Wine Regions of the World
Old World anchors
Build a mental map pairing place with grape and style. France: Bordeaux (Cabernet/Merlot blends, Left versus Right Bank), Burgundy (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, village and cru hierarchy), Champagne, Loire (Sancerre, Vouvray, Muscadet), Rhône (Syrah in the north, Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre in the south), Alsace, Beaujolais. Italy: Piedmont (Nebbiolo for Barolo and Barbaresco), Tuscany (Sangiovese for Chianti and Brunello), Veneto (Glera for Prosecco, Corvina for Amarone), Sicily. Spain: Rioja and Ribera del Duero (Tempranillo), Priorat, Sherry, Cava. Portugal: Douro and Port, Vinho Verde. Germany and Austria: Riesling and Grüner Veltliner with Prädikat and quality hierarchies. Greece: Assyrtiko on Santorini, Xinomavro in Naoussa.
New World anchors
The United States uses AVAs; know Napa, Sonoma, Central Coast, Oregon Pinot Noir, and Washington. Chile is known for Carmenère and cool Casablanca; Argentina for Malbec and Torrontés; South Africa for Chenin Blanc and Pinotage; Australia for Barossa Shiraz, Clare and Eden Riesling, Margaret River Chardonnay, and Tasmanian Pinot Noir; New Zealand for Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and Central Otago Pinot Noir.
Traps
Examiners love grape-region mismatches: Rioja is Tempranillo, not Garnacha; Chianti is Sangiovese; Prosecco is Glera; Sherry is Palomino Fino; Port is Touriga Nacional and friends. Also watch hierarchy confusion: Burgundy is place-led, while most New World labels are grape-led.
Worked example
If a label leads with a village or appellation, expect Old World blending rules and place-based naming. If it leads with a grape, expect a New World or varietal-labelled wine. That single heuristic resolves many questions.