Global top wine sellers offer wine enthusiasts many choices.
Top wine sellers are found all over the world, each offering a distinct and unique product to wine enthusiasts. Wine-making arrived from the Middle East to Europe through the Greek civilization around 1600 BC and spread to the Romans in 1000 BC. The popularity of wine for recreation and religious purposes extended into the rest of Europe. In the 20th century, wine-making crossed continents, increasing opportunities to sell wine.
United States
According to the Wine Institute, California produces about 90 percent of all American wine and is the No. 4 top wine seller in the world. Nathan Frye, the general manager of Grape Wine Market and Spirits in Centennial, Colorado, mentions that the 2004 Academy Award-winning comedy "Sideways," a film about two men on a California wine country road trip, is credited with single-handedly revitalizing the pinot noir market in the United States.
Top listed in 2008 by Restaurant Wine magazine, a professional wine industry journal, include the Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates and E. & J. Gallo Winery of California's Sonoma Valley, the Robert Mondavi Winery, Sutter Home Family Vineyards and Winery, Inglenook Vineyards and Winery and Beringer Vineyards and Winery of California's Napa Valley, the Franzia Winery from the San Joaquin Valley in California and the Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates in Woodinville, Washington.
Old World
Old World is a term that refers to wines of Europe and the Mediterranean basin.
The top-selling wines of Italy include Chiantis, Astis and Soaves, most notably from the central and Tuscany regions. Italian wines represented on the 2008 Restaurant Wine Top 20 List include Martini & Rossi Vermouth and the pinot grigios of Ecco Domani and Mezzacorona.
Top French wines consist of Bordeaux, Burgundies Cabernets, Merlots, Pinot Noirs and Champagne. Leading wine sellers of France include Dom Perignon, Château Mouton Rothschild, Domaine de la Romanee Conti, Louis Roederer, Chateauneuf du Pape and Veuve Clicquot.
Wine expert Robert Parker of The Wine Advocate recommends for Spanish wines the Pingus 2006 from Bodegas Pingus and the El Pecado 2007 from Raul Perez.
New World
New World wines hail from North America, South America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
The top wine sellers in North America come from California, offering a variety of cabernet sauvignons, pinot noirs, zinfandels, Rieslings and chardonnays.
In , the Buenos Aires Herald reports Argentina as the top seller of wines in South America, producing 70 percent of the world's supply of Malbec. Chile's top-wines offer a selection of Merlots, Cabernet Sauvignons and Chardonnays.
Popular Australian wines such as the Shiraz and Rieslings originate from the Barossa region, Adelaide Hills, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth. Top seller labels include South Eastern Australia's Yellowtail and the Margan Family Wines of Hunter Valley. Best selling New Zealand wines include Marlborough region Sauvignon Blancs, Chardonnays and Rieslings. Top sellers are Dog Point, Jules Taylor, Te Mata Estates and Kumea River.
South Africa's top sellers include Steenburg, Teddy Hall, Cederburg and Graham Beck.
Tags: wine sellers, , Vineyards Winery, , 2008 Restaurant Wine