Wine Regions

In which parts of the world is wine produced?

Wine is produced in virtually every part of the world, from India to China, North America to the very tip of South America in Patagonia.

What do Old World and New World mean?

Old World tends to be the more famous old wine producing regions of Western Europe such as France , Italy, Spain and Germany as opposed to the New World producers such as North America, South America, Australasia, and South Africa.

Is Old World wine better than New World wine?

No, it's very difficult to distinguish between the two. There are good producers of wine in both the New World and the Old World.

Is France the world's best wine producer?

Whether or not France is the world's best wine producer is very subjective because, obviously, everybody has their own individual tastes. To my mind, France still makes some of the greatest wines in the world, and wines that can age for a long time. However, there are also fantastic wines made in Italy, Spain, America and Australia, so it is very, very subjective.

Which region of the world produces the best wines?

That's a very subjective question because there are great wines produced in regions all over the world and which region produces the best is up to each individual's taste.

What are the up-and-coming regions?

Various up and coming countries are producing fantastic wines. In particular, I would say Chile is a good up and coming country, which has a very different microclimate from its north to south. And also, much more up and coming, as far as unusual, are places such as China and India.

What is a Burgundy wine?

Burgundy is a region in France. It's just south of Dijon, quite high in France. Burgundy produces white wines, mainly made from Chardonnay, and red wines made from Pinot Noir. Burgundy contains some of the most expensive real estate land for grapes in the whole world. Famous names as Richbourg, Romanee Conti and Le Montrachet come from Burgundy.

What is a Bordeaux wine?

Bordeaux is a very famous region down on the west coast of France, by the Garonne river. Famous names, such as Château Margaux, Lafite and Mouton-Rothschild, all come from Bordeaux.

What is a Cotes du Rhone wine?

Côtes du Rhône comes from the Rhône Valley in Southern France. Wines from there tend to be red, but they do make a small amount of white and rosé wine.

What is a Sancerre wine?

Sancerre is a wine-producing region in the Loire valley in France that is more famous for its white wines, which are made from Sauvignon Blanc, but also makes a rose and reds from the Pinot Noir grape. The Sancerre whites tend to be very dry and steely and light, and very good quality.

What is a Rioja wine?

Rioja is a region in Northern Spain that produces fantastic wines in red, white and rose. Rioja wines include young wines that are best drunk in their first one or two years, right through to wines that will keep for twenty or thirty years.

What is a Barollo wine?

Barolo is a wine that is made in North-western Italy, in the area of Piedmont. Barolos are very tough wines in their youth, and tend to take a very long time to age before they're ready for drinking. This wine is also from the famous truffle area, and they have a Barolo and truffle festival every year.

What is a Valpolicella wine?

Valpolicella comes from the Veneto region in North-eastern Italy. Valpolicella particularly makes red wine, in a variety of styles, from very light and easy-drinking to quite big, rich, heavy Amaroni wines.

What is a Chianti wine?

Chianti is an area within central Tuscany in Italy where they produce very good quality red wines made from the Sangiovese grape. These wines range from everyday drinking Chianti right through to good quality Chianti reserves.