Grapes and wheat were first brought to what is now Latin America by the first Spanish conquistadores to provide the necessities of the Catholic Holy Eucharist. Planted at Spanish missions, one variety came to be known as the Mission grapes and is still planted today in small amounts. Succeeding waves of immigrants imported French, Italian and German grapes, although wine from grapes native to the Americas is also produced.

When one talks of grape cultivation, the so-called “terroir” determines a region's capability to grow grapes and include four factors: climate, soil, geography and topography. They also determine the seasons for planting and harvesting.

In terms of continents, Europe ranks as the world's biggest wine producer based on the number of countries that produces grape and wine varieties (29 countries). Next are Asia and America with nine countries, Africa with 5 countries and Oceania with 2 countries.

While the United Kingdom does not have an extensive grape terroir to enable mass wine cultivation, there is a growing interest in planting new grape vine varieties especially in Southern England and in some counties that are conducive enough for grape growing like Surrey, Hampshire, Kent, Cornwall, Dorset and Wiltshire.