Although the average quality of the wine filling European glasses reached an all-time high. the different styles and types of wine became increasingly uniform. The very fashionable Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc grape varieties were planted everywhere, even in places where the climate meant that their chances were slim from the outset. The use of cultured yeasts, steel tanks, and casks made of French oak, together with the international exchange of viticultural and winemaking knowledge by the so-called “flying winemakers”, further increased the tendency toward greater uniformity.