Brief history of wine: Latitudes

Most of the worlds vines are grown within the latitudes of 30 -50 degrees both in the south and north hemispheres. Latitudes are important because they affect how long the seasons are and the temperature. 
Lower latitudes have early springs and late autumns which therefore allow the grapes to ripen  slowly and develop flavour, aroma and sugar. The downside being that if the temperatures get to high the sugar levels in the grapes rise and lose acidity. 
Higher latitudes have shorter cooler summers but longer hours of daylight. Too cool and the grapes won't ripen, but if the temperature is just warm enough the long days allow the grapes to develop all their goodness.