WINE 101 | WORLD WINE REGIONS

The world's wine regions are located between 30 and 50 degrees north latitude and 30 and 50 degrees south latitude. Further north than 50 degrees north latitude the weather becomes too marginal, that is to say too cold, too susceptible to premature frosts and therefore without enough of a climatic window of opportunity within which too grow or let alone ripen the fruit of the grape vine. Conversely, any further south than 30 degrees north latitude, the weather becomes too hot and often too humid to allow for fruit of winemaking quality to grow and mature.

In the southern hemisphere the same holds true with the exception that the climatic extremes are reversed with regard to the degrees of latitude. In other words, it becomes too cold south of 50 degrees south latitude and too hot north of 30 degrees south latitude.*

The more temperate areas of the land masses sandwiched between these four lines of latitude are the most favorable to the cultivation of Vitis Vinifera and other wine grapes. The vast majority of these grape growing regions are within relative proximity of major bodies of water. This proximity means that growing temperatures are further moderated by the cooling and heating effect generated by these large areas of open water. Existing within these growing regions are the micro, macro and meso climates commonly referred to in winespeak.

These ‘sub regions' are basically small areas which enjoy (due to geographic/climatic) reasons even more favorable growing conditions than the main growing region they are part of.

Grape vines require very specific growing conditions under which to thrive. The two major requirements are abundant sunshine and proper soil drainage.

Other requirements are that the soil be neither too acid nor too alkaline in addition to having enough organic matter present in it. Phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen need to be present in the proper proportions in order for the soil to be viable. In essence, soil is a mixture of organic and inorganic matter. Since grape vines have roots that run very deep, the inorganic structure of soil needs to be of such a nature so as not to trap water at the vine's root, nor let it run past it too quickly so as to keep the roots from absorbing the amount of water they actually need. If too much water is trapped at the vine's root the resulting fruit will produce wine of a very ‘watered down' nature, that is to say, thin and uninteresting. The reality is that grape vines actually thrive in what otherwise would be considered very poor soil.

In Bordeaux it is said that ‘for vines to thrive, they need to suffer'. Gravel, sand, clay, loose stones and chalk in varying proportions all have roles to play in providing for the proper soil conditions in which to grow and mature wine grapes. Each one of the world's grape growing regions will exhibit the appropriate soil conditions to a varying extent.

All of the most famous and respected wine regions have achieved their status as producers of fine wine very much through trial and error over the course of literally centuries. Extensive experimentation with different grape varieties, hybrids, clones, trellising and pruning systems, viticultural, vinification and aging techniques have resulted in what is taken for granted today.

Fortunately, the latter half of the 20 th century has witnessed an unprecedented move toward applying science and technology to the more traditional ‘trial and error' aspects of viticulture and viniculture. As a result, some of the more recent yet nonetheless famous New World wine regions have come into being in a much lesser span of time than their Old World counterparts.

*There are a small number of exceptions however, examples of which would be British Columbia, England, Wales and Germany where some vineyards are actually located north of the 50 th parallel. Additionally, there are growing regions in Mexico, Peru, parts of the African and Asian continent which are located south or north of either of the 30th parallels of latitude.

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