Local wine production first began with families making wine for home consumption. Over time, some regions specialized in wine production and became net exporters, while others specialized in other industries and became net importers of wine. The physical and social nature of exporting and importing regions developed in fundamentally different ways. Exporting regions arose in areas suitable for viticulture and relied on wine production for their economy, while importing regions were often cities that lacked suitable land but still had high demand for wine.