The 10 most famous vineyards in the world
Pictured: The oldest vineyards in the world – Hewitson Old Garden Vineyard
It is often said that great wines begin with vineyards, and that is certainly true.
Viticulture is the most important factor that really makes a great wine. Everything is important here: the soils on which the grapes grow, the altitude, the row orientation and lighting, and the different microclimates.
Let’s take a look at the ten most famous vineyards in the world.
Romanée-Conti Romanée-Conti.
Burgundy claims the largest number of most famous vineyards in the world.
Many of these unique places, also known as climes, are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Perhaps the most significant and famous vineyard in the world is Roman-Conti, the famed Domaine de la Conti (DRC). The mature variety is Pinot Noir (Pino Noir: a style beloved by producers all over the world).
This vineyard is monopole, which means it is the name of the vineyard or winery. A cemetery-like cross stands guard at the entrance to the vineyard, expressing an almost solemn reverence befitting its almost mythical status.
The Roman content is also an enclosed or wall surrounding the vineyard. This establishment produces only about 450 cases of wine a year from a site of just under 5 acres.
In 2018, a 1945 bottle sold at a Sotby’s auction for $558,000. Other famous old vintages are from 1966 and 1978.
The vineyard was planted in the 13th century by the monks of St. Vivant Abbey. The wines are known for their ageing, as the grapes are grown on vines that are at least 50 years old on chalky limestone soils.
Montrachet
Another revered climate or vineyard in Burgundy is Montrachet, located in Catzen de Beaune, the southern part of the prestigious Cat d’or region. Catzen de Beaune, located on the outskirts of the same town, is not exclusively a white wine region, but white wines are what the region is famous for.
Montrachet is a Grand Cru grape, considered the best place in the world to produce Chardonnay. It is located between the famous towns of Poulini and Chassagne. The vineyard is located on a hillside and faces southeast, which protects it from strong westerly winds.
Good, calcium-rich (active limestone soils) soils retain moisture in the soil for a long time and allow the grapes to grow well.
Like Conti Roman also has a small vineyard area – only 20 hectares or 8 hectares – to produce the most long-lasting and expensive white wines in the world.
Montrachet is not a monopoly vineyard, so several owners produce wine from the harvest from its vineyards.
Claos Saint Jacques)
There is a Cru vineyard in Burgundy that inspires Sámeve like many Grand Cru – it’s Clos Saint-Jacques in the Guevre Chambertin region.
Why is Clos Saint-Jacques considered a Premier Cru-Weinberg and not a Grand Cru? It is believed that when the Burgundian classification system was created, some owners refused to pay the higher tax associated with the higher classification of the wine. As with everything, it’s always about the money.
At Clos Saint-Jacques, five in-house producers are allowed to use the vineyard name on the bottle: Louis Jadot, perhaps the most accessible of the five producers; Domain Armand Rousseau; Domain Sylvie Esmonin; Domain Fourrier (domaine Fourrier) and domaine Bruno Clair (domaine Bruno Clair). Armand Rousseau has the largest plots of just over five acres. Its wines are considered the most luxurious of all, but the wines of all these producers enjoy a high reputation.
Clos des Goisses.
The name of the vineyard speaks for itself. While Clos (Clos) means vineyard surrounded by walls, Goisses is French for “very steep”, and this plot of about 13.5 hectares in the northern part of the Marne River in Champagne slopes at an angle of 30 to 45 degrees. Such a slope requires manual farming (standard in Champagne) or, somewhat more archaic, horses and plows.
On this Premier Cru-Weinberg, planted with both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, grapes have been grown since the 16th century, and it is currently the warmest site in Champagne. Its southern orientation and surrounding walls create a warmer microclimate than the rest of Champagne. This allows the grapes to ripen and acts as a conductor of heat through its special limestone soil.
The most famous wines are Philipponnat Clos des Goisses Champagnes.
Cully de Serranes
The Cully de Serran vineyards were planted by Cistercian monks in the 12th century and have never stopped producing. By 2020, the vineyard had produced 890 consecutive harvests.
Cooley is a monopoly and appellation in the Sauvigneur region of Loartal, owned by Domaine Nicolas Joly.
More than 17 hectares of the vineyard are planted with one of the Loire’s flagship grape varieties, Chenin Blanc. The vineyard in the southeast is managed according to the principles of biodynamics, with an average age of the bushes ranging from 35 to 40 years.
The vineyards lie on slate, quartz and pebbles, which give the wines a special minerality.
Cannubi
Cannubi is a legendary cru in the village of Barolo. The vineyards are above the village and about 20 km to the southwest. Almost 100% of Cannubi is planted with the Nebbiolo variety.
“It was like touching the stars with your hand,” says Piedmontese producer Luciano Sandrone of Italy’s most famous Cru Barolo.
Michele Chiarlo, another Barolo producer, says, “When I was able to buy land in Cannubi, it was a delight, almost as if I had touched the sky with my fingertips.”
The grapes in Cannubi were grown before they were known as barolo. Owned by 19 growers, its 37 tomorrows have been the subject of controversial ownership and naming disputes over the years, with the case reaching the Italian Supreme Court.
It’s such a revered name that neighboring vineyards such as Cannubi San Lorenzo and Cannubi Muscatel have tried to use the Cannubi name as proof of the quality of their wine.
In 2013, a court ruled that neighboring vineyards could use the name to determine their proximity to the world-famous site.
Kalon Vineyard)
Kalon means “beautiful” in Greek, and unlike Robert Mondavi Vineyards, it’s easy to see why. Occupying 1,000 acres in the Oxville appellation of the UPU Valley, Acre Vineyards is set against a backdrop of blue cloudless skies and the lush green mountains of Mayacamas.
Planted in 1868, An Calon Vineyard is recognized as one of the finest vineyards in the world. An Calon is a historic vineyard that provides Robert Mondavi’s winery with grapes for his first Caburne – Reserve and Okville (Oakville).
Also in this vineyard is a small but mighty plot called I-Block, famous for having the oldest Sauvignon Blanc bushes in North America, now 75 years old. Its thick, knotty stems require no watering, allowing it to concentrate its already vibrant fruit flavor.
If there were Grand Croat vineyards in America, Calon would undoubtedly be at the top of the list.
Attack Valley is known for Bordeaux grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon.
Like Cannuby, the enviable location and variety of soils have made Calon a place where some of the valley’s best and most expensive wineries vie for the right to produce wine with the Calon label.
Currently, the vineyard is divided among several conglomerates. Robert Mondavi owns the largest landholding of nearly 450 acres, while producer Andy Beckstofer owns 90 acres and Opus One owns 100 acres. The rest are owned by a small number of small producers.
Shea Vineyard (Shea Vineyard).
Thanks to its legendary Burgundian pedigree, Pinot Noir is almost as noble as the grape itself. And Pinot Noir production in the U.S. is on the rise. Even Burgundians praise Oregon’s Willamette Valley for its rich terroir for Pinot.
The region’s mecca is often referred to as Shi Vineyard, a 290-acre site in Yamhill County, Oregon, known for its soils of sedimentary rocks and sandstone. Shea dedicates 149 acres to Pinot Noir and six acres to Moult.
Vineyard owner Dick Shea supplies high-grade grapes to some well-known Oregon and California wineries.
Bien Nacido Vineyard).
Located on the central coast of California, Bien Nacido Vineyard traces its history back to 1837. But almost nothing was known about it to error lovers until it was purchased in 1969 by Millers, a fifth-generation California farmer.
Her dream was to create a vineyard that would be on par with vineyards located in major European countries. Many believe that dream has come true.
Bien Nacido is located in the Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara County. It is one of the coldest grape growing areas in the state of California due to ocean influence and the transverse (east-west) orientation of the Santa Ynez Mountain Range. The vineyard covers 900 acres and supplies grapes to many of California’s elite wineries. The vineyard grows moult, pinot noir, merlot, syrah and a number of other varieties.
Old Garden Vineyard (Barossa Valley)
Contrary to what you might assume, the oldest vineyards in the world are not in Europe, but in Australia.
Planted in 1853, Old Garden Vineyard is now owned by Dean Hewitson, winemaker and owner of Hewitson Winery in South Australia.
The Old Garden is also famous for never having been affected by phylloxera, which plagued many of the world’s vineyards in the 19th century.
It is home to the world’s oldest fruit-bearing Mourvèdre grapes. They are now 168 years old and make a rich, deeply complex wine. Source (in English)
The world’s landmarks and winemaking
Almost all regions of the country that are not covered with snow and ice year-round have several places where grapes are grown. Growing grapes to produce a good harvest for making wine has long been on an industrial scale. There are many vineyards of world importance and small, local ones.
The world’s landmarks and winemaking
viticulture in the world
The merit of selection all over the world is the development of grape varieties capable of producing rich harvests in almost any climatic conditions. In the coldest regions and in the hottest countries, cultivation depends on good care, protection and maintenance of fertility. The variety of varieties makes it possible to choose several harmoniously matched tastes to create wine drinks.
The countries between 30° and 50° north and south on all continents are considered ideal for viticulture. The most famous vineyards developed precisely in these regions. They were often associated with the estates of the rulers and the church, as this part of the population always had the material and labor base to cultivate the vast territories.
foreign vineyards
Grape fields in different parts of the European continent and the Americas are linked by some similarities. They were established many years ago, and to this day most of them adhere to the tradition of growing and tending grapes.
Vineyards are located on hills, terraced ridges, and in river and lake valleys. Wines from Greece, Spain, Portugal, Montenegro and Germany have a special character.
French vineyards
The old vineyards of France, as well as Germany, were planted in inappropriate locations. The principle of choosing regions was based on the proximity of trade routes. It has now been found that the eastern regions with nutrient and moisture-poor soils produce the tastiest harvests. France’s attitude to vineyards is obvious: they cover 490,000 hectares.
In the center of the French capital is a hill famous for its once royal vineyards. The hill of Montmartre was once adorned by a monastery with fields for growing wine. They have now been reduced to a minimum and relocated to the northern part of the hill. Wine made from the berries grown there is popular with tourists, especially during the annual Wine Festival, but is produced too little to sell for export (1-1,500 bottles).
The Champagne region, located in eastern France on the border with Luxembourg and Belgium, is known as the birthplace of sparkling wines. The hilly terrain is complemented by a temperate Nordic climate in which grapes ripen slowly and gradually. These places are known as the vineyards of the golden hills, especially when the hills are covered in shades of gold and raspberries in the fall. Champagne’s soil composition is rich in limestone and chalk deposits. Varieties include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes.
Provence is one of the less important wine regions, but the drinks produced there are characterized by lightness, sweetness and a pleasant fruity and berry flavor. There are several small vineyards in the area. Popular varieties are Ugni Blanc, Clérette, Marsanne, Folle Noir, Spagnol and Braquette.
The Loire Valley is a place rich in viticulture, where a large number of different wines are produced. The climate of this region is so diverse that dry, sweet, sparkling and other wines can be made from the same variety. The plantations grow Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Muscat, Clerette, Pinot Meunier, etc. grapes.
Vineyards in Switzerland
A peculiarity of viticulture in Switzerland is the topography. The mountainous terrain has forced grape growers to use terraced fields on the slopes of high mountains. The soil is not fertile, with hot air in summer in some regions and a lot of snow in winter. Almost all of the wine production is consumed domestically, only 2% of the total is exported.
The beautiful vineyards in the golden hills of Switzerland occupy ¾ of the French-speaking territory of the country. In the canton of Valais, the Sauvignon variety, which is the basis for the tangy white wine, is grown during warm, sunny and long summers in the highest vineyards in Europe.
The Lavaux districts of the canton of Vaud concentrate on the shores of Lake Geneva from Lausanne to Vevey. They are renowned for their high volume of Chasselas production. The Geneva region is characterized by its flat topography, within which red and white wines are equally grown.
Wine-growing regions of Italy
Wine varieties cultivated in Italy
The history of viticulture and winemaking in Italy begins with the settlement of the Apennine Peninsula by the Greeks. The flowering of viticulture occurred during the Roman Empire, which included Italy, France, Spain and other countries. During the Middle Ages and into the 20th century the technique of planting plants and juicing was perfected. There are 5 main regions for growing wine raw materials in the country.
Central Italy is represented by the most popular wine-growing region, Tuscany. Chianti wine is produced here, which is the hallmark of the country. Its basis is formed by the Tuscan berries of Sangiovese grapevine. Grapes are grown both for red wines (Montepulciano, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay) and for white (Trebbiano, Verdicchio, Vernaccia, Malvasia), white viticulture is especially popular in the Lazio region, near Rome.
California vineyards.
The first fields were planted by missionaries in the 18th century to grow grapes to make church communion wine. Back then, the plantings did not lend themselves to clear separation, which led to unauthorized pollination and cross-breeding of varieties. Now the California grape differs from its European counterparts, and the wine made from it has a distinctive flavor and aroma.
Vineyards in Napa Valley, California, as well as neighboring ones in Sonoma, Monterey, and Santa Barbara valleys are popular today. Zinfandel, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and French Colombard varieties are used to make wine. On their basis, California breeders breed new varieties of plants and use about 110 species in winemaking.
Vineyards of neighboring countries
There are large industrial vineyards in Ukraine and Belarus, but their number is limited. There are many more small private fields where masters grow new varieties, plant vines for seedlings, cultivate bushes to get raw material for home wines and liqueurs, compotes, jams. People prefer to buy world-renowned varieties that are more faithful to local climatic conditions.
Popular amateur gardeners with their own vineyards are:
- Vladimir Plyasinov, Lugansk region, Ukraine;
- Dashevsky, Dnepropetrovsk region, Ukraine;
- Dmitry Reznikov, Lisichansk, Lugansk region, Ukraine;
- Sergey Sidoryako, Velyka Znamenka village, Kamianka-Dneprovsky rayon, Zaporozhye oblast, Ukraine;
- Vadim Tochilin, Mesopotamia settlement, Novopolotsk district, Vitebsk region, Belarus;
- Nikolay Gorbachovsky, Pinsk, Belarus;
- Savran Dmitry and Anatoly, Karlovka, Poltava region, Ukraine;
- Shmelev Alexander, Ukraine;
- Shpak Vladimir, Karlovka, Poltava region, Ukraine;
- Irina Karpova, Kharkov, Ukraine.
Vineyards in the Crimea
The Crimean peninsula has a warm climate with an average annual rainfall. The soil is saturated with limestone and sandy impurities, which provides a good base for growing vines. Because of this, viticulture and winemaking originated in this region hundreds of years ago.
The area around the city of Sevastopol is a good example of viticulture. The proximity of the warm Black Sea and protection from the cold winds of the Crimean mountains allow this area to produce good crops. Many warm sunny days regulate the acidity and sweetness of berries to produce dry, semi-dry, sweet and sparkling wines from many varieties (Dorama, Deliveri, Marta). Vineyards of Sevastopol area are used for the production of wine drinks by Inkerman, factory of vintage wines, opened in 1961.
Grapes in Russia
Winegrowing is widespread in the south of Russia
The Russian Federation occupies a vast territory, which is characterized by a variety of climatic zones, soil composition and topography. Large-scale viticulture is concentrated in the southern regions, where the conditions for growing such a demanding crop are better. In the northern regions people more often grow grapes – in the dacha and in the garden.
Krasnodar region
One of the most famous large vineyards in Russia is Abrau-Dyurso. It is located in the hilly valley of Lake Abrau. Stony soils and poor irrigation make it possible to grow good raw material for wine drinks in this region. The owner of the vineyards presents his company as the best supplier of sparkling wines. In addition, such wines as Chardonnay, Riesling, Blend Dark, Blend Light, Cabernet are made on the basis of berries.
The Taman Peninsula is a region with a long history of viticulture, which began about 2,000 years ago. The climate and favorable conditions of this region are similar to those of the Crimean peninsula, so the composition of the soil does not differ from the neighboring part of the mainland. Varieties grown in Taman are such as;
- White Clip (primary translation – Vivsyanka);
- Pinot Mix;
- Rinsky Resting;
- Aligote;
- Saperavi;
- Sylvaner.
At present, the Peninsula countries are actively used by French producers. They import new elite varieties and improve the technology of bush care. Tasting rooms serving wine and cognac drinks are open to tourists in the vineyard area.
The Lefkadien area on the map is located in the village of Moldavanskoe. It is a winery founded by Mikhail Nikolaev in 2004. Its area is 80 hectares. Foreign and domestic varieties are grown, including Chardoneton, Merlot, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Shiraz.
Most of the work on the land is done by hand, some is done using machinery. A mechanical system and French special-order Russian oak barrels are used in the production of the wine.
Abrasive
The rich history of vineyards in the Abbey Republic has deep roots. Nowadays, grape growing is supported by subtropical climate conditions, but the berries take on a different flavor and aroma in different parts of the region. Wine production accounts for nearly a third of consumer goods in the economic niche.
The vineyards are largely owned by Ahaziena Wine and Water Company. It produces beverages for sale. Some of them are brought into Russia without charge.
The residents have small “Abbi” grape fields. The resulting harvest is processed by hand for homemade pies or sweet flavors, dried fruit, and rolled.
People’s gardener
Almost every private homeowner has an amateur garden. With proper markings, even the smallest plot can be planted with young vines. A smart gardener knows how to use all conditions so that in a few years to grow beautiful specimens of different varieties and fruits.
There are many enthusiasts among winegrowers in Russia who grow well known varieties and improve as well as the technology of plant care. Each of them has planted so many different varieties and tried many methods and approaches that they can be considered an expert in viticulture even without special education. Even Chinese laborers can rival the efficiency and ingenuity of these people.
Among the folk strappers are Czar, Nikolai Kurdyumov, Yuri Doroshenko, and the Krasovsky family.
