Wine varieties flourish in different climes, leading to country-specific specialties that determine a region’s signature export. A variety, not to be confused with varietal, refers to the type of grape used to make a wine. Due to wine grapes’ high sensitivity to temperature changes of even just a few degrees, climate change could generate both a reshuffling of the global distribution of wine varieties and new innovations in winemaking.
See below a snapshot of the top wine grape varieties for the top 25 wine-producing countries across the globe, drawn from data compiled in a study conducted by the University of Adelaide in 2016 and revised in 2020. The map reflects both varieties grown across the globe — Cabernet Sauvignon, Grüner Veltliner, and Graševina — and grapes singularly popular in a specific country.
