The cellarmaster of pope Paul II called this a ‘perfect wine'. That would be the equivalent of 100 points from Mr. P. these days. It tends to be richer and riper than Chianti, but not quite so aromatic.

Trentino

Although often overshadowed by the neighbouring Alto Adige, Trentino has real potential for quality wine production. In the far north of Italy, 70% of Trentino's wines are registered for DOC status. The most important production (apart from millions of bottles of cheap Chardonnay based Spumante) are its dry Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio based wines (along with Muller-Thurgau and Pinot Bianco).

Umbria

This small region is the home of Orvieto with its Trebbiano based white wines of fame. These wines represent three-quarters of DOC production in Umbria and show sighs of improving quality. Nonetheless, Montefalco is the key area here with Sangiovese based wines and Sagrantino di Montefalco. Sagrantino is a red grape with enormous natural tannins. When grown and vinified well it has enormous potential for high quality and long aged wines.

Umbria

Umbria in central Italy is nestled between and beneath the regions of Tuscany and Marche. Here red wines of depth and distinction have been created in recent years as Montefalco moves from sweeter styles to dry table wines.

Veneto

The wines of Veneto have had quality issues due to overcropping and overextension of Denominazine di Origine Controllata zone in 1968 into more fertile and less quality areas. This makes it very important find the right producers in the right areas.

Valpolicella is the home of the Corvina grape and the Recioto and Amarone style wines it can create. The Classico region comprises the original hilly and low yielding area of Valpolicella. This is where the best Corvina is grown. Superiore refers to wine with a minimum age of one year and a mimimum required alcohol and therefore ripeness. Either of these words is an assurance of quality. These wines often undergo the Ripasso technique whereby the grapes are fermented on the skins of Amarone grapes to give them added richness and spiciness. Recioto and Amarone are made by allowing the Corvina grapes (and Rondinella and Molinara that make up the remainder of the blend) to be naturally dried before fermentation. This greatly reduces yields, but makes a big difference to flavour intensity and sweetness for Recioto or alcohol content for Amarone.

Amarone is made predominatly from Corvina with Corvinone and Rondinella. Whole bunches are seleceted and raisined in special lodges. Botrytis is avoided as the character short in Amarone (depth of colour, tannin and flavour) is found in the skins. This process also transforms the acids and tannins in the grape for a better balanced final wine.

New Zealand

Central Otago

This is quite famously the most southerly wine growing region in the world. Here Pinot Noir represents about three quarters of all plantings. This is New Zealand’s only continental climate with cold nights and warm days. The relative cold and the desert like growing conditions seem perfectly suited to the variety that flourishes here like few places on earth. The mineral, earth and floral characters of the wines give Burgundy cause to pause, while the fruit content is consistently excellent.

Hawke's Bay

This is the key growing area for Cabernet in New Zealand, although Merlot and Chardonnay are more widely planted. Some of the areas gravel soils provide such good drainage in this green and pleasant land that irrigation can be required! This area of Gimblett Gravels appears on the labels of some of the country's best reds. Hawke's Bay frequently records the country's highest sunshine hours. The ripe fruit here is balanced by a herbaceous note that reminds us we a re still in a genuinely cool climate.

Marlborough

This is the largest wine producing area in the country. Here names like Cloudy Bay and Montana established the reputation in the mid 80s. Sauvignon Blanc is the grape of choice and is followed by Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Martinborough

Martinborough sits at the southern tip of the North Island near the capital of Wellington. This is one of the first centres for quality wine production in the country. Yields here are low and the region is dominated by small artisan producers dedicated to top quality. The potential here is enormous and top notch richer New World Pinot Noirs are made here.

Portugal

Douro

The Douro is shielded from the Atlantic by the Marao mountain range so the climate is continental here with hot days and cold nights. Many producers still farm narrow terraces that are traditional on these steep slopes, although some mechanization is now being introduced. The region is very dry and remote and until recently many homes had neither electricity nor running water. As such auto-vinifiers that use the fermentation process to power the pumping over process are often used. The main source of maceration for port however is still the human foot. In this way the skins are crushed without crushing the pips that contain the harsher tannins. This ancient process is still the most delicate way to bring colour into a wine, so important in the production of port. The wines are fortified before fermentation is complete in order to retain sweetness.

South Africa

Franschhoek Valley

This lies within the broader area of Paarl, better known for its sweet wines. It is so named because of the large contingent of French Hugenots who sort refuge here from religious persecution. Some great producers are now found here making modern styles of light wines.

Robertson Valley

About 100km outside of Cape Town lies the Robertson region. This is a warm, dry region surrounding the Breede River Valley. It requires irrigation and is a growing area for the production of top quality whites with good indications for red as well. This is despite a history as a fortified wine zone.

Stellenbosch

This region was established in 1679 and few European wine regions can boast such a pedigree. It now produces just under 15% of the country’s total, but has a disproportionate number of leading estates. The climate is tempered by Atlantic breezes as they come into False Bay, with summer temperatures kept to an average of 20 degrees Celcius. These are the wines that define South Africa in the international market.

Wellington

Spain

Cigales

Cigales is part of the Castilla y Leon region just to the north of the city of Valladolid. It has tradionally made dry rose wines from Garnacha and Tinta del Pais. However, in recent years, young enterprising Spanish wine makers have been creating interesting and elegant reds that show real potential. The soils here are predominantly limestone and large stones for drainage. The climate is protected by mountains to the west warding off the excesses of the Atlantic and to the South West cocooning it from the heat of the great plateau of La Mancha.

Penedes

This is a top quality Catalonian wine producing region in North-Eastern Spain along the coast to the south of Barcelona. Although it makes oftenstunning still wines, the region is perhaps best known for the production of Cava. This is the main (but not the only) region for this traditional sparkling wine, which has held DO status since 1991.

Rias Baixas

The Rías Baixas district is located in the Galicia region of Spain, which occupies the northwest corner of the country, separated from Portugal to the south by the Miño River. Established in 1988, the Rías Baixas D.O. is divided into five subzones with a collective area of just 7,388 acres. The oldest subzones are Condado de Tea, with 1,048 acres, and O Rosal, with 647 acres. Situated along the right bank of the Miño, these two areas have a long history of producing traditionally-styled wines. Val do Salnés was the first subzone to focus on pure varietal Albariño wines produced in a fresh, modern style. Lying directly on the Atlantic coast, it covers 3,150 acres with the greatest area under vine, and its principal city, the port of Cambados, is the D.O.’s center of production. Tiny Soutomaior, with 75 acres of vineyards brought under the denomination in May of 2000, lies slightly inland and to the south of Val do Salnés. Ribera do Ulla, just to the northeast of Val do Salnés, was also demarcated in 2000, with 2,470 acres. As of 2005, virtually all of the total potential vineyard acreage was planted.

Ribera del Duero

Ribera del Duero spans the Upper Duero Valley for 100km from 30km east of Valladolid onwards. Vega Sicilia have been making some of Spain's best wines here for over 150 years but the region only achieve Denominacion de Origen status in 1982. The region sits approximately 800m above sea level and has a short growuing season with a real danger of spring as well as winter frosts. In summer temperatures top 40C degrees and the nights remain cold. This helps to retain acidity, a large factor in the production of quality wine. The dominat grape variety is Tinto Fino (or Tinta del Pais), more famous as Tempranillo in Rioja. The resultant wines are deep in colour with a firm structure and some astringency and have a power and depth of fruit that make them sort the world over. Although this is often seen as a single varietal, Cabernet, Merlot and Malbec are also allowed and used.

Rioja

Spain’s leading wine producing region was also its only Denominacion de Origen Calificada region, the highest legal ranking, until Priorat was awarded this in 2003. This is a predominantly red making region centred around the town of Logrono on the Ebro River. It is divided into three sub-zones. Rioja Alvesa to the north of the Ebro, Rioja Alta to the South and East of Logrono and Rioja Baja to the west of the town of Logrono. These first two zones are quiet similar in having clay and limestone soil and share a cooler climate more suitable for the production of quality Temprnaillo. Rioja Baja is warmer with more alluvial soil and is predominatly devoted to Garnacha. This is often used to add alcohol and weight to Tempranillo that can be thin in cooler years. Mazuela nd the aromatic and good quality but disease prone Graciano are also seen in Rioja.

Traditional styles are Joven that makes up around 55% of production and requires no oak, Crianza that must see a year in oak and a further year in bottle, Riserva that requires a year in oak and 2 years in bottle or Gran Riserva that takes 2 years in oak and a further 3 in bottle. These latter styles tend to rely on a higher concentration or entirety of Tempranillo. The tendency is to use American oak for ageing.

Many young producers are choosing to make wines outside the DOCa restrictions and rely on new French oaking for shorter periods of ageing to further emphasise the fruit character of their wines.

The little white that is produced is made from Viura or rarely, but more traditionally, Malvasia. Some Crianza, Riserva and Gran Riserva styles are produced. All are required to have at least 6 months in oak followed by 1, 2 or 4 years in bottle respectively.

Rueda

Rueda is a white wine making zone within Catilla y Leon. Post -Phylloxera, much of the palomino grape from Jerez was planted here. Nonetheless it is the native Verdejo grape that has come to prominence with its light fruit style of dry white wine. It was given Denominacion de Origen (DO) status in 1980. Although some fortified wine is also produced here it is the dry white planted on limestone subsoil that is of most interest. The Viura grape found in Rioja adds to the blend and Sauvignon Blanc is also often found in the mix, but it is Verdejo that must account for at least 50% of the blend or 85% in the case of Rueda Superior. Some red is planted but is not within the DO.

Sardon de Duero

Toro

Toro is a red wine zone within Castilla y Leon and has had DO statis since 1987. The native grape is Tinto de Toro (the Tempranillo of Rioja) and it is planted on alluvial stoney soils at high altitudes of around 700m which makes for severe conditions. The alcohol can naturally reach 16 degress but is restricted by law to 15 degrees. The better producers restrain their wines to below 14 degrees. The resulting wines are deep and rich with a savoury character and a backbone of tannin native to the grape.

Valdeorras

Valdeorras can be translated as the 'Valley of Gold' and is found in the Galician region in the North-West of Spain. The only authorised grape variety here is the Godello grape that supplies crisp dry whites of great character. This is a very green region with a high annual rainfall and a maritime climate affected by the Atlantic Ocean.

USA

California

90% of the grapes grown for wine production in the U.S. come from the great state of California. The climate is one of mild winters and warm summer's offset by the morning fog banks that role in from the Pacific Ocean. There is no linear pattern and northern areas like the Alexander Valley can be significantly warmer than Santa Barbara County in the south due to its hills and protection from these fogs.

Carneros

Napa Valley

This tiny valley only 40 miles in length is the key to California's fame as a wine producing area. The valley is affected by San Francisco bay that means it is much warmer going south to north, with Calistoga to the north and Napa itself at the southern end. The valley is protected by hills and mountains on both sides, with the majority of vines being planted on the low lying valley floor between in clay soils that become more gravelly as you go north.

Since massive investment came from young entrepreneurs in the early seventies, the Napa Valley has been a bastion of great Cabernet Sauvignon and so much else. Rutherford and Rutherford Bench Cabernet with vineyards like Martha's and Bella Oaks offers a balance of herb and fruit with the famous ‘Rutherford dust' character.

One of the world's greatest concentration of fine Cabernet producers is found here. Oakville to the south has many different plantings with white on the western side of the main highway protected by forested hills and the drier sun-baked eastern side dominated by Cabernet and Merlot. Stags Leap to the South-East tends to make a fruitier Cabernet. Mount Veeder is a retreat for reclusive cabernet and Chardonnay makers. With its access to cool sea breezes and less fertile soil it is capable of great structured wines. Howell Mountain was first planted here in the late 1800s at very high altitudes. Cabernet with balanced acidity from here has great ageing potential.

Oregon

Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara County

Far to the South of Napa and Sonoma lie the regions of Santa Barbara. This coastal region is heavily affected by the pacific fogs that stave off the summer sun and make it conducive to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir production.

Santa Maria Valley is the home to a few Rhone Rangers, this is heavily planted with grapes that find themselves into wines from other regions.

The Santa Ynez Valley is a narrow fog bank as far south as Solvang becomes a much warmer zone as it intersects with protective hills. Here it is designated the Santa Rita Hills and becomes another of oasis of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Sierra Foothills

The Sierra Foothills stand at the feet of the Sierra Nevada dividing range that stops all the grapes from playing one armed bandits on the weekend. This is old gold mining territory so it should come as no surprise that the soils here are rich in minerals. This lends an extra quality to the local wines and gives them character. The proximity of these mountains makes the region cooler and offers longer ripening conditions than those of the Central Valley.

Sonoma County

Sonoma Valley

This is a prolific growing area including all sorts of varieties and quality levels. It encompasses many differing regions within its boundaries.

Alexander Valley to the north offers a warm region great for ripe red and white wines ideal for younger drinking.

Dry Creek is ironically wetter and warmer than most and has a long ripening season. It is a good but dangerous place for Pinot (wet means fungal danger) and a good place for Zinfandel.

Los Carneros in the south is cooled by Pacific breezes through the Petaluma gap and morning fogs. This is fine wine country and a home for some of California's best Pinot Noir and chardonnay.