Category: APPELLATIONS

Each country consists of many major growing regions within them, known as sub-regions or appellations, which are regulated by the agriculture governing body of that country.

Wines of Champagne, France

Geography & Climate Champagne is the most northerly wine region in France, about 90miles Northeast of Paris.  The climate here is extreme; bone-chilling cold in winter with damaging frost but hot, humid in the summer.  Once a seabed...

Wines of Burgundy (Bourgognes), France

Bordeaux might rule the West of France with its Cabernet and Merlot blends but on the other side of the country, by the border of Italy lies another magnificent wine region, it’s intriguing, elegant, complex and definitely world-class,...

Wines of Bordeaux, France

Far to the west edging the Atlantic ocean lies one of the most important wine regions in the world, Bordeaux.  The province is named after the port-city Bordeaux, and it is home to over 10.000 wine producers together...

Wines of Alsace, France

Geography & Climate Alsace is a thin strip of land running along the Vosges Mountain on the West and the Rhein River to the East. Only after Champagne, it is the second most northerly wine region in France...

Wines of Rioja, Spain

In Rioja, aging wine traced back to the late 1700s, a practice inspired by Bordeaux region of France.  Although at the time larger barrels were used.  By the mid 1800s, Rioja wine landscape experienced major growth as result...

Wines of Jerez (Sherry), Spain

Geography & Climate At the very southern tip of Spain, Jerez DOC is world famous for bull-fighting and Sherry (or Xeres in French).   Ripeness is never a problem, the region is blessed with abundant sunshine almost year-round but...

Wines of Castilla – La Mancha, Spain

Geography & Climate La Mancha is the largest continuous vine-growing region in Spain.  A large elevated plateau right in South-Central of Spain.  The region endures consistent trend of seasonal climate: very cold winter and dry hot summer.  During...

Wines of Priorat, Spain

Geography & Climate Situates on the lower western corner of Catalunia west of Penedes, Priorat is a rather small region; most vineyards are planted on steep slopes around the district of Monstant.  For a long time, only horses,...