Europe's famous wine regions

Some 2,000 years ago, ancient Romans began cultivating vines on the steep slopes along the River Mosel - making this Germany's oldest wine region. Over 100 wine-producing villages, like Cochem (pictured here), make this an enticing region to visit. Premium vintages from this region, predominantly Riesling, Müller-Thurgau and Silvaner varieties, score very high prices at auctions.

The 18-meter high Wine Gate marks the beginning of the German Wine Route, an itinerary established 80 years ago that leads through the Palatinate region. Here you'll find the biggest Riesling region in the world. The "King of German wines" enjoys a good reputation the world over. For instance, when the Suez Canal was officially opened in 1869, it was toasted with glasses of Palatinate Riesling.

The famous wine region bears the same name as the western French city of Bordeaux. The Atlantic climate and soil enriched with calcium due to lime stone provide fantastic conditions to cultivate the grapes of the renowned dry red wine. Here a sculpture of France's emblem, a cockerel, proudly watches over the vineyards of Château La France.

France's Burgundy region is known for some outstanding wines - both red and white. It also hosts an annual charity wine auction every November, when the world of wine congregates in the Hospices de Beaune. Premier and Grand Cru wines from the region have repeatedly set record prices, with a barrel of "Corton-Bressandes Grand Cru" being sold for 220,000 euro ($242,653) in 2014.

Italy is the biggest wine producer in the world, and Tuscany is at the heart of its production. The hilly landscape with its mild climate provides ideal conditions for great wines: Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino. These are all made with the Sangiovese grape, which can only be found in Italy.

Small, sweet grapes grow on the slopes of the Douro Valley and produce the concentrated and long-lasting flavors of Port, a fortified dessert wine. Once made, it's taken in oak barrels to the port city of Porto, where it is stored for at least two years. The Douro river valley became the world's first protected wine region and was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.

The Bodega Ysios winery is an interesting showcase for Spain's Rioja region. Designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, this long cedar building with a wavy roof of gigantic bars of aluminum is inspired by the shape giant wine barrels. Back in the 19th century, wine makers of the region began fermenting grapes in "barricas," oak barrels, which also gave the wine its distinctive flavor.

The Hungarian town of Tokaj also gives its name to the noble wine that is produced here from white wine grapes. Regional wine production rules specify that it has to ferment in a barrel for 10 years and then for another five years in a bottle. Typical for the region is the labyrinthine subterranean tunnel system, providing the best environment for Tokaj wines to develop their flavors.

It's no wonder that Dionysus, the god of winemaking and wine, was Greek. As far back as the 16th century BC, ancient Greeks were already making wine. It was stored in amphorae which were sealed with Aleppo pine resin, known locally as Retsina. This added a special flavor to the wine. Today, small pieces of pine resin are still used in wine fermentation in order to produce the typical Retsina wine.