Merlot is a dark blue–colored wine grape variety, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to be a diminutive of merle, the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the color of the grape. Its softness and "fleshiness", combined with its earlier ripening, makes Merlot a popular grape for blending with the sterner, later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, which tends to be higher in tannin.
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon became internationally recognized through its prominence in Bordeaux wines where it is often blended with Merlot and Cabernet Franc. From France and Spain, the grape spread across Europe and to the New World where it found new homes in places like California's Santa Cruz Mountains, Paso Robles, Napa Valley, New Zealand's Hawke's Bay, South Africa's Stellenbosch region, Australia's Margaret River, McLaren Vale and Coonawarra regions, and Chile's Maipo Valley and Colchagua. For most of the 20th century, it was the world's most widely planted premium red wine grape until it was surpassed by Merlot in the 1990s. However, by 2015, Cabernet Sauvignon had once again become the most widely planted wine grape, with a total of 341,000 hectares (3,410 km2) under vine worldwide.
Chilean wine has a long history for a New World wine region, as it was the 16th century when the Spanish conquistadors brought Vitis vinifera vines with them as they colonized the region. In the mid-19th century, French wine varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenère and Franc were introduced. In the early 1980s, a renaissance began with the introduction of stainless steel fermentation tanks and the use of oak barrels for aging. Wine exports grew very quickly as quality wine production increased. The number of wineries grew from 12 in 1995 to over 70 in 2005.
The Coonawarra wine region is a wine region centred on the town of Coonawarra in the Limestone Coast zone of South Australia. It is known for the Cabernet Sauvignon wines produced on its "terra rossa" soil. The name has been said to have originated in Bindjali, an Aboriginal language, meaning "wild honeysuckle". It is about 380 kilometres (240 mi) south-east of Adelaide, close to the border with Victoria.
The Clare Valley wine region is one of Australia's oldest wine regions, best known for Riesling wines. It lies in the Mid North of South Australia, approximately 142 km north of Adelaide. The valley runs north-south, with Horrocks Highway as the main thoroughfare.
The Mount Benson wine region is a wine region in the south east of South Australia located on the continental coastline about 300 kilometres from Adelaide and halfway between the towns of Kingston SE and Robe. Mount Benson is one of six wine growing regions that are located in the Limestone Coast wine zone.
South African wine has a history dating back to 1659, with the first bottle produced in Cape Town by its founder Jan van Riebeeck. Access to international markets led to new investment in the South African wine market. Production is concentrated around Cape Town, with major vineyard and production centres at Constantia, Paarl, Stellenbosch and Worcester. There are about 60 appellations within the Wine of Origin (WO) system, which was implemented in 1973 with a hierarchy of designated production regions, districts and wards. WO wines must only contain grapes from the specific area of origin. "Single vineyard" wines must come from a defined area of less than 6 hectares. An "Estate Wine" can come from adjacent farms if they are farmed together and wine is produced on site. A ward is an area with a distinctive soil type or climate and is roughly equivalent to a European appellation.
The South Australian wine industry is responsible for more than half the production of all Australian wine. South Australia has a vast diversity in geography and climate which allows the state to be able to produce a range of grape varieties–from the cool climate Riesling variety in the Clare Valley wine region to the big, full bodied Shiraz wines of the Barossa Valley.
Utah wine refers to wine made from grapes grown in the U.S. state of Utah. Wine production in Utah, from Utah grown grapes has been on a steady increase since 2018 despite a generally naive Legislative body which frequently changes the regulations pertaining to wine production from legislative session to session. There are no designated American Viticultural Areas in Utah.
California wine production has a rich viticulture history since 1680 when Spanish Jesuit missionaries planted Vitis vinifera vines native to the Mediterranean region in their established missions to produce wine for religious services. In the 1770s, Spanish missionaries continued the practice under the direction of the Father Junípero Serra planted California's first vineyard at Mission San Juan Capistrano.
Victorian wine is wine made in the Australian state of Victoria. With over 600 wineries, Victoria has more wine producers than any other Australian wine-producing state but ranks third in overall wine production due to the lack of a mass bulk wine-producing area like South Australia's Riverland and New South Wales's Riverina. Viticulture has existed in Victoria since the 19th century and experienced a high point in the 1890s when the region produced more than half of all wine produced in Australia. The phylloxera epidemic that soon followed took a hard toll on the Victoria wine industry which did not fully recover till the 1950s.
New South Wales wine is Australian wine produced in New South Wales, Australia. New South Wales is Australia's most populous state and its wine consumption far outpaces the region's wine production. The Hunter Valley, located 130 km (81 mi) north of Sydney, is the most well-known wine region but the majority of the state's production takes place in the Big Rivers zone-Perricoota, Riverina and along the Darling and Murray Rivers. The wines produced from the Big Rivers zone are largely used in box wine and mass-produced wine brands such as Yellow Tail. A large variety of grapes are grown in New South Wales, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Shiraz and Sémillon.
Eden Valley wine region is a wine region located in South Australia immediately north of the capital city of Adelaide which covers an area in the Mount Lofty Ranges extending from Truro in the north to just south of Springton in the south. The region received appellation as an Australian Geographical Indication in 1997 and as of 2014, it is represented by at least 36 wineries.
Limestone Coast zone is a wine zone located in the south east of South Australia. It extends south of a line of latitude approximately in line with Cape Willoughby at the east end of Kangaroo Island and it is bounded by the continental coastline and the border with Victoria. It consists of the following wine regions all of which have received appellation as an Australian Geographical Indication (AGI): Coonawarra, Mount Benson, Mount Gambier, Robe, Padthaway, Wrattonbully and a small number of vineyards located outside the above regions. The zone received AGI in 1996.
Southern Fleurieu wine region is a wine region in South Australia that is located on the Fleurieu Peninsula and the portion of the Mount Lofty Ranges extending north east from the peninsula to near Willunga in the west and to near Ashbourne in the east. The region received appellation as an Australian Geographical Indication (AGI) in 2001 and as of 2014, has a total planted area of 510 ha and is represented by 50 growers and at least 19 wineries.
Adelaide Plains wine region is a wine region located in South Australia immediately north of the capital city of Adelaide. The region received appellation as an Australian Geographical Indication in 2002 and as of 2014, it is represented by 11 wineries. It is part of the Mount Lofty Ranges zone.
Robe is a wine region located in the south east of South Australia immediately adjoining the town of Robe. The region received appellation as an Australian Geographical Indication (AGI) in 2006. It is part of the Limestone Coast wine zone.
Padthaway wine region is a wine zone region located in the south east of South Australia immediately adjoining a section of the Riddoch Highway including the town of Padthaway. The region received appellation as an Australian Geographical Indication (AGI) in 1999.
Langhorne Creek wine region is a wine region in South Australia that is located on the plains southeast of the town of Strathalbyn along the lower reaches of the Bremer River and Angas River to Lake Alexandrina. The region received appellation as an Australian Geographical Indication (AGI) in 1998 and as of 2014, has a total planted area of 5,883 ha and is represented by at least 24 wineries.
Currency Creek wine region is a wine region in South Australia that is located on the west side of Lake Alexandrina between Milang, the Murray Mouth, Port Elliot and just south of Ashbourne. The region received appellation as an Australian Geographical Indication (AGI) in 2001 and as of 2014, has a total planted area of 960 ha and is represented by at least four wineries.
