The world consumes about 24 billion litres of wine annually. Since the first vineyard in Armenia 6,100 years ago, thousands of wine grape varieties have been developed. The proliferation of wine grapes can tell us so much about human migration, cultural exchange and economic development.
Using data gathered by The Wine Economics Research Centre at the University of Adelaide, we have mapped the origins of wine grapes and their production levels around the world.
Most of the contemporary wine grape varieties came from Europe, with France and Spain producing the largest share.
Explore the interactive map ↓
Each wine producing country/region has a unique portfolio of premier grapes. France’s top red grape is Merlot, while Tempranillo is most abundant in Spain. Australia, on the other hand, has a much warmer climate and has adopted Syrah as the leading red grape.
Interactive treemap ↓
The first grapevine cuttings were brought to Australia from France and Spain in the early 1800s. In the decades that followed, European grapes such as Pinot Gris, Frontignac, Gouais, Verdelho, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot and Grenachem began to flourish on Australian soil. Australia is now one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of wine.
The charts below show which varieties and how much are currently grown in the wine regions across Australia
Check out Small Multiples’ data analytics and data visualisation work for the agricultural sector:
