RED GRAPE VARIETIES

Baga
The main red grape variety of the Bairrada region of Portugal. Baga is also the most widely planted red variety in Portugal. The wines are often high in acidity and can be very tannic.

Barbera
A red grape grown widely in Italy, particularly in the northwest of the country. It tends to make juicy, fruity red wines that are versatile with various types of food. Barbera is also widely planted in Argentina and is being grown with some success in California.

Blaufrankisch (also called Kekfrankos, Limberger and Lemberger
A red grape variety widely grown in Austria, where it produces a dark-coloured wine high in acidity. Also grown in Germany, where it’s called Limberger, Hungary (known as Kekfrancos) and Washington State in the US (called Lemberger).

Bonarda
A red grape variety grown in northern Italy, where it is often blended with other red varieties. A grape variety of the same name is also grown in Argentina, but is not related to the Italian Bonarda variety.

Brunello
A red grape variety which comes from Italy’s Tuscany region, where it is used to make the famous red wine called Brunello di Montalcino. This variety is very closely related to another, better known variety, called Sangiovese.
 

Cabernet Franc
An important European red grape variety. In the Bordeaux region of France, Cabernet Franc has long been blended with the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot varieties to made red Bordeaux. It is also grown the Loire region of France (where it makes a light red style) and in Italy. Small amounts are grown in California and other parts of the New World, where it is most often blended to make ‘Bordeaux-style’ red wines.

Cabernet Sauvignon
The undisputed king of red grapes. Very popular grape variety best known for use in the red wines of Bordeaux. Cabernet Sauvignon is also used all over the world to make wines in a variety of styles. In California’s Napa Valley it makes a blockbusting, broad-shouldered style, while in Chile it makes highly drinkable, user-friendly styles. It’s a thick-skinned variety that produces intense, deeply flavoured wines, often with long-term ageing potential.

Canaiolo
An Italian red grape variety that has traditionally been used to make the famous red wine of Tuscany, Chianti.

Carignan (also called Carinena and Mazuelo)
A red grape variety that is widely grown throughout southern France, Spain and North Africa. In Spain’s Rioja region the variety is known as Mazuelo. Carignan is usually blended with other red varieties, rather than bottled on its own.

Carmenere
This red variety was once widely planted in France’s Bordeaux region, but is very rarely found there any longer. It is widely grown in Chile where, for many years, it was incorrectly identified as the Merlot variety.

Cinsault (also called Cinsaut)
A full-flavoured red grape variety widely planted throughout the south of France and Corsica as well as North and South Africa. Cinsault is often used to make rose wines in southern France.

Corvina
A red grape variety grown in northeast Italy. The wine it is used to make, Valpolicella, is much more famous than the grape variety. Corvina is also used in Italy to make a pale red wine called Bardolino, but it is seldom grown outside Italy.

Dolcetto
The name of this Italian red variety translates as ‘the little sweet one’. Dolcetto is used in the Piedmont region of Italy to make a deep-coloured but easy to drink style of red wine.

Freisa
An aromatic red grape grown around the Piedmont region of Italy. The variety is grown and produced in small amounts.

Gamay
Principle grape variety used in Beaujolais. The Gamay grape has a light, fresh overtly fruity nose – think red and black cherries – but it also has a bubblegum aroma that some find off-putting. In Beaujolais, the wine is often made using a technique called carbonic maceration, to keep the fruit aromas. It usually makes a fairly light, simple, easy-drinking wine that’s low in tannin. Although most of it is made to be drunk young, some Beaujolais can age for a few years. At its worst it is acidic and thin; Beaujolais Nouveau often shows the variety at its nadir. It’s not widely grown outside France, although some winemakers in California are having a go with limited success.

Graciano (also called Morrastel and Graciana)
A red grape variety grown in southern France (where it is called Morrastel) and the Rioja and Navarra regions of Spain. Although it produces wines with good aromas and ageing potential, it is not widely grown outside France and Spain. The variety is widely grown in Argentina, however, where it is called Graciana

Grenache
This variety is widely grown throughout Europe and is increasingly grown in the New World. In the south of France, Grenache is used as part of a blend of grape varieties to make Cotes du Rhone and Chateauneuf-du-Pape. In Spain it’s used with Tempranillo in Rioja; it’s also used to make Spanish rose wines. There is also a lot of Grenache grown in Australia, although most of the wine it produces there is of little note. In California, Grenache has been adopted by an unofficial group known as ‘Rhone Rangers’ who are doing some good things with the variety. Grenache adds a note of pepperiness to blends, but as a pure varietal wine it can be quite boring.

Grignolino
A red grape variety grown in the Piedmont region of Italy. It is used to make light, pale red wines which are not widely available outside the region.

Lambrusco
Many wine drinkers will be familiar with the sweet, frothy red (often poor quality) wine called Lambrusco. This wine is made from a grape variety of the same name. When well-made, Lambrusco can be very good, but the good stuff has been swamped by inferior Lambrusco. The Lambrusco grape variety is not widely grown outside Italy.

Malbec (also called Cot)
The Malbec variety has long been used in the Bordeaux region of France, where it is blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and others to make red Bordeaux wine. It is grown in small amounts in Bordeaux, but is also grown in other parts of France as well as in Spain. The variety is also grown in Argentina, where it is used to make powerful, flavourful red wines.

Merlot
Popular grape variety often used in Bordeaux as a blending component with Cabernet Sauvignon. In New World countries, particularly the US, have often shifted the limelight to Merlot. In Bordeaux it is the main portion of the blend in Pomerol (most famously Petrus and Le Pin) and St-Emilion, where it makes wines with a silky complexity. Also used in California, northern Italy, and Chile (though much of what is labeled as Chilean Merlot is actually a rather obscure variety called Carmenere.).

Montepulciano
A red variety widely grown throughout Italy, where it is used to make wines of decent to good quality. Montepulciano the grape variety shouldn’t be confused with a wine from Tuscany called Vino Nobile de Montepulciano; just to confuse things; that wine is not made with the Montepulciano variety at all.

Nebbiolo
One of the great grapes of Italy. This is the variety that’s used to make Barolo and Barbaresco, two of Italy’s finest wines. It is most widely grown in the Piedmont region of northeast Italy. The word ‘nebbiolo’ derives from the Italian word for fog, and reflects the climate and terrain of its home territory. Nebbiolo is capable of making wines which can age well for decades. The grapes are very small, so wines made from Nebbiolo are often very tannic. In Piedmont, Nebbiolo wines can have a great deal of complexity, with full flavours and a cocktail of dark, spicy aromas.

Pinot Noir
The great red grape of Burgundy, widely favoured for its finesse and subtlety. Unlike other red varieties, Pinot Noir is very difficult to grow. If the climate is too warm, the wine tastes one-dimensional, like strawberry jam. If it’s too cool, the grapes just won’t ripen. The best Pinot Noirs have dazzling complexity, particularly their wild and often weird scents, and a sensual charm. Unfortunately, owing to the variety’s fickleness, wines made from Pinot Noir can be rather hit and miss.

Sangiovese
A classic red grape of Italy. It’s the principal variety in such famous wines as Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile de Montepulciano. At its worst, Sangiovese can be toughly tannic and astringent in flavour. It also has a tendency to be high in alcohol in hot vintages. At its best, it makes a rich, powerful wine that ages well. It is believed to be native to Tuscany, but in recent years the grape has been finding favour in California. In fact, some critics are predicting that it will be the next big cult wine in the States.

Syrah/Shiraz
Very popular grape variety from Australia. Wines made from Shiraz contain rich, meaty, spice-laden flavours and aromas and can also be quite high in alcohol. The most famous Australian Shiraz is Penfold’s Grange. Meanwhile, in France, the Syrah grape is used in the Rhone Valley to make wonderful, complex, flavoursome wines (best known examples are Hermitage and Cote Rotie). It’s an adaptable variety that likes a warm climate, as in the Rhone or its Australian spiritual home, the Barossa and Hunter Valleys. Warm climates make for deeply coloured, long-lasting wines with character and complexity. In cooler climates or in cooler years the wines tend to be paler, less tannic wines with a pronounced pepperiness, like freshly ground peppercorns.

Tempranillo
The great grape of Rioja. The name derives from the Spanish word ‘temprano’ which means ‘early’, probably for the fact that it is a fairly early ripener. Depending on where it’s grown, it varies from light, pale styles to darker, more tannic styles. In Rioja, the wine is often aged for long periods in American oak barrels, so often the oak is more dominant than the grape variety. It’s also the main variety in the Ribera del Duero region of Spain. When young, Tempranillo has an intriguing fruitiness, but develops complexity with age.

Zinfandel
The honorary ‘native grape’ of California, Zinfandel is the same variety as the Primitivo grape of southern Italy. Although there was a fashion for big, alcoholic, tannic Zinfandels early last decade, most are now made in a much more approachable, fruity style. When made well, Zinfandel can be richly spicy and supple, with ripe berry flavours.

WHITE GRAPE VARIETIES

Chardonnay
Undoubtedly the best-known grape variety in the world. The Chardonnay grape has probably done more to convince people of the joys of wine than just about any other grape variety. It’s an incredibly appealing grape, particularly when it’s made in the up-front, ‘drink-me-now’ style that the New World is so adept at making. Chardonnay has a great affinity with oak, and is also an very easy grape to grow. Few varieties are capable of such a range of flavours, from tropical fruit and pineapple in warmer climates to steely, long-lived wines in Chablis. Its flexible personality has made it one of the most widely grown of varieties.
What does it taste like?
Depending on where its grown and how it’s made, Chardonnay can take on flavours of melon, pineapple, peach, buttered toast, passion fruit, honey, toffee, vanilla, apple, pear, butterscotch, lemon and guava, just to name a few.
Where does it come from?
Just about every wine producing country makes Chardonnay.

Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc has a multitude of personalities. The variety is used to make dry wines, off-dry wines, medium-sweet wines, sweet wines and sparkling wines. Its spiritual home is in France’s Loire Valley and it is there that it is used to make styles right across the range, many of which are of excellent quality. Elsewhere Chenin is usually used to make fairly simple dry white wines, which can often be rather insipid. To its credit, though, the grape has high natural acidity, which means that, when they’re made well, the wines can last for decades.
What does it taste like?
The sweet wines are gorgeously honeyed. The drier wines have flavours of apple, pear and hazelnuts.
Where does it come from?
Most notably France’s Loire Valley. It’s also grown in South Africa and New Zealand

Gewurztraminer
Perhaps the most distinctive white grape variety. Gewürztraminer is easily recognisable by its wonderfully perfumed, exotic aroma and spicy, gingery palate. Although it smells sweet, it’s most often made in a dry or off-dry style. The best Gewurztraminer wines come from Alsace in Eastern France. Alsace Gewurztraminer is often very rich and can have an almost oily texture, while Gewurztraminer from the New World tends to be lighter in style. Its exotic flavours can be a great foil for spicy Thai curries.<TEXT END>
What does it taste like?
A spicy blend of lychees, ginger, rose water, grapefruit, lemongrass and cinnamon.
Where does it come from?
Most notably from Alsace in Eastern France, but it’s also grown in Germany, Austria, Eastern Europe, northern Italy, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, and the US.

Muscat
Strangely, most wines don’t smell or taste of grapes – unless they’re mad from Muscat, that it. Muscat is used throughout Europe and the New World to make dry, medium and sweet wines. It’s also made to use sweet sparkling wine in Italy (Moscato d’Asti) and France (Clairette de Die). In Australia and South Africa, Muscat is used to make a rich, sweet, aged liqueur style of wine. There are numerous sub-varieties of Muscat. Regardless of style, though, all wines made from Muscat have a distinctive fresh grape juice smell and taste. Dry Muscat is a good foil for spicy aromatic Vietnamese and Thai food.
What does it taste like?
Most obviously of grapes. It can also have flavours of orange, orange flower water, rose water, raisins and barley sugar.
Where does it come from? Throughout Europe and, increasingly, in the New world, particularly Australia
Any other names?
Moscato

Pinot Gris
Called Pinot Gris in France and Pinot Grigio in Italy. The Italian version of the grape is often light, fresh and not particularly characterful. Although the variety is grown throughout France, it’s it the Alsace region in Eastern France where the variety performs best. Here the variety is known as Tokay and makes rich, full-flavoured, characterful wines that go very well with a wide range of foods. Pinot Gris is also gaining favour in many parts of the New World.
What does it taste like?
When well-made it tastes of ripe juicy pears with traces of brown spice, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, even cloves.
Where does it come from? It’s widely grown throughout Italy, France and Germany and is adapting well in New Zealand, California and the Pacific Northwest of the US.
Any other names?
Pinot Grigio, Tokay, Rulander, Grauburgunder

Riesling
Perhaps the world’s most under-rated grape variety. Riesling is capable of making some of the most elegant and long-lived of white wines. Sadly, the variety is still associated with cheap, poorly made sweet wines. Riesling can be made across the sweetness spectrum, from bone-dry styles through medium to sweet styles. Wines made from Riesling have high acidity, which makes them refreshing and long-lived. Aged Rieslings develop an interesting aroma reminiscent of diesel or petrol. Rieslings from the New World, particularly Australia, are helping to popularise the variety among younger drinkers.
What does it taste like?
A fruity mixture of green apples, lime juice, honey, passionfruit, lemon and orange, often with some sweetness.
Where does it come from?
Traditionally, the best Rieslings have come from Germany, Austria and the Alsace region of France, but Australia is having success with the variety, too.

Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc has the dubious honour of having the most vivid flavour associations attached to it. Who could ignore tasting notes like ‘cat’s pee on a gooseberry bus’? Sauvignon Blanc is one of those grapes that’s instantly recognisable after just a very quick sniff. You’ll almost certainly get aromas of gooseberry, fresh-cut grass and elderflower, as well as asparagus – even cat’s litter trays. It’s a variety that you either love or hate. Its zingy, assertive freshness makes it a great aperitif, but it can be an aggressive variety, too, and is essentially one-dimensional. Sauvignon Blanc doesn’t age as well as, say, Riesling, Semillon or Chardonnay.
What does it taste like?
It often has a ‘green’ flavour, combining gooseberries, asparagus, broad beans, lime juice, nettles and kiwi fruit. Some have a smoky character, too.
Where does it come from?
Traditionally, The Loire and Bordeaux in France, but New Zealand has made headlines with its very up-front Sauvignon Blancs. The variety is now grown all over the world.

Semillon
Semillon is the main white grape variety in Bordeaux. It is often blended with Sauvignon Blanc to make the dry white wine of the region and the luscious dessert wines of Bordeaux, of which Sauternes is the most famous example. Outside France, Semillon has not proved as popular as either Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, although it is earning itself an enviable reputation in Australia. Wines made from Semillon tend to have high acidity and can be aged for long periods of time.
What does it taste like?
The flavour changes as the wine ages. Young Semillon is fresh and citrus, but as it ages it gets fuller, developing flavours of hazelnuts, cream and toast.
Where does it come from?
Traditionally, Bordeaux, but the variety is quite popular in Australia and, increasingly, in the Pacific Northwest of the US. 

Viognier
Although this grape was scarcely heard of ten years ago, it has become increasingly popular over the last decade. Many people have predicted that Viognier would rival Chardonnay in popularity, but so far it’s still a minority grape variety. Viognier is the main grape used to make the very famous (and rare and expensive) wine of Condrieu in the Rhone region of France. It’s an appealing, aromatic variety, with an aroma of peaches, apricots and freesias. The variety has a great deal of potential.
What does it taste like?
A lush mouthful of peaches, apricots and passion fruit.
Where does it come from?
Southern France and, increasingly, California and Australia