USA

Fifty provinces in USA altogether produce a wide range of wines, but only three provinces can stand out: California, Oregon and Washington. California accounts for 90% of the total wine production in the country.

California

Itself divided up into (famous) sub-regions including Napa, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Mendocino, California is generally known for big, fruity wines which can offer excellent value for money - or can trade in fine-wine circles at very high prices. Cabernet Sauvignon (alone or in a blend) and Chardonnay are still the most popular, though Zinfandel has been thoroughly embraced and, though it is the same as the Italian Primitovo, is widely considered a uniquely Californian grape.

Washington

In spite of its desert-dry summers and arctic-cold winters, careful planting and tried-and-tested training methods allow this region to produce some very serious wines, the most notable of them being Bordeaux-style blends. By nature they tend towards ripe fruit flavours and ample alcohol, and are thus ideal for plenty of new-oak treatment. Syrah is also a rising star, and Riesling remains the white variety which the state grows particularly well, in both a dry and sweet style.

Oregon

Mild winters and summers which are a little wet and never particularly hot mean grapes struggle somewhat to ripen here. Thus the best varieties grown are those which do not rely on sunshine hours to achieve physiological ripeness. The region is probably most famous for its Pinot Noir - but the white grape Pinot Gris is making crisp, dry wines with plenty of character.