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The Country Collections offer you a selection of wines from the USA, Italy, France or Australia. The United States Collection offers magnificent Cabernets and Pinots from California, while the Italy Collection brings you on a taste-trip through Tuscany. The France Collection offers earthy wines that are quite different in taste from heavier, fruitier wines from California. The Australia Collection features wines that have set the standard throughout the world – you certainly don’t want to miss out on Barbarossa. There is also an international wine collection which offers wines from all over the world, giving you the opportunity to sample wines from California, Italy, France, Australia as well as South Africa and throughout South America.
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Washington is best known for its Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, but there are a number of new wine makers who are producing some superb Syrahs. Oregon is predominately known for its Pinot Noir. California produces wines from just about every grape variety. Its Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots lead the state into the wine world on the red side, and while perhaps they still are the best known among California’s varietals, the state also produces world class, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Petite Syrah and Zinfandel. Also produced on a world class level are Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Check this link for the 2008 USA Vintage Report:
http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,4751,00.html
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While it might be an overstatement to say that Italy is one vast vineyard, there can be no argument that wine is grown all over Italy. The best known regions are Tuscany and Piedmont. Tuscany is home to the “Super Tuscans,” made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and home also to Brunello di Montalcino, which is made from Sangiovese Grosso. Piedmont is home to Barolo, Barbaresco, Gattinara, Dolcetto and Barbera. The Nebbiolo grape rules supreme here.
2008 Vintage Report Italy: http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,4756,00.html#ItalyOverall
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While there are many wine regions within France, the best known are Burgundy, Bordeaux, Alsace, Loire, Champagne and the Rhone. In the red wines of Burgundy, the two grape varietals used are Pinot Noir and Gamay, the latter of which is used in making Beaujoulais. Chardonnay is the varietal for white Burgundy. Bordeaux produces many more varietals, of which the overwhelming variety for red wine is Cabernet Sauvignon. In the communes of St Emillon and Pomerol, Merlot happens to be the major grape. Other varietals include, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. Bordeaux’s whites include Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. While Alsace and the Loire produce some reds, they are really known for their white wines. In Alsace, Riesling predominates, but there is also a large quantity of Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris (formerly called Tokay), Muscat, and Pinot Blanc, while in the Loire it is Muscadet, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc and Gamay. Champagne has three varietals that can be used in the wines of the region, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Finally the Rhone, made up of Hermitage, Condrieu, Cornas, St Joseph, Cote Rotie and Crozes Hermitage in the north, where the main varietal is Syrah and in the south, Chateauneuf du Pape, Gigondas and Vacqueyras, where a huge variety of grapes are grown, among the best known, Marsanne, Rousanne, Viognier, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignane and Cinsault.
2008 Vintage Report France: http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,4754,00.html
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Australia's winemaking regions are huddled into one or two pockets of the country. The state of South Australia, which produces about 60% of the country's wines, also has the most wineries and sub-regions, including McLaren Vale, Clare Valley, Coonawarra and Barossa Valley. New South Wales is home to the Hunter Valley, while the smaller, southern state of Victoria has the Yarra Valley in its borders. Head way west to the very large state of Western Australia and you'll find the tiny region of Margaret River at the southern tip.
The country of New Zealand is about 1000 miles from the coast of Australia. It consists of two long islands, end to end, that are approximately the same length as California. Most of the country's climate is maritime due to the abundant coastline. The northern island is more wet and cool while the southern island is warmer and dryer. The most popular grapes of New Zealand are Sauvignon Blanc (made most famous by the bright wines coming out of Marlborough), Chardonnay and the ever-growing, Pinot Noir.
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SPAIN Like most wine growing regions, Spain produces hundreds of grape varietals and such a list is impractical here. The major grapes grown are Tempranillo, Granacha (red and white,) Malvasia, Monstrell, Albarino, Moscatel and Cabernet Sauvignon. Rioja is Spain’s oldest known wine region, but other areas of the country now share the limelight, the best known being Ribera del Duero, Penedas, and Priorat.
GERMANY and AUSTRIA Both countries are best known for their white wines, made predominately from Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Silvaner, Müller-Thurgau, Scheurebe, Gruner Veltliner and Kerner. The wines range from dry Kabinet’s to Spatlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese and the ultra heights of Eiswein.
PORTUGAL Home to red wines, it is best known for producing Port in the Duero region and Madeira on the island of Madeira. Port is made from Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo,) Tinta Barroca and Tinta Cao. Madeira is the only type of wine said to benefit from heat. In fact the Portuguese used to fill the holds of their ships with Madeira and use it as ballast as they sailed around the world. Many of the grapes that make up the worlds existing stocks of old Madeira are now extinct. The best known of the grapes of Madeira are Bual (Boal), Malvasia (Malmsey,) Terrantez, Bastardo, Sercial and Verdelho.
CHILE and ARGENTINA Besides growing the predictable Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, winemakers have planted Tempranillo, Syrah, Sangiovese, Grenache, Tannat, Malbec, Carmenere, Mourvedre, Pinot Noir and even such far-flung varieties as Sicily's Nero d'Avola and Portugal's Touriga Francesa.
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