Quality Factors: Location
Where a vine is grown will also help determine its ability to produce. Mountain-grown vines are notorious for their meager crops. Getting two to three tons per acre off a mountainside vineyard is an achievement. Valley floor vines rooted in rich soils can produce a much larger crop, up to ten tons of grapes per acre.
The location in which a vine is planted is an important factor in determining the quality of a wine. The sun exposure, soil and drainage, in other words, the terroir, are considered when choosing the appropriate grape variety.
But there is also the economic factor to consider. For this reason, you will not find Johannesburg Riesling growing on a hillside in Napa Valley when it will only fetch $10 a bottle, where Cabernet Sauvignon could retail for up to $100 a bottle. The same is true in Bordeaux. Although Sauvignon Blanc can be grown throughout the region, red wine grapes dominate, especially Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot because of the prices one can fetch for these much sought after wines.
