Internationalization of winegrape varieties and its implications for terroir-based cultural assets

Winegrape varieties in the world’s vineyards have become more internationalized since wine globalization accelerated from the 1990s. Simultaneously, economic growth and greater openness to trade have altered beverage consumption cultures in those countries, and in nonwine- producing countries. This chapter draws out the implications of these developments for terroir-based cultural assets in the countries of origin of each winegrape variety, and in the sometimes dispersed countries planting them. It exploits two recently revised, expanded and updated global databases. One covers wine production, consumption and trade; and the other describes winegrape bearing areas by variety and region covering 99% of the world’s winegrape vineyard area and more than 1,700 DNA-distinct winegrape varieties for 2000 and 2016. This latter database reveals that vignerons’ varietal choices are narrowing in the wineproducing countries of the world, converging on the major French varieties. This is despite a strengthening interest by vignerons in ‘alternative’ and native varieties, the latter linked historically to terroir-based cultural assets. Meanwhile, wine consumers are enjoying everwider choice, thanks to much-increased international trade in wine. Data also suggest the quality of the current global mix of varieties has been rising well above that of a generation ago.