Wine Producing Regions
The following list of wine-producing regions records only the top growing regions where vineyards are planted. This by no means is an exhaustive list. The definition of these cultural-geographical regions is the one in use by the United Nations.

1.0 Africa

• 1.1 Algeria: Mascara, Côteaux de Tlemcen
• 1.2 Tunisia: Bizerte, Carthage, Vieux Magon
• 1.3 Morocco: Berkane, Taza, Fès
• 1.4 South Africa - The establishment by the Dutch East India Company of a refreshment station at the Cape in 1652 had one single aim: to provide fresh food to the company's merchant fleet on their voyages to India and surrounding areas.
  
  South African wine has been produced since 1659, when the first wine was produced by the Commander of the Cape, Jan van Riebeeck. Production is concentrated in the south-west of the country, with major vineyard and production centers at Paarl, Stellenbosch and Worcester.

  The Dutch had almost no wine tradition and it was only after the French Huguenots settled at the Cape between 1680 and 1690 that the wine industry began to flourish. As religious refugees, the Huguenots had very little money and had to make do with the bare essentials. They also had to adapt their established winemaking techniques to new conditions.

  The 2005 statistics indicated that 13.5 percent of South Africa's vineyard area was planted in Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9.4 percent in Shiraz, with Merlot and Pinotage planted in seven percent and 6.7 percent of the national vineyard area respectively.

  Other notable varieties include Riesling, known in South Africa as Weisser Riesling, Crouchen, a French varietal known as "Cape Riesling", Trebbiano, an Italian grape known as "Ugni Blanc", and Muscat.

2.0 Americas

• 2.1 Argentina - Argentine wine, as with many aspects of Argentine cuisine, has its roots in Spain. During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, Juan Cedrón (or Cidrón) brought the first vine cuttings to Santiago del Estero in 1557, and the cultivation of the grape and wine production stretched first to neighboring regions, and then to other parts of the country.
  
  Argentine winemakers have traditionally been more interested in quantity than quality and the country consumes 90% of the wine it produces. However, the desire to increase exports fueled significant advances in quality. Argentine wines started being exported during the 1990s, and are currently growing in popularity. The devaluation of the Argentine peso in 2002 further fueled the industry as production costs decreased and tourism significantly increased, giving way to a whole new concept of wine tourism in Argentina. Mendoza Province is now one of Argentina's top tourist destinations and the one which has grown the most in the past years.

  Argentina is the largest wine producer in South America and the 5th largest in the world, with over 1,200 million liters (2003), and the 13th largest exporter in the world (431 million USD in 2005). Argentina probably produces the best Malbec. Ironically, in the 1980s, Argentina almost gave up on the grape through government vine pull schemes.

  Due to the high altitude and low humidity of the main wine producing regions, Argentine vineyards rarely face the problems of insects, fungi, moulds and other diseases that affect grapes in other countries. This permits cultivating with little or no pesticides, allowing even organic wines to be easily produced.

  The most important wine regions of the country are located in the provinces of Mendoza and San Juan (Cuyo region), and La Rioja. Salta, Catamarca and Río Negro are also wine producing regions. The Mendoza Province produces more than 60% of the Argentine wine and the source of an even higher percentage of the total exports.

• 2.2 Brazil
  
  
• 2.3 Canada
  
  
• 2.4 Chile
  
  
• 2.5 Mexico
  
  
• 2.6 United States - California - While wine is made in all fifty states, it is California where the great majority (up to 90% by some estimates) is produced. In fact, California would be the fourth largest producer of wine in the world if it were an independent nation.
  
  In 1769, Franciscan missionary Father Junipero Serra planted the first California vineyard at Mission San Diego de Alcala. Father Serra continued to establish eight more missions and vineyards until his death in 1784 and has been called the "Father of California Wine". The variety he planted, presumably descended from earlier Mexican plantings, became known as the Mission grape and dominated California wine production until about 1880.
  
  California wine has a long and continuing history, and in recent decades has become recognized producing some of the world's finest wine, matching the produce of the classic winemaking regions of France and, in some wine competitions, such as the historic Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, surpassing it.
  
  
• 2.7 Venezuela
  
  

3.0 Europe

• 3.1 Austria
• 3.2 Bulgaria
• 3.3 Croatia
• 3.4 Cyprus
• 3.5 Czech Republic
  
  
• 3.6 France - France is one of the oldest wine producing regions of Europe. Regions in the south were licensed by the Roman Empire to produce wines. St. Martin of Tours (316-397) was actively engaged in both spreading Christianity and planting vineyards.

  During the Middle Ages, monks maintained vineyards and, more important, wine making knowledge and skills during that often turbulent period. Monasteries had the resources, security, and motivation to produce a steady supply of wine for both celebrating mass and generating income. During this time the best vineyards were owned by the monasteries and their wine was considered to be superior. Over time the nobility acquired extensive vineyards. However, the French Revolution led to the confiscation of many of the vineyards owned by the Church and others.

• 3.7 Georgia
  
  
• 3.8 Germany - German wine is produced in many parts of Germany, and due to the northerly location have produced wines quite unlike any others in Europe, many of outstanding quality. Despite this it is still better known abroad for cheap, sweet, low-quality mass-produced wines such as Liebfraumilch. The wines have historically been predominantly white, and the finest made from riesling. Many wines have been sweet and low in alcohol, light and unoaked.
  
  Perhaps the most distinctive characteristic of German wines is the high level of acidity in them caused both by the lesser ripeness in a northerly climate, and by the selection of grapes such as riesling which retain acidity even at high ripeness levels.
  
  
• 3.9 Greece
  
  
• 3.10 Hungary
  
  
• 3.11 Italy - Italian wines are those produced in Italy, the oldest wine producing region, and are considered to be among the most prestigious wines in the world. Depending on the vintage, Italy is the world's largest or second largest producer of wine, along with France (each country is generally the source of around 1/5 of the world's overall production). In 2005, Italy was second globally, producing about 20% of the global production of wine compared to France, which produced 22%.

  Most winemaking in Italy is done in modern wineries. But villagers, making wine for their own use, sometimes tread the grapes with their bare feet until the juice is squeezed out. They believe this ancient method still makes the best wine. As far as generalizations can be made, Italian wines tend to be acidic, dry, light-to-medium bodied, and subdued in flavor and aroma. Because of these characteristics, Italian wines are, in general, a better accompaniment to food than they are beverages to be enjoyed on their own.

• 3.12 Luxembourg
• 3.13 Moldova
• 3.14 Poland
• 3.15 Portugal
• 3.16 Republic of Macedonia
• 3.17 Romania
• 3.18 Russia
• 3.19 Serbia
• 3.20 Slovakia
• 3.21 Slovenia
  
  
• 3.22 Spain - Spain is the second largest producer of wine in the world, the largest being France and the third Italy. Historically, Spain has been known from the production of fortified wines and the best known Spanish wine is considered by some to be the fortified wine Sherry, which is produced in the region surrounding Jerez de la Frontera. Other wine regions well known outside of Spain include: Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Priorato, Cava and Penedès.
  
  
• 3.23 Switzerland
• 3.24 Ukraine
• 3.25 United Kingdom

4.0 Southwest Asia

• 4.1 Israel
• 4.2 Palestinian Territories
• 4.3 Lebanon
• 4.4 Syria
• 4.5 Turkey

5.0 Southern Asia

• 5.1 India

6.0 Eastern Asia

• 6.1 China
• 6.2 Japan
  
  

7.0 Oceania

• 7.1 Australia - The Australian wine industry is the 6th largest in the world, exporting over 400,000,000 liters a year to a large international export market that includes "old world" wine-producing countries such as France, Italy and Germany. There is also a significant domestic market for Australian wines, with Australians consuming over 400,000,000 liters of wine per year. The wine industry is a significant contributor to the Australian economy through production, employment, export and tourism.

  Major grape varieties are Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and Riesling. The country has no native grapes, and Vitis vinifera varieties were introduced from Europe and South Africa in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Some varieties have been bred by Australian viticulturalists, for example Vienna and Tarrango. Although Syrah was originally called Shiraz in Australia and Syrah elsewhere, its dramatic commercial success has led many Syrah producers around the world to label their wine "Shiraz".

• 7.2 New Calendonia
  
  
• 7.3 New Zealand - New Zealand wine is largely produced in ten major wine growing regions spanning latitudes 36° to 45° South and extending 1,600 km (1,000 miles). Wine making and vine growing go back to colonial times in New Zealand. Typically their vineyards produced sherry and port fortified and sweetened for the palates of New Zealanders of the time, and table wine for their own community. New Zealand is home to what many wine critics consider the world’s best Sauvignon Blanc.

  New Zealand's wine industry has become highly successful in the international market. To meet the increasing demand for its wines, the country's vineyard plantings have more than tripled in the ten years ending in 2005.