The modern technology is now allowing people to produce wine in different parts of the world some of which seem to be downward weird. For example, you might not be aware of the fact vineyards are now can be found not only in the areas which are really auspicious for the production of the popular drink, but also in such places as for example the Gobi Desert? It seems to be unbelievable, doesn’t it?
Indeed, there are more and more places producing wine, however, are you aware of the places which are regarded to be the major manufacturers of wine. In fact the top ten of the wine producers are producing 80% of the entire amount of wine in the world. We bet you want to know what these countries are!
Italy
For a long time the number one manufacturer of wine in the world was France. Certainly, even if you do not have any knowledge about wine, you definitely know that French wine is considered to be one of the best.
Still, there has been a shift in the number of production of wine and currently the major manufacturer of this drink is Italy. The largest increased in the production of wine in this country happened between 2011 and 2015 when the scale of the wine production in this country grew by 40%.
The major species of grape produced in Italy
The majority of the grape harvested in Italy is of the following species: Prosecco, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Barbera, Pinot Grigio, Trebbiano Toscano, Merolot as well as Nero d’Avola. Currently, the level of production of wine in Italy is 15.92% of the entire amount of wine in the world.
France
As you have just learnt. France used to be a leading manufacturer of wine in the world. Now its leading position belongs to Italy. Still, this country has 13.75% of the entire wine production. It is also crucial to know that the overall trend of wine production in France is decreasing.
The major grape species produced in France
The greatest amount of French wine is made of such grape as Gamay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Grenache, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Trebbiano Toscano, Syrah, Carignan, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.
United States
Regular wine consumers are not always aware of the fact the USA is one of the major manufacturers of wine. The current amount of production of wine in this country is 12.41%.
The largest amount of American wine is manufactured in California. A curious fact is also that this is the home to the largest wine producer in the world which is Gallo located in Modesto.
The major grape species produced in the USA
If you compare the grape produced in this country, you will see the USA has a slightly smaller variety of species. The major ones of them are Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot and Pinot Noir.
Spain
If you have not been thus interested in the wine culture so far, you might not be aware Spain is producing a smaller amount of wine than the USA. Still, when it comes to the vineyard acreage in this country, it is currently the largest in the world, however, the wine yields are a way lower than the yields of Italy and France. This makes the total amount wine produced in this country smaller than in Italy and France. The total wine product of Spain is now 12.02% of the world production.
The major grape species produced in Spain
There are five major species of grape harvested in Spain. They are Bobal, Airen, Garnacha, Tempranillo and Monastrell.
Australia
Finally, the fifth major producer of wine in the world is Australia which is not thus obvious to many people. In fact, in some regions Australian wine is not popular at all which makes many people unaware of the level of production of this popular drink in this country. Still, if one compares the amount of wine manufacturing in the four countries mentioned above to the total product of Australia, it is obvious the difference is huge. Right now, this country is producing 5.13% of wine in the world.
The major area exporting the Australian wine is Asia.
The major grape species harvested in Australia
There is not a large variety of grape species produced in Australia. The most important grape in this country is Chardonnay and Shiraz.