Wine Regions

Quite a few areas of the world are well known for producing good wine. Of course, they also produce some real stinkers, but the first indication of good wine is where it comes from; unlike beer (which can be made almost anywhere), quality wine can be made from grapes growing in relatively few places in the world. Here are a few:

• The United States makes great wine. The best known regions are probably California's Napa and Sonoma counties, as well as Oregon. However, reputable wineries are developing on both coasts.
• The French have been famous for wine for so long that it's not funny. Wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy regions are probably the most widely available, along with those from Champagne, of course.
• Italian wines are marvelous. The Chianti region in Tuscany is the best known worldwide. Spumante, a popular Italian sparkler, is usually made from grapes from the Asti region in the province of Piedmont.
• The Spanish make very good sparkling wines, called Cavas, along with their Rioja (reds) and Sherry.
• Chilean wines are growing in popularity, and are known for being good values. The United States imports a lot of reasonably priced, but very good Chilean red wine.
• Australia is an up and coming wine producer on the world market, and their Shiraz is generally a good bet.

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