International variety

The majority of declared international varieties are French in origin (most notably Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay), though in recent years the popularity of Spanish (such as Tempranillo) and Italian varietals (like Sangiovese and Nebbiolo) has seen an increase in worldwide plantings and these may also be considered "international varieties".

The origins for many of these grapes trace back to France which has had a long history of influencing global viticulture and winemaking thought.

[1] Wine expert Frank Prial of The New York Times notes that the name recognition of a grape like Chardonnay is so powerful that it "transcends the product or its producers".

In the late 20th century, during the "Chardonnay-boom", vineyards throughout the world and particularly in emerging wine industries rushed to plant acres of Chardonnay in order to capture some of the market.

Examples of this occurred in south Italy and Spain where ancient Negroamaro, Primitivo, Grenache and Mataro vineyards were ripped up in favor of new Chardonnay plantings.