Australian Researchers Create a Database of World's Winegrape Varieties and Regions

Australian researchers have created a database of wine-grape varieties and regions of the world.

University of Adelaide researchers used information from 44 countries to map-out the world's wine production.

"In the wake of wine's globalisation, wine producers need to exploit their geographical and varietal distinctiveness in order to boost their competitiveness. This database, for the first time, offers transparency across the world's wine varieties and regions," said University of Adelaide School of Economics Professor Kym Anderson

The data also revealed how consumer tastes have changed in the past twenty years.

"The database reveals that 20 years ago Airen, a white winegrape variety from Spain, was the most widely grown globally, but now Cabernet Sauvignon is the world's most grown winegrape," Professor Anderson said in a news release. "In 2000, white winegrapes were more widely grown; however, in the decade to 2010 red winegrapes increased their share of the global vine-bearing area from 49% to 55%."

Anderson added that white wine consumption has decreased while red wine intake has increased substantially in recent years, especially in China.

A recent study had shown that a rise in global temperatures will lead to fall of 68 percent in grape production in the Mediterranean. Also, climate change will help regions such as North Europe and North America emerge as major players in winemaking industry.

The latest database will help the wine industry see these trends and act accordingly.

The research was funded by the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation (GWRDC) and can be read, here.