Last time, we explored some of the well-known wine regions in Europe. Today, let’s focus on some others from around the globe.

Argentina

Argentina is said to be the fifth-largest wine region and continues to grow each year. One of the best-known wine regions is Mendoza and is known for its Malbec. San Juan is considerably hotter and drier than Mendoza and is known for its Syrah and Douce noir. La Rioja was one of the earliest wine regions in the country, cultivated by Spanish missionaries.

Australia

Vineyard Kangaroo

Wine is produced in every state in Australia, though the more well-known regions can be found in the southern, cooler parts of the country. The country produces a wide range of varieties (due to the vast climatic and topographic differences) but is best known for Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

Portugal

Portugal has 14 distinct wine regions which grow a wide array of grape varieties. The largest region is Alentejo, which is known for both its cork production and its dry red wines. The Douro Valley is a wine region that is protected by UNESCO, and is famous for its fortified Port wines, as well as non-fortified varieties known as “Duoro Reds”.

South Africa

South Africa is known for its excellent Chenin Blanc. (One of my favorites.) The Hemel-en-Aarde Valley also produces Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays in its much cooler climate.  As a side note, South Africa is also the largest producer of brandy in the world.

Chile

Chile is the seventh-largest producer of wines. The Atacama region in the north is famous for its brandy-like Pisco, while the Aconcagua and Casablanca valleys are known for producing red Carménère and Shiraz, as well as Sauvignon blanc and Chardonnay. The Maipo Valley is known for its excellent Cabernet Sauvignon.

New Zealand

Wine-making in New Zealand dates back to the early 19th century. The largest region, Marlborough, is famous for its Sauvignon Blanc, which make up almost three-quarters of the country’s entire wine production. (Trust me. I am addicted to this wine!) Another major region is Canterbury, known for its Pinot Noir.

Next time, I will be taking on the United States. (And there is so much more to the US wine-making than Napa and Sonoma!)

Believe it or not, there is wine made in just about every country in the world. And some countries have several wine regions, so this could have been a very long post. I decided to highlight some of the world’s top wine-producing regions without the US (my home country) mentioned. I’ll focus on the United States at a later time.

The top three wine regions – France, Italy, and Spain – produce almost half the world’s wine (enough to fill 5,127 Olympic-sized swimming pools!). Let’s start with these three.

France

French wine always gives the idea of status, doesn’t it.  The French take their wine seriously! (If you have ever seen the movie Bottle Shock, you can understand why!) Even their 2 buck (well, euro) chuck is amazing. (Trust me, I bought one in Paris at a pharmacy once. It was divine!)

The country is home to ten major regions, each with their own signature wines. The most well-known include:

• Languedoc
• Burgundy
• Champagne
• Alsace
• Bordeaux

Italy

Ask an Italian winemaker, and they will always say Italian wines are the best. The country has more wine regions than France, and the wines are as unique as the variety of landscapes the grapes cover.

One of the largest and most famous is Tuscany, known for Chianti and Vin Sento. Other regions include:

• Campania
• Piedmont
• Prosecco
• Sicily
• Abruzzo
• Lombardy

Spain

More than one million acres of vineyards span Spain. It is known for its rich and varied red wines and its crisp white wines. Regions include:

• La Rioja
• Priorat
• Galicia

Next time, I’ll focus on some of my other favorite global wine regions, including some up-and-comers giving these top 3 producers a run for their money!