From Australia:

The Chardonnay is unquestionably the most important white grape variety around the world, and this is certainly the case in Australia, where it is used to produce sparkling and dry white wine styles. Chardonnay grown in warm regions of Australia produces wines with ripe melon flavours, in the cooler areas the flavours tend to be more peach and citrus-like.  Some of Australia’s most popular Chardonnays are often blends of wines made from both warm and cool regions. With rare exceptions, Chardonnay benefits from maturation in oak, the oak flavour greatly complementing the fruit flavours of Chardonnay. Australian Chardonnay wines are best drunk when they are relatively young (1-3 years). Shiraz is the most important and widely planted grape variety in Australia where it consistently produces outstanding medium to full-bodied wines deep crimson in colour and with rich, ripe plum and pepper flavours.  Most Shiraz wines benefit from oak maturation and may be kept for many years. The Barossa Valley and Hunter Valley are home to Australia’s greatest Shiraz. The synonym ‘Syrah’ may often be found in other wine producing countries.

From South Africa:

Emerging from the shadow of Apartheid, South Africa is increasingly making better wines which usually represent good value for money at all levels on the quality scale. Although South Africa is classed as a 'new world' region, wines it produces are often nicely poised between the new world and old world styles. The most famous regions are Stellenbosch, Paarl and Constantia, although cooler regions such as Walker Bay are beginning to attract attention.

From Chile:

Wine grapes (Vitis vinifera) are not native to the Americas; they arrived with the Spanish in the 1500s. Early attempts to form vineyards in more northerly climes, such as the Caribbean, Mexico, and Peru proved unsuccessful; in Chile, however, the vine found its first true New World home.  Some of the wonderful varities of Chilean wine include Riesling, Semillón, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Carmenère, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Verdot, Viogner, Gewürztraminer,Chenin Blanc and others.

From Italy:

Italy is a country which is home to some of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world.  Etruscans and Greek settlers produced wine in the country long before the Romans started developing their own vineyards in the second century BC. Roman grape-growing and winemaking was prolific and well-organised, pioneering large-scale production and storage techniques like barrel-making and bottling. Two thousand years later, Italy remains one of the world's foremost producers, responsible for approximately one-fifth of world wine production in 2005.  Most wine-making in Italy is done in modern wineries. However, villagers who make wine for their own use sometimes still tread the grapes with their bare feet, until the juice is squeezed out. They believe this ancient method still makes the best wine.

From New Zealand:

New Zealand is a country of contrasts with dense, native forest, snow-capped mountains and spectacular coastline. With wine growing regions spanning the latitudes of 36 to 45 degrees and covering the length of 1000 miles (1,600km), grapes are grown in a vast range of climates and soil types, producing a diverse array of styles. The northern hemisphere equivalent would run from Bordeaux (between the latitudes of 44 and 46 degrees) down to southern Spain. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is rated throughout the world as the definitive benchmark style for this varietal. The growing recognition for New Zealand Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Méthode Traditionelle sparkling wines, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blends is helping to further cement New Zealand's position as a producer of world class wines.

From Thailand:

Traditionally when sourcing superb wines Thailand wines have not featured high on the look for list, but with a new approach by local winemaking industries, borrowing technologies from France and Australia, Thai wines have found a new prominence in the market.  Traditionally, grapes for wine-making have been grown between the 30th and 50th parallels in both the northern and southern hemispheres. Thailand has pioneered wine production in a narrow band in the north between the 14th to 18th parallels. Years of research, testing and development have opened up new frontiers in viticulture resulting in ‘New Latitude Wines’.  PB Valley, situated on the edge of the Khao Yai National Park, is the birthplace of the Khao Yai wine region. The valley is 300 to 350 meters above sea level and is home to the PB Valley Khao Yai Winery, named after the initials of its owner, Piya Bhirombhakdi.