It is not uncommon for the wine-growing region in the supermarket to determine which wine ends up in the shopping basket and which doesn't. This is no surprise, as many wine-growing regions are considered to be particularly good. But which wine-growing regions should you know?

We give you an overview of the most important wine-growing regions in Germany – and worldwide.

Table of contents

Growing areas in Germany

Countries with the largest vineyard areas

Where is which wine grown?

Summary

Did you know?

Germany is a white wine country. Around 67% of the wine produced here is white and 33% is red.

The largest and most important wine-growing region in Germany is Rheinhessen (around 27,000 hectares) . Riesling and Müller-Thurgau are the main grapes grown here. Close behind is the Palatinate (around 24,000 hectares) . Riesling is also grown here. Dornfleder is also one of the most widely grown grape varieties in the region. Third place - with some distance - is taken by the Baden region (16,000 hectares) . It is the most diverse wine-growing region in Germany. Many Burgundy varieties (Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc) come from this area.

By the way : Although Germany is only 14th in the world in terms of the countries with the largest vineyard areas, there is no other country that grows as much Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Müller-Thurgau and Silvaner as we do. When it comes to these white wine varieties, it is hard to ignore German winemakers.

Compared to other countries, Germany is only a small country. Spain produces almost ten times as much wine as we do. France (second place) and Italy (fourth place) are also in the top list.

However, few will guess the third largest wine-producing country: China . With around 785,000 hectares, the People's Republic is clearly a real wine lover. Especially since the area has increased sixfold in the last 30 years, while everywhere else there has only been a slight increase or even a decrease.

But beware: With "only" almost 7 million hectoliters of wine, China still lags behind the well-known European producing countries in terms of wine production and is even behind Germany. A large part of the cultivation is used for table grapes. The winner in wine production is Italy, with 50 million hectoliters of wine per year.

Did you know?

The oldest wine country in the world is Georgia. The history of wine production in Georgia dates back to 6000 BC.

Source: German wine statistics 2021/2022

The question remains as to which wines can be found in which countries. Here too, the figures are clear – and Germany makes an astonishingly good impression.

Riesling is mainly found in this country. Pinot Blanc is also a clearly German drink. Pinot Gris is mainly found in Italian vineyards. Pinot Noir is found in France and the USA. Müller-Thurgau is mainly produced in German vineyards, while Gewürztraminer is more common in France and Moldova. Merlot is typically French, and Sangiovese is typically Italian.