TOP PRODUCING WINE

REGIONS OF THE WORLD

• The top 3
major wine
regions of
the world
are France,
Italy, and
Spain. They
produce
almost half
of all the
wine
produced
in the
world.
1 FRANCE

• While France and Italy compete for the top wine production region of
the world, they are also reducing wine production every year. France
has lowered production by 11% since 2007.
•  Major Grapes: Merlot, Grenache, Trebbiano Toscano, Syrah, 
Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, 
Pinot Noir, Gamay, Sauvignon Blanc
FRANCE MOST POPULAR WINE REGIONS

• Alsace.
• Bordeaux
• Burgundy
• Beaujolais
• Champagne.
• Côtes du Rhone
• Jura
• Languedoc
• Loire Valley
• Médoc
• Provence
• South-west
Alsace
• Situated on the lower eastern slopes of the Vosges mountains, in the Rhine valley
between Strasbourg and Mulhouse, the Alsace vineyard is rather different from any
other French wine growing area. Like the region of Alsace itself, the wine culture
here is steeped in a Germanic tradition, producing mostly dry or fruity white wines,
the most popular being Riesling, Sylvaner and the very fruity Gewurztraminer.
• The rules of Appellation contrôlée - and more recently of Appellation
Protégée (AOP) are not applied in the same way in Alsace as in the rest of France.
In Alsace, wines are produced under a simple "Alsace" appellation, after which the
next most important element to be indicated, and the most visible word on the
label, is the grape variety or "cépage", Sylvaner, Riesling, Gewurztraminer,
Edelzwicker, Pinot or a few others. Smaller areas do not have their own
appellations, though with many Alsace wines, the name of the village or vineyard
from which it comes will also be indicated.
Bordeaux
•  Wine, and wine growing region. With Burgundy and Champagne, the Bordeaux region
of Aquitaine is one of the three most famous French wine-producing regions.
Historically, its fame is at least in part due to the fact that of these three big grape-
growing areas, the Bordeaux vineyard is the only one with immediate access to the
sea, an advantage that has enabled it to be France's major wine exporting region for
many centuries.
• The Bordeaux vineyard is centered round the port city of Bordeaux , along the estuary
of the Gironde, and the rivers Garonne and Dordogne. It is a large vineyard, and the
geo-specific appellation "Bordeaux" covers an area stretching some 100 km both north-
south and east-west.
 While the appellation contrôlée covers wines of medium quality from all over this
region, many if not most of the top quality clarets grown in the overall area benefit from
more specific and distinctive area appellations, such as Médoc , Graves or Saint
Emilion, and even more local appellations such as Pauillac, Graves and Saint-
Estèphe.
Médoc
• Among the Bordeaux vineyards, Médoc deserves a special mention. The Médoc,
an area south of the Gironde estuary to the north west of Bordeaux, is the home
of many of the most prestigious French wines.  Among the famous appellations
produced in this area are Saint Estèphe, Margaux, Saint Julien and Pauillac. It
was in 1855 that the wine producers of the Medoc region classified their 61 best
wines according to a league table of "grands crus", ranking from "Premier Cru" to
"Cinquième Cru".
• These grands crus are generally reputed to be the greatest of all French wines,
and naturally their prices generally reflect this status. Obviously, if you buy an
estate bottled wine from a chateau with grand cru status, (and of course they are
all estate bottled), you can be pretty sure of getting a top quality wine. But take
care! Even a grand cru wine can go off if it is not matured and cared for in the
best conditions.
Bourgogne (Burgundy)
•  The vineyards of the Burgundy region cover a narrow strip of land on the eastern slopes of the hills
running south-east from the Burgundian Capital, Dijon.  The heart of the Burgundy wine growing
region is the historic city of Beaune, where the autumn wine sale in the historic "Hospices" building is
one of the high points of the wine year. Burgundy wines are classified on four levels, the lowest being
the generic "Bourgogne" appellation. Selected areas of the Burgundy vineyard have their own
classifications, such as Côtes de Beaune. Within these, there are smaller areas, villages and groups of
villages, reputed to produce higher quality wine, such as Mersault, Pernand Vergelesse or Aloxe
Corton . Finally, at the top of the pyramid, there are the "grands crus", such as Clos Vougeot, with its
mere 51 hectares of vineyard.
• Finding ones way around Burgundy wines is sometimes a daunting task. The best Burgundy wines are
the reds, the best of which can keep for a good 20 to 30 years. However, Burgundy also produces
some top quality, though not too distinctive, whites. It is often said that generic burgundies "Bourgogne
Rouge" or Bourgogne Passetoutgrains" white are overpriced and not particularly good value for money.

• A good tip: 2003 is said to be one of the best vintages for many years.
Beaujolais:

• South of the Burgundy region, bordering the Rhone valley vineyards, a large
area round Beaujeu produces a light red wine known as Beaujolais,
paradoxically one of the most famous French wines. This is a wine that does
not usually keep for very many years, and over the last fifty years it has
been successfully marketed as a "vin primeur", or young wine, to be drunk
after just a few weeks of maturing. But the success of Beaujolais Nouveau -
launched on the market each year on the third Thursday of November - has
more to do with clever marketing than with any enduring quality of the wine.
Champagne
• The Champagne region, centered on the towns of Reims (Rheims) and Epernay, is the most
northern of France's major vineyards. Unlike most of the best French wines, champagnes are
blended in order to produce either non vintage champagnes (blended from different years) or
vintage champagne, blended from wines of the same harvest. Consequently, since the quality of
the champagne ultimately depends on a balance between the quality of the grapes and the skill
of the blenders, Champagnes are also ranked and promoted by producer, not by any more finely
delimited appellation . Possibly the most highly rated of blends is Krug; other well appreciated
brands include Mumm, Bollinger and Heidsieck, not to mention the very well known brands of
Moët & Chandon and Taittinger.
• The distinct taste and purity of real champagne is certainly due to the chalky soil and the
continental growing conditions that abound in the Champagne region. Several of the main
French Champagne producers have set up branches and vineyards in California, but in spite of
bringing over their best master-blenders, have never been able to achieve quite the same result.
Although many people imagine that Champagnes are all white, this is not quite true. Rosé
champagnes also exist.
• Note:    Champagne is not a generic term for sparkling wine from France.
There are plenty more good sparkling wines from France that are not sold
as champagne. While it is true to say that the top champagnes are inimitable, it
is far from true to imagine that  you have to buy a real champagne if you want a
good French sparkling wine. Some other excellent sparkling wines are produced
in Burgundy (Crémant de Bourgogne), the Jura (Crémant du Jura)  and the Loire
valley (Vouvray and others) and other areas, using the same techniques
(formerly called "méthode champenoise" - an expression now banned from use
in other regions) - and a similar but not identical mix of grape varieties, notably
Chardonnay.
• Only the most experienced connaisseurs can distinguish a middling Champagne
from a good crémant or Vouvray... yet non-Champagne sparkling wines sell at a
fraction of the price of equivalent quality wines from Champagne.
Loire Valley wines
• Although there are some excellent wines produced in the large Loire Valley area,
there are few Loire wines, whites, rosés or pale reds, that rank among the greatest
French wines. "Anjou Rosé" is a good everyday rosé, and "Muscadet" and "Gros
Plant" from near Nantes, on the Loire estuary, are dry white wines that go
excellently with seafood.. Another good appellation is "Pouilly Fumé" (not to be
confused with "Pouilly Fuissé", a white Burgundy). Touraine, the area round Tours,
is know for its light red wines, notably from the Gamay grape variety.
• The region also produces vin gris , "grey wine", which is actually a very pale rosé,
being a white wine made from black grapes. While there are plenty of Loire wines
that benefit from appellations protégées, others are sold under the vin de pays
label.
   Finally, the Loire valley is France's second largest producer of sparkling wines,
after Champagne. Two of the more prestigious varieties are Vouvray and Saumur.
Cognac: / Charentes:

• The Cognac / Charentes region inland from La Rochelle is a major wine

area, though normal wine itself is not the main product of the region; the wine
produced is mostly used for distilling into Cognac or other spirits, or else for
the production of a delicious apéritif wine known as Pineau des Charentes.
Some white wine is produced under the Vin de Pays label, and there are
some vineyards that produce rosé or even red wines.
Jura
• Possibly the most underrated of French white wines, Jura wines come from
the south of the Franche-Comté region, the west-facing slopes of the Jura
hills that look out across the wide Saône valley to the slopes of Burgundy on
the other side. The best and most distinctive of Jura whites are made from
the "Savagnin" grape variety, which is found only in this region, and gives the
wine a delicious sherry-like taste. However, most Jura wines are blended
from different varieties, and as in Alsace, the grape variety tends to be
indicated on the label. the Jura vineyard also produces dark rosé wines,
sometimes called reds, as well as the famous "yellow wine", Vin Jaune, an
expensive apéritif wine made exclusively from the Savagnin grape variety.
The most prestigious appellation for Vin Jaune is Château Chalon. This wine
is made from late harvested grapes, and then left to mature in casks for at
least six years.
Côtes du Rhone
• Côtes du Rhône is one of those French wines that has become famous on account
more as a result of the extent of the vineyard than of the quality of the wine. The
Côtes du Rhône vineyard runs for over 200 kilometres down the Rhone valley from
the south of Lyon to the Camargue. Within the region, there are a number of
prestigious smaller areas such as Côte Rotie (in the northern part of the region),
Hermitage or Chateauneuf du Pape and Gigondas (near Avignon).
   The southern end of the Côtes du Rhône appellation area is actually in Provence.
   The vast majority of Côtes du Rhône wine is sold under the generic appellations,
"Côtes du Rhône" or "Côtes du Rhone Villages". 
   Côtes du Rhone wines are mediterranean wines, and generally speaking they are
blended from the different classic grape varieties of the South of France, including
most notably Viognier, Syrah, and Grenache. Price-wise, generic Côtes du Rhône
wines are often at the cheaper end of the "appellation contrôlée" or AOP range.
Provence

• Provence is a large wine-producing area, best-known for its rosé

wines, the most famous of which are Côtes de Provence and Côteaux
d'Aix. However, the Provence vineyard also produces red wines,
including some very rich red wines from the Var, and "grey wine" from
the Camargue area. The most famous of the area's white wines is
Bandol, celebrated since the middle ages. Note that the Provence
vineyard also includes the southern end of the Côtes du Rhone AOP
area.
2 Italy
• Italy may be second to France, but there is a growing trend in both
countries to remove vineyards. Italy has reduced its production by at
least 7% since 2007.
• Major Grapes Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Merlot, Trebbiano Toscano, 
Nero d’Avola, Barbera, Pinot Grigio, Prosecco
• Italian wine is one of the most difficult regions to get to know. Why? Well
for one, the Italians use an esoteric wine labeling system, much like the
French. But that’s not even the biggest problem in terms of familiarizing
yourself with Italian wines. The hardest part is learning all the different
grape varieties
• Italy produces a huge amount of table wine, Vermouth, and cooking
wines (such as Marsala). That being said, there are 3 major regions that
produce high quality table wines and they are: Veneto, Tuscany, and
Piedmont!
• DOC Wine Meaning
A “controlled designation of origin” is a quality assurance label for
Italian wine and cheese. D.O.C.G. is the highest level of this assurance
label.
• IGT Wine Meaning
A “typical geographic indication” is another type of quality assurance
label for Italian wine. Wines made with non-Italian grapes like Merlot
and Chardonnay often fall under this category
Veneto (~18% DOC production)
• Keep your eyes peeled for reds and a rich white wine called Soave.

• Veneto is known for the Valpolicella region which is known for producing
Amarone della Valpolicella. Besides the great red blends of Valpolicella
made with Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara, there are also several fine
Merlot-based IGT wines in this area.
Tuscany (~17% DOC production)
• Try red wines from Tuscany as well as a sweet wine called Vin Santo.

• Tuscany is home to the Chianti region which is the most famous region for
Sangiovese. When Sangiovese became the required major grape in Chianti during the
1970s, the other noble grapes (Cab and Merlot) ended up creating a new style of
wine: Super Tuscan. For white wines in this region, keep in mind that Trebbiano is
Italy’s most produced white grape and Vermentino has quite a few taste similarities to
Sauvignon Blanc.
Piedmont (~11% DOC production)
• Try red wines and Moscato d’Asti from this area.

• Nebbiolo is a grape with high tannins and pale color that has long been
famous for its bristling acidity and high tannin. Besides just the great
Nebbiolo wines of Barolo, the region is also home to Moscato d’Asti
Emilia-Romagna (~9% DOC production)
• Eat the cheese from Parma and drink Lambrusco.

• Lambrusco has long been thought of as a cheap, sweet, fruity wine. Now there are several outstanding
off-dry to totally dry Lambruscos from Emilia-Romagna.

Lombardy (~7% DOC production)

• Check out Pinot Nero and Sparkling wines from Lombardy.

• Valtellina is within Lombardy, close to Lake Como. Nebbiolo is the red wine produced here but it’s
called Chiavennasca; it’s lighter and more “pinot-like” than its Piemontese sister. Lombardy also
produces some great Pinot Noir (they call it Pinot Nero) especially around Oltrepò Pavese. The
sparkling wine is called Franciacorta and is made with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Blanc
grapes in the same style as Champagne.
Umbria (~7% DOC production)
• Look for great valued Sangiovese and Orvieto (a white wine).

• Sagrantino is the red grape variety in Umbria that people go crazy over. In Montefalco, you’ll find Sagrantino,
but there’s also a fair amount of strawberry-like Sangiovese in the region. The white grape here is called
Grechetto, which is one of the grapes in Orvieto. It’s minerally and zesty qualities are similar to Pinot Grigio,
with a distinct green almond flavor.

Abruzzo (~7% DOC production)

• Look for red wines from Abruzzo.

• Montepulciano is the primary red grape in Abruzzo and the wines are called Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. This
is a bit confusing because there is also a Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which is a wine from Tuscany made
with Sangiovese. Montepulciano (the grape) makes a dark, rich wine with high tannins and an herbaceous
character, and is similar to Cabernet Sauvignon.
Trentino Alto-Adige (~6% DOC production)
• Look for white wines and sparkling wines.
• This region is butted up to the Alps and makes fabulous white wines from Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco, Gewürztraminer,
and Müller-Thurgau (the latter two are sweeter). In Trento, they also produce a sparkling wine made with Pinot Noir and
Chardonnay that easily rivals the best Champagne.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia (~6% DOC production)

• Look for white wines, particularly Sauvignon and Pinot Grigio.
• Known for several unique and more intensely flavored styles of Pinot Grigio, (including Ramato) and Sauvignon Blanc,
with a slightly meaty undertone. The area also produces some very savory and umami tasting Merlot.

Marche (~3% DOC production)

• Try refreshing and aromatic Verdicchio white wines.
• Marche (Mar-kay) is known for their aromatic white wines. Verdicchio is definitely the most common, but Pecorino (the
white wine grape, not the cheese) is an extremely special find. Lacrima is an up-and-coming grape from this area making
fruity fun wines that reminded us of Syrah.
Puglia (~3% DOC production)
• Amazing valued reds made with Negroamaro and Primitivo.
• The fruit forward red wines from Puglia (Apulia) are a great way to get started with Italian wines. Most are very affordable and the region has a
great number of esoteric sweet red wines that grow nowhere else in the world. Puglia is also a known value region for Chardonnay.

Lazio (~2% DOC production)

• With Rome located in Lazio, wine production is relatively small. Still, refreshing and zesty Grechetto can be found here, along with Malvasia, an
aromatic rich and sweet wine.

Sicily (~1% DOC production)

• Try a red wine called Nero d’Avola.
• Red wines from Sicily are dark, rich, and fruit forward because of the warm climate. Nero d’Avola is an awesome red variety that’s worthy of
nobility.

Sardinia (~1% DOC production)

• You gotta try Cannonau and Vermentino.
• At some point ampelographers discovered that Sardegna’s pride, Cannonau, is actually Grenache. In Sardegna (Sardinia), it tastes more rustic
with dried fruit flavors. The wines from Sardegna (Sardinia) are highly aromatic and usually offered at a great value.
3 SPAIN

• Spain is home to the largest vineyard acreage in the world. Despite

this fact, Spain also has much lower wine yields than neighboring
France and Italy, resulting in less total wine.
• Major Grapes: Tempranillo, Airén, Garnacha, Monastrell, Bobal
 SPANISH WINE REGIONS
• There are 138 official wine designations in Spain (as of 2020). The regions are incredibly
diverse, producing everything from zesty Albariño to inky, black Monastrell. So, the best
way to learn about Spanish wine is to break up the country into 7 distinct climates.
1 Northwest “Green” Spain
2 Ebro and Duero River Valleys
3 Northern Mediterranean Coast
4 Southern Mediterranean
5 Central Plateau
6 Andalucía
7 The Islands (including The Canary Islands)
4 United States
90% of wine from the United States is from California. California is home to the world’s largest wine
producer, Gallo, in Modesto, CA.
• Major Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc

5 Argentina
Argentina continues to grow its wine production year after year resulting in the highest growth rate (8%) of
the top 5 wine producers in the world. Argentina relies on wine exports.
• Major Grapes: Malbec, Bonarda, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon

6 Australia
Australia relies primarily on the wine export market. Since the US dollar has weakened, Australia is
expanding its wine marketing in Hong Kong and Asia.
• Major Grapes: Shiraz (Syrah), Chardonnay
7 Germany
German wine is known for its aromatic white wines. German wines are exported primarily to the US and UK.
• Major Grapes: Riesling, Müller-Thurgau

8 South Africa
South Africa has long been known for its Chenin Blanc and produces the largest volume of Brandy in the world.
• Major Grapes: Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Chardonnay

9 Chile
Chile is proud of the red wine variety Carmenere, known as the ‘lost varietal’ of Bordeaux. Still, export markets demand traditional
varieties.
• Major Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Carménère, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc

10 Portugal
Portugal is known for Port wine, a high alcohol dessert wine from northern Portugal made by blending several grape varieties.
• Major Grapes: Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), Touriga Franca, Castelão, Touriga Nacional, Alicante Bouschet, Alvarinho, Arinto