WINE / SELECT COUNTRY

CHILE

Chile has a long viticultural history for a New World wine region dating to the 16th century when the Spanish conquistadors brought Vitis vinifera vines with them as they colonized the region. In the mid-19th century, French wine varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot were introduced. In the early 1980s, a renaissance began with the introduction of stainless steel fermentation tanks and the use of oak barrels for aging. Wine exports grew very quickly as quality wine production increased.

The number of wineries has grown from 12 in 1995 to over 70 in 2005. Chile is now the fifth largest exporter of wines in the world, and the ninth largest producer.

NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand wine is largely produced in ten major wine growing regions spanning latitudes 36° to 45° South and extending 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles). They are, from north to south Northland, Auckland, Waikato/Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Wellington, Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury/Waipara and Central Otago. New Zealand is home to what many wine critics consider the world’s best Sauvignon Blanc.

FRANCE

French wine is produced in several regions throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France has the world's second-largest total vineyard area, behind Spain, and is in the position of being the world's largest wine producer.  

French wine traces its history to the 6th century BC, with many of France's regions dating their wine-making history to Roman times. The wines produced today range from expensive high-end wines sold internationally, to more modest wines usually only seen within France. France is the source of many grape varieties (such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, and Syrah) that are now planted throughout the world, as well as wine-making practices and styles of wine that have been adopted in other producing countries.

ITALY

Italy is home to some of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. Italy is one of the world's foremost producers, responsible for approximately one-fifth of world wine production in 2005. Italy is the second largest wine producer after France.  Italian wine is exported largely around the world and has market share of over 10% in most Asian countries like India. Grapes are grown in almost every region of the country. More than 1 million vineyards are under cultivation.  

AUSTRALIA

Australian wine has won an international reputation for quality and value. Australia produces a full range of favoured wine styles, from full-bodied reds and deep, fruity whites through to sparkling, dessert and fortified styles.  

In global terms, Australia was ranked sixth in the list of world wine producers in 2005, producing 1.4 billion litres of wine. The Australian wine industry is the fourth largest exporter of wine around the world, with 760 million litres a year going to a large international export market contributing $5.5 billion per annum to the nation's economy.

Australia is consistently one of the top 10 wine-producing countries in the world. Being such a large country with almost every climate and soil type, Australia is one of the few wine producers to make every one of the major wine styles. 

SPAIN

Spain has over 2.9 million acres planted - making it the most widely planted wine producing nation but it is only the third largest producer of wine in the world, the largest being France followed by Italy.

Major Spanish wine regions include the Rioja and Ribera del Duero which are known for their Tempranillo production; Jerez, the home of the fortified wine Sherry; Rías Baixas in the northwest region of Galicia that is known for its white wines made from Albariño and Catalonia which includes the Cava and still wine producing regions of the Penedès as well the Priorat region.

USA

American wine has been produced for over 300 years. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 89 percent of all US wine. The United States is the fourth largest wine producing country in the world after France, Italy, and Spain. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fifth most planted country in the world after France, Italy, Spain and Turkey.  

ARGENTINA

The Argentine wine industry is the fifth largest producer of wine in the world. Argentine wine, as with some aspects of Argentine cuisine, has its roots in Spain. Argentine wines started being exported during the 1990s, and are currently growing in popularity, making it now the largest wine exporter in South America.  

The most important wine regions of the country are located in the provinces of Mendoza, San Juan and La Rioja. The Mendoza province produces more than 60% of the Argentine wine and is the source of an even higher percentage of the total exports. 

SOUTH AFRICA

South African wine has a history dating back to 1659. Access to international markets has unleashed a burst of new energy and new investment. Production is concentrated around Cape Town, with major vineyard and production centres at Paarl, Stellenbosch and Worcester. There are about 60 appellations within the Wine of Origin (WO) system, which was implemented in 1973 with a hierarchy of designated production regions, districts and wards.