Geovino - Europe - Wine Regions

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Europe:

Major wine regions are:

Hospice de Beaune Burgundy, France

Wine Regions - Europe

France:

Since most of the wines we drink in the US originate in France; Bordeaux and Burgundy come to mind, but how many people know the grapes of these regions?

Burgundy - Is very simple, there's only two grapes, one red, one white. All the reds are made from Pinot Noir and the whites are made from Chardonnay. All those hundreds of different labels you see on the shelf are the names of towns, villages and vineyards. So it really is quite simple, a thousand variations of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay make up Burgundy. Some of the finest wines in all the world.

Bordeaux - There are five red grapes and two white. The red grapes are:

Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Cabernet Franc
Malbec
Petit Verdot

The Whites are:

Sauvignon Blanc (also known as Fume Blanc)
Semillon

In most of France every Chateau or region has their particular blend of grapes that make up their wine. Burgundy is one of the few places that make wine from one grape as do most in California.

Rhone Valley - The varietall blends of this region are made from:

Red grapes:

Syrah
Grenache
Mourvedre
Cinsault
Carignan

White Grapes

Marsanne
Roussanne
Clairette
Viognier

As you can see, this is truly the land of blends. One exception in the whites is the Viognier of the northern Rhone. It is made on it's own, A beautiful aromatic white that is becoming more popular as more of it is grown worldwide.

Alsace - In the NE corner of France lies the medieval towns of Alsace, where white wines of understated elegance are grown. Graceful in style with a subtle strength about them, some people may confuse them with sweeter German Rieslings on account of the tall hock bottles. For the most part they are dry.

The primary grapes are:

Gewurztraminer
Riesling
Pinot Gris
Pinot Blanc

Italy:

In recent years Italy has turned into the most inovative wine region in europe. The major regions, Piedmont (Barolo, Barbaresco) and Tuscany (Chianti) have been producing better wines year after year. Some of the biggest improvements have been with white wines. Friuli, in Northeast Italy has been the innovator of many of the new and exciting wines.

italy map

Spain:

Another country that has vastly improved in the last ten years. Regions such as, Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Navarra, Rias Baixas, & Priorat have produced wines with great finesse and personality that will make you wonder why you haven't tried these wines before.

spain map

Geovino - The World of Wine

Wine Regions of Italy:

There are 20 wine regions in Italy. Here's a list that will make it easier to understand.

North & Northwest:

1. Piedmont
2. Emilia-Romagna
3. Liguria
4. Lombardy
5. Valle d' Aosta

Northeast:

1. Veneto
2. Friuli-Venezia Giulia
3. Trento-Alto Adige

Central:

1. Tuscany
2. Latium
3. Molise
4. Abruzzi
5. Marches
6. Umbria

South & Islands:

1. Sicily
2. Sardinia
3. Calabria
4. Basilicata
5. Apulia
6. Campania