Travel around the world with this wonderful selection of labels

The world of wine has lived for many centuries within the borders of the Mediterranean and Europe. With the first geographical discoveries, the export of vine cultivation to the new world began. Within a few centuries, countries that did not know the cultivation of vitis vinifera have made great strides and today are protagonists of an increasingly globalized world of wine. The main European vines, especially French, were planted in other continents, where they often found the climatic conditions and the land to express themselves on interesting quality levels.

This is the case, for example, of malbec, a grape variety native to south-western France. In Bordeaux, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc were preferred, while it is still grown in the Cahors area. But it is mainly in Argentina that he found a second home. Malbec has become the symbolic grape of the South American country. Today it is grown mainly in the area of Mendoza, in the Uco Valley, San Rafael and Maipù but also in other wine-growing regions such as in Salta and in Patagonia. The same fate has fallen on the carmenère, another Bordeaux grape variety for many years confused with the cabernet franc. Almost completely abandoned at home, it has achieved great success in Chile , where today it is among the most cultivated varieties in the main districts of the country, especially in the Central Valley. The history of the vine in South Africa began in the mid-1600s. The strategic position of obligatory stop on oceanic routes was crucial for the development of wine production to be embarked on ships. The arrival of French colonists, in the region still called Franschhoeck today, has resulted in the spread of some of the most famous international varieties: in addition to the chenin blanc, the chardonnay, the sauvignon blanc, the cabernet sauvignon, the merlot, the pinot noir and the cinsault. Just from the cross between cinsault and pinot noir a new grape variety was born, the pinotage, now widely cultivated.

The southern lands have known viticulture only in fairly recent times. Australia has distinguished itself in particular for the wines produced with the syrah of the Rhône Valley, locally renamed Shiraz, the cabernet sauvignon and the merlot, which especially in the regions of the Barossa Valley and Coonwarra Valley, have found pedoclimatic conditions to produce intense reds and full-bodied. New Zealand, on the other hand, is above all a land of whites. Although Pinot Noir is making interesting progress, the most famous grape variety is surely Sauvignon Blanc, which offers very fragrant wines with aromatic profiles characterized by aromas of ripe fruit and tropical fruit. They are also cultivated with excellent results chardonnay, riesling, muüller-thurgau, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Let's close with the United States of America. Napa Valley is known worldwide for the production of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and in general for the most famous international varieties. The state of Oregon, particularly in the Willamette Walley area, has instead risen to the fore for excellent pinot noir.