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Where is wine grown?
The two most important natural prerequisites for viticulture are a moderate climate and suitable soil conditions. The climate characteristics result from the sequence and interaction of various factors such as temperature, solar radiation, precipitation, humidity and wind. With regard to the soil, the nutrient content and water supply are particularly important, and these are largely determined by the geological composition. Whether a region is climatically suitable for the cultivation of vines is determined by its viticultural suitability, which is scientifically investigated and determined.
In total, there are about 100 wine-growing countries worldwide - that is about half of all countries on earth. They are mainly located in the so-called vine belts, which roughly extend between the 40th and 50th parallel in the northern hemisphere and between the 30th and 40th parallel in the southern hemisphere. These zones include, for example, Central and Southern Europe, the USA, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, South Australia and New Zealand - all of which are major wine-growing regions.
The largest wine producers in the world are Italy, France and Spain, followed by the USA, Australia, China, Chile, South Africa, Argentina and Germany (data according to OIV, as of 2017).
In terms of vineyard area alone, the picture is somewhat different, because not all grapes grown are also made into wine: Spain leads here, ahead of China, France and Italy, followed by Turkey, the USA, Argentina, Chile, Portugal and Romania (data according to OIV, as of 2017)