Wine Basics

Where wine is made

July 21, 2024
ALotToWineAbout

Where wine is made

If you live in certain parts of Europe, you could be forgiven for thinking the only place wine is made is your own country. Countries with log traditions of winemaking, often import very little wine from elsewhere. This means residents of France or Italy don’t get the same access to Argentinian Malbec or New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc as they do the huge range of French/Italian wines.

Being from the UK, I am very fortunate that we haven’t really had a prolific wine industry. This means our wine shops are not filled with English wine (although they probably should be stocking more of it). Instead our shelves are very International. But why is it that the wine market is so dominated by Northern Europe?

Give me some Latitude

Well, a significant reason why Europe has been a good place for viticulture is it geographical latitude. As we get closer to the Equator, temperatures rise. It is no coincidence that most desserts are close to the equator. Very little can grow here, including vines. On the other hand, the further from the equator we go the lower temperature get. Again, very little thrives in arctic temperatures. For this reason the majority of winemaking takes place between 30 and 50 degrees latitude.

If we think about the location of Northern Europe, it sits right in this band in the Northern Hemisphere. As does most of the United States, which explains why places like California are so successful. In the Southern Hemisphere, parts of South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and some of South America are also able to produce good quality wines.

Location, location, location

Of course, you cannot just plant a vineyard anywhere between 30 to 50 degrees latitude. The location also matters. Vines need a few things to flourish. Firstly, they are going to need sunlight. One of the reason slopes are generally quite good for vines is that they increase exposure to sunlight. The further from the equator you get, the longer days are in the summer. This means, despite being relatively cooler, places at 50 degrees get longer sunlight hours. This supports grape ripening.

Planting near water can have either a positive or negative influence on sunlight. Generally seas and lakes produce more clouds which blocks sunlight. But in some cases, sunlight can actually be reflected by the water supporting ripening. In some cases, too much direct sunlight can actually be a problem, and the canopy of the vine can be arranged to reduce direct exposure.

And speaking of sources of water – vines need water. But not as much as you might think. Not enough water and a vine is going to wither and eventually die. Water is, after all, an important component of the grape. But too much water and the vine will develop too much green stuff. This means it puts its energy into growing leaves and shoots, rather than focusing on the berries (grapes). Berries will potentially become too watery and flavours diluted.

For this reason winemakers will focus on ensuring the right amount of water is available. Where water is scarce drip irrigation, sprinklers and even flood irrigation are used. Where there is heavy rainfall, planting where there is good drainage helps, as does planting on a slope.

A wine also needs nutrients, and these come from soil. But soil can also play a role in temperature control. If large light coloured rocks are present, these can reflect heat during the day. At night they then retain heat acquired during the day, radiating it after the sun has set. Soil also contains Humus (decomposing plant and animal materials) which contain nutrients. The main nutrients a vine needs are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

Vines also need heat. While heat and sunlight are related, they are not the same. Anyone who has been skiing will know how bright it can be on the slopes, and yet still incredibly cold. A vine usually needs a temperature above 10°C (50°F) to grow. Temperature partly comes from latitude, but is also influenced by altitude, ocean currents, fog, the presence of rocks in the soil, and aspect (the direction the vineyard faces).

For every 100M of altitude there is a temperature drop of roughly 1°C (1.8°F). This means that particularly warm areas, can still support vine growing if they are at altitude. Indeed, there are wineries well outside the 30 degrees latitude growing vines at significant altitudes. Ocean currents can bring either warming or cooling air, impacting temperatures, and fog can provide a moderating influence.

Wine volumes

While Italy used to be the top wine producing country, it was overtaken by France in 2023. The top ten are as follows:

  • France (45.8 million hectolitres)
  • Italy (43.9 (million hectolitres)
  • Spain (30.7 million hectolitres)
  • USA (25.2 million hectolitres))
  • Chile (10 million hectolitres)
  • South Africa (9.9 million hectolitres)
  • Australia (9.3 million hectolitres)
  • Germany (9 million hectolitres)
  • Argentina (8.8 million hectolitres)
  • Portugal 7.4 million hectolitres)

Climate change

With generally rising temperatures, the range in which wines can be produced is changing. Some areas are now having to go even higher in altitude or harvest earlier to avoid overripened grapes. Other areas (such as the UK) are beginning to become viable vinicultural areas. However, wherever wine is produced, the USA top the list as the largest consumers of wine on a per capita basis (based on 2023 figures from OIV). So whatever role you are playing in your countries consumption, hopefully now you know where wine generally comes from.

Have you had a wine from anywhere unusual? Why not let me know? In the meantime, keep exploring this beautiful planet we live on, one glass at a time!