Choose a Region Below...or Visit Our World Map

Europe:
France
          A wide range of both white and red wines.  Everything from light to heavy, dry to sweet, plus sparkling wines officially known as Champagne.  French wines lead the world in quality. The area adjacent to the port of Bordeaux is the home of the widely planted "noble" vine, the Cabernet Sauvignon, which, with other related varieties, principally Cabernet Franc and Merlot produces famous red wine.  Burgundy is a smaller region but produces many famous wines from two related grape varieties: Pinot Noir for reds and Chardonnay for whites. The best reds come from the Côte d'Or.  The Rhône valley produces excellent full-bodied reds such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côte Rotie, and Hermitage.  The Champagne region in northern France produces indisputably the best sparkling wine in the world.  Other good sparkling wines are produced in the Loire, Burgundy, and Savoie.

Italy
          A majority of red wine varieties, with some light white wines such as Pinot Griggio.  Varieties range from table wines to collectable reds that age well.  Within the official zones more than 900 types of wine are produced.  Wines from "Guaranteed Zones" include Barbaresco, Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti (in seven subzones), Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Chianti (in seven subzones), Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Albana di Romagna, Gattinara, Carmignano (red only) and Torgiano Rosso "riserva".

Germany
          Mostly white wines.  Germany produces the loveliest, lightest, most delicate white wines in the world.  Low in alcohol and exquisitely balanced, they are wines of charm and subtle nuances.  The wines grown in Germany are extremely diverse, although they bear a family resemblance and include most notably, the Riesling.  German red wines are refreshing, often light, and show more of a fruity than tannic acidity. They are a specialty, usually consumed where they are grown — little is exported.

Spain
          Earthy red wines.  You could roughly separate the regions of Spain into: North, Central, Mediterranean, South, and the islands. The north encompasses the green valleys, ancient monasteries, dolmens and bagpipes of Galicia; the lovely Cider producing area of Asturias, with its quaint fishing villages; the ancient cave paintings and elegant coastal resort towns of Cantabria; Gourmet Basque country, including the two important cities of San Sebastian and Bilbao; picturesque Navarra, famed for its Rosado wines and exciting experimenting with French varietals for the reds; and of course the world famous wine producing area of La Rioja.  La Rioja is spiritually part of the Basque country, but is its own autonomous region, politically. The wines are usually red, full bodied and aged in American and French oak barrels, giving the wines distinct nuances like vanilla, cedar and tobacco.

Portugal
          Predominantly red wines.  Most wine enthusiasts associate Portugal with port and Madeira wines.  Portugal has 13 well delimited wine producing regions, the most famous of which are: Port (Oporto), Rios do Minho, Dao, Bairrada, Estremadure, Ribatejo, Alentejo, Madeira and Setubal.  There is only one authentic port wine originating in the Douro Valley of northern Portugal.  All wine production is well controlled by law, which distinguishes four categories: Vinho de Mesa (table wine), Vinho regional (regional wine), Indicacao de provenienca Reglamentada (PPR - wine of controlled origin) and Denominacao de Origem Controlada (DOC - appellation controllee). The last category is considered to be the best.

Slovenia
          Slovenia has always been the crossroads between north and south, east and west.  Many travelers brought wine making knowledge from all the prominent viticultural nations of Europe. Accordingly, French, Italian, and German influences are evident both in the growing and production of wines as well as in the terminology. Varietal wines are predominantly named after the grape, while blended wines frequently carry the name of the producing region. 

Hungary
          Hungary has a long-standing history in wine production, dating back to the time of Romans and the Celts. Centuries of great migrations brought the Avar nation to central Europe. Although their ancient cultures has since been lost, the Hungarians who later migrated to the great planes of Central Europe adopted and preserved the wine making crafts of the Avars. Thus grape growing and wine production quickly spread amongst the medieval Hungarian cities.

USA:
California
          A wide range of both white and red wines.  Everything from light to heavy, dry to sweet, plus sparkling wines.  California is the premier wine producer in the USA with five major wine growing regions: North Coast (Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino), Central Coast  (Monterey and the Bay Area), Sierra Foothills (Calaveras, El Dorado) South Coast (Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties) and Central Valley (Lodi and Woodbridge). With its rolling hills and warm, sunny climate the state is rivaling its European counterparts with award-winning wines that are world-famous.  Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay,  Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir are some of the dominant varieties.  Zinfandel is a grape grown almost exclusively in California, and produces a wine equal to or better than European grapes. California wines tend to have a higher alcoholic content and more pronounced aroma and flavor than the European wines.

Oregon
          A wide range of both white and red wines.  Oregon is celebrated for its cool-climate grape varieties, including Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay, and especially Pinot noir.  Oregon's many microclimates make for unique growing conditions throughout the State.  Since Oregon's wine renaissance in the 1960s, wines have grown so meteorically that the state now boasts 134 wineries and nearly 10,000 acres of premium varietal wine grapes, principally Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot gris, Gewurztraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot blanc, Zinfandel, and Sauvignon blanc.

Washington
          A wide range of both white and red wines.  Washington ranks 2nd in premium wine production in the US. There are over 240 wineries in Washington, and over 300 grape growers.  Red wine varietals include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, and Sangiovese.  Leading white varietals include Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Viognier.