Wine Regions by Country and Style

French wine, German grapes, tall green bottles — Alsace is the only French region that puts grape names on labels, and its aromatic whites are some of the most food-friendly wines anywhere.

Key grapes: riesling, gewurztraminer, pinot-noir

Australia's Shiraz heartland, where vines planted before phylloxera still produce some of the most generous reds on the planet.

Key grapes: syrah, grenache, riesling

Left Bank or Right Bank, classified growth or farmer's blend — Bordeaux invented the template for red wine and still rewards anyone willing to look past the famous names.

Key grapes: cabernet-sauvignon, merlot, sauvignon-blanc

One red grape, one white grape, a thousand tiny plots — Burgundy is where terroir stops being a concept and starts being something you can taste in the glass.

Key grapes: pinot-noir, chardonnay

Champagne isn't a celebration — it's a wine region 90 miles northeast of Paris where three grapes, chalk soil, and bottle fermentation produce the most imitated sparkling wine on earth.

Key grapes: chardonnay, pinot-noir

Port made the Douro famous, but the dry reds from the same terraced hillsides are Portugal's most exciting wines right now — and still wildly underpriced.

Key grapes: tempranillo, syrah

France's most diverse wine region runs 600 miles along the Loire River — four climates, a dozen grapes, and prices that haven't caught up to the quality.

Key grapes: sauvignon-blanc, chenin-blanc

Western Australia's premium pocket — Bordeaux structure, Australian generosity, and some of the best Chardonnay outside of Burgundy.

Key grapes: cabernet-sauvignon, chardonnay, sauvignon-blanc

The world's most recognizable Sauvignon Blanc — bright, pungent, and unapologetic about it.

Key grapes: sauvignon-blanc, pinot-noir

The world's Malbec capital, where altitude turns a workhorse grape into something genuinely extraordinary.

Key grapes: malbec, cabernet-sauvignon

Riesling's spiritual home — vertiginous slate slopes above the Mosel River producing wines of impossible lightness and precision.

Key grapes: riesling

Cabernet Sauvignon's American stronghold, where the biggest challenge is finding quality under $50.

Key grapes: cabernet-sauvignon, chardonnay, merlot

Nebbiolo's spiritual home, where a $16 Langhe bottling teaches you more about the grape than most $80 bottles from anywhere else.

Key grapes: nebbiolo, sangiovese

Two regions wearing one name — the Northern Rhône's single-vineyard Syrah and the Southern Rhône's sun-drenched blends share a river, but almost nothing else.

Key grapes: syrah, grenache, viognier

Spain's answer to Bordeaux — Tempranillo at altitude, making dark, structured reds that reward patience and red meat.

Key grapes: tempranillo

Spain's most famous wine region, where a $12 Crianza might be the best value red wine on the planet.

Key grapes: tempranillo, grenache

Napa's overlooked neighbor makes better Pinot Noir, better Zinfandel, and better value across the board.

Key grapes: pinot-noir, chardonnay, zinfandel, syrah

Sangiovese country, where a $20 Rosso di Montalcino can outperform bottles twice its price.

Key grapes: sangiovese, cabernet-sauvignon, merlot

From Prosecco to Amarone, Veneto covers more stylistic ground than any other Italian region.

Key grapes: prosecco, pinot-grigio, sangiovese

America's answer to Burgundy, where $22 Pinot Noir routinely embarrasses bottles at twice the price.

Key grapes: pinot-noir, chardonnay