Top 10 Wine Regions

There are numerous top-producing wine regions in the world, each with their own distinct claim to fame. In the early years, the best wines were attributed only to traditional producers like France and Italy. Over the years, new “regions” or markets have emerged utilizing modern technology and mixing native grapes with other excellent imports to penetrate the global wine market.

The top 10 wine regions in the world based on the volume (ton) of their production in 2005 include:

1. FRANCE - Synonymous with the term “wine” itself due to the rich wine-making tradition as early as the 4th and 5th centuries. French wine-making is considered a gold standard in the global wine market. France has six major wine producing regions: Alsace – is a dominant producer of white wines; Bordeaux - known as the French red wine capital; Loire - known for its cool climate responsible for producing popular refreshing white wines like Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadet and Chenin Blanc; Burgundy – the moderate climate and a balance of warm summer and cold winter over this 100 miles of land is ideal for growing the grape varieties Pinot Noir (red wines), Gamay (beaujolais) and Chardonnay (white wines); Rhone Valley – in Southeastern France known for producing Viognier, Syrah and Grenache grape varieties for popular red wines; and Provence –known for its rose wines.

2. SPAIN - The world's most widely planted nation in terms of grape cultivation. However, some lands are low-yielding and are widely spaced apart. Nevertheless, Spain is known for growing more than 600 varieties of grapes. Major regions are: Rioja – the primiere region for producing wines grown in autonomous communities, more notably the Tempranillo variety; Reibera del Duero – home to the very expensive Vega Sicilia and Tinto Pesquera Spanish wines; Jerez – famous for the Spanish wine sherry; Catalonia – includes wine-producing territories of Penedes, Priorat and Cava, where the popular Spanish sparkling white wines come from; and Rias Baixas – produces excellent Galicia white wines.

3. ITALY - Known for the diversity of the wines it produces in almost all colors, textures and flavors available, coming from over 300 designated wine zones in the country. Its four major wine-producing regions are: Northwest – Aosta Valley, Piedmont, Liguria, Lombardy and Emilia Romagna; Northeast – Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli-Venezia-Guilia; Central Italy – Tuscany, Umbria, Marches, Latium, Molise, Ambruzzi; and South Islands - Basilicata, Campania, Apulia, Calabria, Sardinia, Sicily.

4. UNITED STATES - The cold climate and fertile soil of some North American states produce several native grape varieties like Vitis Vulpina and Vitis Amurensis. Then, European settlers brought with them the Vitis Vinifera which started the growth of the American wine industry. California is the biggest wine-producing state which yields grapes double that of Australia's harvest. Famous vineyards can also be found in Napa Valley, Walla Walla, Oregon and Washington.

5. ARGENTINA - One of the new and emerging wine markets, Argentine wine-making started in the 16th century in Santiago del Estero region which was planted by grapes from Spain, and which spread to other parts of the country. Argentina entered the wine exporting industry in the 1990s and continues to grow today.

The rest of the list includes: 6. China ; 7. Australia; 8. South Africa; 9. Germany; and 10. Chile.