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Period — 1500–1700

Exploration & the Fortified Age

Wine goes to sea. The vine crosses the Atlantic with the conquistadors and missionaries, ships' holds teach Europe that brandy keeps wine alive, and the fortified styles — sack, port's ancestors, madeira — are born of the voyage itself. At home, Dutch merchants drain the Médoc and build the sweet-wine trade, Arnaud de Pontac invents the luxury château brand with Haut-Brion, and in Hautvillers a cellar master named Pérignon begins perfecting the blends of Champagne.

Key events

1520sThe vine crosses to the Americas with missionaries and conquistadors
1531The monks of Saint-Hilaire bottle Blanquette de Limoux — sparkling wine before Champagne
1552The siege of Eger — legend brews 'Bull's Blood' in the defenders' cups
1587Drake raids Cádiz and carries off 2,900 butts of sack — sherry's English fortune
1628Dutch engineers begin draining the Médoc marshes
1659First wine pressed from Cape grapes, noted in Van Riebeeck's diary
1663Pepys drinks 'Ho Bryan' in London — the first estate sold by name
1668Dom Pérignon becomes cellarer at Hautvillers

The grapes of the era

Indicative presence index, 0–100

60

45

45

45

45

45

Trebbiano (Ugni Blanc)

45

40

40

40

40

40

35

35

35

Touriga Nacional

35

35

35

35

Melon de Bourgogne

35

35

35

35

35

30

30

30

30

30

30

30

30

30

30

30

30

25

25

25

25

25

Grüner Veltliner

25

25

25

25

25

25

25

25

25

25

20

20

Gewürztraminer

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

15

Sauvignon Blanc

15

15

15

15

15

15

15

15

15

15

15

15

15

15

15

15

15

15

Magdeleine Noire des Charentes

12

Cabernet Sauvignon

10

10

10

10

Nerello Mascalese

10

10

10

10

10

10

10

5

The wines of the era

Port Fortified Sherry Fortified Graves & Pessac-Léognan Red Red wine Hermitage Red wine Red Burgundy Red wine Madeira Fortified Mosel Riesling Dry white Tokaji Aszú Sweet white Sauternes Sweet white Clairet Rosé Chianti Red wine Blanquette de Limoux Sparkling Bandol Red wine Soave Dry white Alentejo Red Red wine Dão Red Red wine Dry White Bordeaux Dry white White Burgundy Dry white Vouvray Dry white Muscadet Dry white Rheingau Riesling Dry white Chablis Dry white Jurançon Sweet white Condrieu Dry white Médoc Red Red wine Saint-Émilion Red Red wine Champagne Sparkling Beaujolais Red wine Qvevri Saperavi Red wine Cahors Red wine Qvevri Amber Wine Dry white Franken Silvaner Dry white Chilean País Red wine Dolcetto d'Alba Red wine Montefalco Sagrantino Red wine Nemea Red wine Alto Adige Lagrein Red wine Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red wine Rioja Red wine Alsace Gewurztraminer Dry white Wachau Grüner Veltliner Dry white Santorini Assyrtiko Dry white Madiran Red wine Vin Jaune Dry white Cour-Cheverny Dry white Cannonau di Sardegna Red wine Commandaria Sweet white Gavi Dry white Arbois Trousseau Red wine Amarone della Valpolicella Red wine Barbera d'Asti Red wine Rías Baixas Albariño Dry white Rueda Dry white Priorat Red wine Moscato d'Asti Sparkling Burgenland Blaufränkisch Red wine Nero d'Avola Red wine Vinho Verde Dry white Bouzeron Dry white Arbois Poulsard Red wine Sancerre Dry white Barolo Red wine Côte-Rôtie Red wine Côtes de Provence rosé Rosé Corbières Red wine Bierzo Red wine Primitivo di Manduria Red wine Ribera del Duero Red wine Apremont Dry white Savoie Mondeuse Red wine Fendant Dry white Patrimonio Red wine Utiel-Requena Bobal Red wine Colares Red wine Taurasi Red wine Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Dry white Marsala Fortified Dingač Red wine Retsina Dry white Pomerol Red wine Prosecco Sparkling Pinot Grigio delle Venezie Dry white Brunello di Montalcino Red wine Naoussa Red wine Etna Rosso Red wine Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Red wine Argentine Torrontés Dry white Valdeorras Godello Dry white Fiano di Avellino Dry white Lambrusco Sparkling Cirò Red wine Passum Sweet white Mendoza Malbec Red wine Chilean Carmenère Red wine English Sparkling Sparkling