Old World wine means the countries where wine has been made for thousands of years: Europe, from Portugal to Hungary, and the Caucasus, where Georgia's clay-jar wines go back some eight thousand years. Here the place comes first. Bottles are named for where they grow (Chablis, Barolo, Rioja) rather than the grape, appellation rules set what may be planted and how, and estates are often family cellars you can walk into. These are the regions we cover, country by country.

France 10Italy 10Spain 7Germany 6Portugal 4Greece 3Austria 2Hungary 2Croatia 1England 1Georgia 1Slovenia 1Switzerland 1

The cellar

The Old World in eight bottles

Every wine

The highest-rated Old World wines we have reviewed, one per producer.

5.0 Douro Valley Barca Velha Ferreira 5.0 Burgundy Chambertin Grand Cru Domaine Armand Rousseau 5.0 Bordeaux Chateau Ausone Chateau Ausone 5.0 Bordeaux Chateau Cheval Blanc Chateau Cheval Blanc 5.0 Bordeaux Chateau d'Yquem Chateau d'Yquem 5.0 Rhone Valley Chateau de Beaucastel Roussanne Vieilles Vignes Chateau de Beaucastel 5.0 Rhone Valley Chateau Rayas Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge Chateau Rayas 5.0 Alsace Clos Sainte-Hune Maison Trimbach

Country by country

The regions

All regions

Slovenia 1 region · 22 producers

Brda22 producers · 89 wines

On the vine

The grapes that define it

All grapes

The varieties our Old World regions name as their own, most widely grown first.

Chardonnay 12 regions Merlot 10 regions Pinot Noir 10 regions Syrah 9 regions Cabernet Sauvignon 8 regions Riesling 8 regions Cabernet Franc 5 regions Sauvignon Blanc 5 regions Assyrtiko 3 regions Cinsault 3 regions Gamay 3 regions Mourvedre 3 regions

Plan the trip

Go and taste

A tasting or tour in each of the best-stocked regions, and somewhere to stay.

Booking links go to our partners (GetYourGuide, Viator, Zen Hotels), who may pay us a commission. It never decides what we cover. Editorial standards.

Old World and New World →

Photo credits
  • Cover, Valpolicella: Photo by Aaron Epstein on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
  • Alsace: Photo by Adam Baker on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
  • Beaujolais: Photo by Jameson Fink on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
  • Bordeaux: Photo by Angell Guillén on Unsplash
  • Burgundy: Photo by Ile-de-re on Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
  • Champagne: Photo by Pline on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Jura: Photo by Mpmpmp on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Languedoc: Photo by Hakon Grimstad on Unsplash
  • Loire Valley: Photo by Sue Winston on Unsplash
  • Provence: Photo by le Sixieme Reve on Unsplash
  • Rhone Valley: Photo by Everett Harper on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
  • Abruzzo: Photo by maury3001, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
  • Alto Adige: Photo by Hubert Berberich on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Franciacorta: Photo by paola capelletto on Unsplash
  • Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Photo by Cookligan on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Piedmont: Photo by David Salamanca on Unsplash
  • Sicily: Photo by Bernd Dittrich on Unsplash
  • Tuscany: Photo by Johny Goerend on Unsplash
  • Umbria: Photo by Umbria Lovers, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Valpolicella: Photo by Aaron Epstein on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
  • Veneto: Photo by Patafisik on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Bierzo: Photo by malditofriki on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
  • Jerez & Sherry: Photo by El Pantera on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
  • Penedes: Photo by Aleix Ventayol on Unsplash
  • Priorat: Photo by Juan Emilio Prades Bel, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Ribera del Duero: Photo by Matthieu Joannon on Unsplash
  • Rioja: Photo by Emilio Garcia, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Rías Baixas: Photo by José Luis Filpo Cabana on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
  • Baden: Photo by Hanna Schwichtenberg on Unsplash
  • Franken: Photo by Kaffeebart on Unsplash
  • Mosel: Photo by Matthew on Unsplash
  • Pfalz: Photo by Bernd Dittrich on Unsplash
  • Rheingau: Photo by Joshua Kettle on Unsplash
  • Rheinhessen: Photo via Unsplash
  • Alentejo: Photo by Antonio Araujo on Unsplash
  • Douro Valley: Photo by Maksym Kaharlytskyi on Unsplash
  • Dão: Photo by Vitor Oliveira on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
  • Vinho Verde: Photo by alexandra vale on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
  • Naoussa: Photo by Osenji on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Nemea: Photo by ulrichstill on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE
  • Santorini: Photo by Treephoto on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Burgenland: Photo by Christian Holzinger on Unsplash
  • Wachau: Photo by Svitlana on Unsplash
  • Eger: Photo by Globetrotter19 on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Tokaj: Photo by Balint Miko on Unsplash
  • Istria: Photo by Lothar Boris Piltz on Unsplash
  • Sussex: Photo by Ian Hawfinch, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
  • Kakheti: Photo by Vladimir Pankratov on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Brda: Photo by neiljs on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
  • Valais: Photo by Daniel R. on Unsplash