Knowledge Center · Field Guide
Every wine starts with a grape. This is our working reference to the varieties you're most likely to meet on a tasting trip — the household names, the regional specialities, and the near-forgotten local grapes that make a detour worthwhile. Written in plain English, no jargon gate-keeping.
red · Nemea, Greece (Peloponnese)
also known as St. George
Greece's most widely cultivated red grape takes its name from a local patron saint and thrives across the varied altitudes of Nemea in the northeastern Peloponnese. Its naturally soft tannins and generous red-fruit core make it adaptable, appearing in everyday rosé, oak-aged reserve bottlings and, increasingly, single-vineyard wines that reflect the appellation's limestone and clay terraces.
red · Southern Italy (Campania, Basilicata)
Believed to have arrived with Greek settlers well before Roman times, this thick-skinned variety ripens late and holds onto firm tannin and acidity even in southern heat. In Taurasi it yields dark, structured wines built around black cherry, dried herbs and a mineral edge drawn from volcanic soils, while Aglianico del Vulture shows a smokier, more austere profile from Basilicata's Monte Vulture slopes.
white · Galicia, Spain (Rías Baixas)
also known as Alvarinho
Grown along the granite, Atlantic-facing coast of Galicia, Albariño developed thick skins as a defence against the region's damp, humid climate, a trait that also lends its wines vivid acidity and a distinct saline quality. Traditionally trained on raised pergolas to encourage air circulation, it is the defining grape of Rías Baixas and, under the name Alvarinho, of northern Portugal's Vinho Verde.
white · Alentejo, Portugal
Well suited to the hot, dry summers of southern Portugal's Alentejo plains, Antão Vaz retains reasonable acidity even under considerable heat stress, a quality that has made it one of the region's most valued white grapes. It typically shows ripe stone-fruit and tropical notes with a fuller body, and forms the backbone of many Alentejo white blends alongside Arinto and Roupeiro.
white · Portugal
Prized above all for its acidity, Arinto is one of the few Portuguese white grapes capable of ageing gracefully in bottle, a fact recognised as far back as the eighteenth century in the small DOC of Bucelas near Lisbon. Its lemon and green-apple character also makes it a valuable component in blends across Vinho Verde and the Alentejo, where it counterbalances riper partner varieties.
white · Piedmont, Italy (Roero)
Historically interplanted among Nebbiolo vines in Piedmont's Roero hills, partly to lure birds away from the more valuable red grapes, Arneis nearly disappeared before producers such as Vietti and Bruno Giacosa revived it in the 1970s and 1980s. It produces medium-bodied wines with pear, almond and white-flower notes and comparatively gentle acidity.
white · Santorini, Greece
Vines on Santorini are typically trained into low, basket-shaped coils called kouloura to shield the fruit from fierce Aegean winds, growing ungrafted in volcanic pumice soils that have never hosted phylloxera. The resulting wines carry intense citrus and flint-like minerality alongside a saline tang, with sufficient structure for some producers to age Assyrtiko for a decade or more.
white · Germany (crossing)
A German crossing developed by Peter Morio in the 1930s involving Silvaner, Riesling and Müller-Thurgau parentage, Bacchus ripens early and reliably even in marginal, cool-climate conditions. Its pronounced elderflower and gooseberry aromatics have made it a particular success in southern England, where it is now among the most widely planted white varieties.
red · Bairrada, Portugal
Grown on the clay-rich soils of Bairrada near Portugal's Atlantic coast, Baga carries thick skins and high tannin that historically demanded long ageing before the wines softened into drinkability. Modern winemaking with gentler extraction has coaxed out its red-cherry and damp-earth character, and the same grape underpins much of the region's traditional-method sparkling production.
red · Piedmont, Italy
Long the everyday red of Piedmont's farming households, Barbera combines naturally high acidity with modest tannin, a profile that makes it a reliable match at the table. Barbera d'Asti and Barbera d'Alba range from unoaked, tart, black-cherry-driven versions to barrique-aged interpretations that gained international attention through producers like Giacomo Bologna in the 1980s.
red · Central Europe (Austria, Hungary, Germany)
also known as Kékfrankos, Lemberger
Documented in Austria since at least the eighteenth century, this late-ripening variety reaches its finest expression on the mineral-rich soils around the Leithaberg hills of Burgenland, where it delivers dark berry fruit, cracked pepper and a firm acid spine capable of long bottle ageing. In Hungary it is known as Kékfrankos and forms part of the traditional Bull's Blood blend.
red · Utiel-Requena, Spain
One of Spain's most planted red grapes, Bobal thrives on the elevated, drought-prone plateau of Utiel-Requena in the Valencia region, where old bush vines survive with little irrigation. Long dismissed as bulk-blending material, it is now bottled on its own to show deep colour, plum fruit and a distinctive earthy grip that producers have learned to soften through careful extraction.
red · Argentina (via Savoie, France)
DNA analysis has confirmed that Argentina's Bonarda is not related to the Italian grapes of the same name but is instead identical to Corbeau, also called Charbono, a variety once grown in Savoie. Planted extensively across Mendoza and San Juan, it produces soft, violet-scented wines with dark plum fruit, and is finding renewed interest among growers seeking an alternative to Malbec.
red · Southwest France / Loire
Genetic research has established Cabernet Franc as one parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, though it ripens earlier and carries lighter tannin. In the Loire Valley appellations of Chinon and Bourgueil, planted on tuffeau limestone and gravel, it produces wines marked by raspberry fruit, graphite and a characteristic leafy note, while in Bordeaux it lends aromatic lift to Right Bank blends such as Château Cheval Blanc.
red · Bordeaux, France
A late eighteenth-century natural crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in Bordeaux, this thick-skinned grape's small berries and high skin-to-juice ratio give it pronounced tannin and colour. It anchors the gravel-soil estates of the Médoc, including Château Latour and Château Margaux, and has become the most widely planted quality red grape worldwide, from Napa Valley to Coonawarra.
red · Aragón, Spain
also known as Cariñena, Mazuelo, Carignano
Originating near the Aragonese town from which its Spanish name derives, Carignan spread widely across the Mediterranean as a high-yielding bulk grape before old bush vines in Languedoc-Roussillon, Priorat and Sardinia began attracting renewed attention. Low-yielding, decades-old plantings on schist and granite produce concentrated wines with dark fruit, garrigue herbs and considerable structure.
red · Bordeaux (now Chile)
Once a component of pre-phylloxera Bordeaux blends, Carmenère nearly vanished from France after the vineyard replanting of the late nineteenth century. It survived undetected among Chilean Merlot vines for over a century until ampelographers identified it in 1994, and today it is cultivated widely in the Colchagua and Rapel valleys, giving wines with dark plum fruit, green pepper and mild cocoa spice.
white · Sicily, Italy
For much of the twentieth century Catarratto served primarily as a base wine for Marsala production, its neutral character and generous yields making it an economical workhorse across Sicily's western vineyards. A shift toward fresher winemaking has since revealed a lighter side to the grape, with citrus and herbal notes emerging in cool-fermented dry bottlings.
white · Burgundy, France
A natural crossing of Pinot Noir and the now-obscure Gouais Blanc, Chardonnay carries relatively neutral inherent aromatics, which allows it to reflect terroir and winemaking choices with unusual clarity. This transparency runs from the flinty, unoaked wines of Chablis's Kimmeridgian limestone to the richer, barrel-fermented styles of the Côte de Beaune, and underpins much of Champagne's blanc de blancs production.
white · Switzerland / Savoie
also known as Fendant, Gutedel
Grown on the steep, terraced vineyards above Lake Geneva since at least the sixteenth century, Chasselas is a naturally low-acid, subtly flavoured grape that depends heavily on soil and site to gain character, a quality Swiss winemakers describe as its capacity to 'taste of terroir'. Known as Fendant in Valais, it also appears in German Baden under the name Gutedel.
white · Loire, France
First documented in the Loire Valley in the ninth century, Chenin Blanc retains naturally high acidity that allows it to be vinified across an unusually broad spectrum, from bone-dry to nobly sweet, and from still to traditional-method sparkling. Vouvray and Savennières showcase its capacity for honeyed complexity and longevity, while South Africa, home to substantial old-vine plantings around Swartland, has developed its own distinct expression of the grape.
red · Southern France (Languedoc / Provence)
A heat-tolerant Mediterranean variety long grown across Languedoc and Provence, Cinsault contributes soft tannin and perfumed red fruit rather than structure, which is why it so often plays a supporting role in Provençal rosé blends. South African old-vine plantings, some dating to the mid-twentieth century, are now being vinified separately and have drawn attention for their perfume and light-footed elegance.
white · Piedmont, Italy
The sole grape permitted in Gavi, in the southeastern corner of Piedmont near the Ligurian border, Cortese produces crisp, medium-bodied wines with green apple, citrus and a faint almond note. Its comparatively neutral profile has historically made it less celebrated than Piedmont's red varieties, though the best examples from calcareous soils around Gavi di Gavi show a distinctive chalky texture.
red · Veneto, Italy
The principal grape of Valpolicella, Corvina brings sour cherry, bitter almond and a herbal edge that intensifies once bunches are laid on straw mats or plastic trays for the appassimento drying process used to make Amarone. The same drying technique, applied more gently, also produces the sweet Recioto della Valpolicella, one of the region's oldest documented wine styles.
red · Piedmont, Italy
Ripening several weeks before Nebbiolo, Dolcetto was traditionally the grape Piedmontese growers harvested and drank first, earning it a reputation as the region's everyday table red. Despite its name suggesting sweetness, it produces dry wines with deep purple colour, low acidity and a characteristic bitter-almond finish, at their best from Dolcetto d'Alba and Dogliani.
white · Mosel / Luxembourg
Cultivated along the Mosel since Roman times, Elbling is among the oldest grape varieties still grown in Germany and was historically the region's dominant planting before Riesling overtook it in prestige. It produces tart, light-alcohol wines used both for still drinking and as a base for sparkling Sekt, particularly on the Upper Mosel and across the border in Luxembourg.
white · Dão, Portugal
Regarded as the finest white grape of the Dão region in north-central Portugal, Encruzado benefits from the area's granite soils and cool, elevated vineyard sites, which help preserve acidity through the growing season. It yields textured, mineral wines with pear and citrus fruit, and its capacity to gain complexity with age has encouraged several producers to bottle it as a single varietal.
white · Campania, Italy
Believed by some ampelographers to be among the grapes used in ancient Falernian wine, prized in Roman times, Falanghina was largely reduced to blending status before a revival beginning in the 1980s restored it to varietal bottlings around the Campi Flegrei and Sannio areas of Campania. It offers citrus, pear and floral notes with brisk acidity well suited to the region's seafood.
red · Southwest France
also known as Braucol, Mansois, Pinenc
Known locally under several names depending on the appellation, this rustic southwestern French variety contributes peppery, blackcurrant-scented structure to the wines of Marcillac, where it is called Mansois, and to blends in Gaillac and Madiran. Its firm tannin and savoury character have long made it a natural companion to the region's charcuterie and duck-based cuisine.
white · Portugal (Tejo / Bairrada)
also known as Maria Gomes
Portugal's most extensively planted white grape takes a second name, Maria Gomes, in the Bairrada region, where it is often blended into lightly sparkling wines. Its pronounced floral perfume, tinged with citrus and occasional spice, distinguishes it from many of the country's more neutral native whites, and it appears in styles ranging from crisp and dry to off-dry and frizzante.
white · Romania / Moldova
One of a trio of related Fetească varieties native to Romania and Moldova, whose name translates loosely as 'maiden's grape', Fetească Albă produces aromatic wines with peach, honeysuckle and floral notes. It is made across a wide stylistic range, from dry table wines to the sweeter, late-harvest bottlings for which the historic Cotnari region has long been known.
white · Romania
A natural crossing of Fetească Albă and Grasă de Cotnari first identified in Transylvania in the early twentieth century, Fetească Regală has become one of Romania's most widely planted white grapes thanks to its reliable yields and adaptable character. It produces fresh, aromatic wines with orchard-fruit notes, frequently used as a base for sparkling production as well as everyday still wines.
white · Campania, Italy
Cultivated in the hills around Avellino since at least medieval times, Fiano is a low-yielding, thick-skinned grape that historically commanded a premium reputation in southern Italy under the name Apianum, possibly linked to bees drawn to its ripe fruit. It produces structured wines with honeyed pear, hazelnut and herbal notes that, in the best examples from Fiano di Avellino, age with unusual grace for a southern Italian white.
red · Sicily, Italy
Grown mainly in the southeastern corner of Sicily around Vittoria, Frappato produces pale, light-bodied wines with strawberry and rose-petal aromatics that stand apart from the island's typically fuller reds. It is usually blended with the more tannic Nero d'Avola to create Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Sicily's only DOCG, though increasing numbers of producers now bottle it unblended.
white · Friuli, Italy
also known as Sauvignonasse
Long marketed under the name Tocai Friulano until a 2007 European Union ruling required the region to drop any reference to Hungarian Tokaji, this grape remains the most distinctive dry white of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. DNA analysis has since shown it to be identical to Sauvignonasse, a grape once confused with true Sauvignon Blanc, and it typically shows pear, almond and a notably bitter, saline finish.
white · Hungary (Tokaj)
The principal grape of Tokaj in northeastern Hungary, Furmint combines high natural acidity with thin skins that make it especially susceptible to noble rot in the region's autumn mists off the Bodrog and Tisza rivers, the basis for the historically celebrated sweet Tokaji Aszú. The same grape, vinified dry, produces increasingly serious, mineral-driven wines, and it is also grown in Slovenia and parts of Austria.
red · Burgundy / Beaujolais, France
Banished from ducal Burgundy in the fourteenth century by Philip the Bold in favour of Pinot Noir, Gamay found lasting success further south in Beaujolais, where granite soils suit its thin skins and naturally high acidity. The ten Beaujolais crus, from Morgon to Moulin-à-Vent, show how differently the grape can express itself, ranging from juicy and floral to structured wines with real ageing potential.
white · Veneto, Italy
The dominant grape of Soave in the Veneto, Garganega is often trained on pergola systems across volcanic and limestone soils east of Verona, a practice that helps protect the grape from sunburn while maintaining acidity. It yields delicately scented wines with lemon, white blossom and almond notes, and top examples from the Classico zone's steeper hillside vineyards can age well beyond a decade.
white · Alto Adige / Alsace
A pink-skinned mutation of the ancient Traminer grape, first associated with the South Tyrolean village of Tramin, Gewürztraminer takes its name from the German word for spice, a nod to its unmistakable lychee, rose and ginger perfume. Alsace produces its most celebrated expressions, ranging from dry to the intensely sweet Vendanges Tardives and Sélection de Grains Nobles styles, though the grape's naturally low acidity requires careful site selection.
white · Northwest Spain (Valdeorras)
Nearly extinct by the 1970s after decades of neglect and competition from higher-yielding varieties, Godello was rescued through the efforts of a handful of growers in Valdeorras, in Spain's Galicia region, who recognised its potential for texture and longevity. It produces mineral wines with citrus and orchard-fruit character, occasionally showing a waxy note reminiscent of white Burgundy when aged on lees.
white · Umbria, Italy
Central to the white wines of Umbria, Grechetto is generally divided into two distinct biotypes, Grechetto di Orvieto and Grechetto di Todi, which are now understood to be genetically unrelated despite sharing a name. It contributes honeyed pear, herb and nutty notes with reliable acidity, forming the structural core of Orvieto alongside Trebbiano and other local varieties.
white · Southern Italy (Campania)
Its name points to a Greek origin, reflecting the extensive Hellenic settlement of southern Italy in antiquity, though modern Greco bears little genetic resemblance to any variety currently grown in Greece. Greco di Tufo, grown on volcanic tuff soils near Avellino, is its most distinguished expression, offering structured, smoky wines with pear, peach and mineral depth.
red · Aragón, Spain
also known as Garnacha, Cannonau
Believed to have originated in Aragón before spreading across the Mediterranean, Grenache ripens late and accumulates high sugar levels, giving wines with pronounced alcohol, sweet red-berry fruit and white pepper. It forms the backbone of Châteauneuf-du-Pape alongside Syrah and Mourvèdre, underpins many Priorat blends on Catalonia's llicorella slate, and appears in Sardinia as Cannonau.
white · Aragón, Spain / Southern France
also known as Garnacha Blanca
A white-berried mutation of red Grenache, this Mediterranean variety shares its parent's tolerance for heat and drought, thriving across southern France and northeastern Spain. It typically contributes body, green-apple and fennel notes to blends, playing a supporting role in the white wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and in the white bottlings of Priorat alongside Macabeo and other local grapes.
white · Sicily, Italy
Once grown chiefly to supply the fortified Marsala trade around Trapani in western Sicily, Grillo has been reassessed over the past two decades as producers sought fresher, dry alternatives among the island's native whites. It shows citrus, tropical fruit and herbal character with a firmer acid backbone than many Sicilian varieties, making it increasingly popular for unfortified table wines.
white · Austria
Austria's most widely planted grape is now known, through DNA analysis, to be a natural crossing involving Traminer and a nearly extinct variety called St. Georgen, discovered growing wild near Vienna. The terraced vineyards of the Wachau along the Danube produce its most ambitious expressions, called Smaragd, showing white pepper, citrus and a distinctive savoury, lentil-like character alongside considerable ageing potential.
white · Hungary
Its name translates as 'linden leaf', a reference to both the shape of its foliage and the honeyed, linden-blossom character often found in the finished wine. Grown chiefly in Tokaj alongside Furmint, Hárslevelű contributes aromatic depth to both dry wines and the region's celebrated botrytis-affected Aszú, and is also cultivated more modestly elsewhere in Hungary.
red · Balkans / Hungary
Once the dominant red grape of Hungary before phylloxera devastated its plantings, Kadarka produces pale-coloured wines with fine tannin and a peppery, red-fruited character quite unlike bolder Central European reds. It remains a traditional, if now minor, component of Egri Bikavér, the blended wine known in English as Bull's Blood, from the Eger region.
white · Germany / Alto Adige
Bred in the German region of Württemberg in 1929 by crossing Riesling with the red table grape Trollinger, Kerner was designed to combine Riesling-like aromatics with hardier growing characteristics. It has found particular success at altitude in Alto Adige, where cool nights preserve the citrus and apricot notes that define its aromatic, high-acid style.
red · Alto Adige, Italy
Native to the area around Bolzano in Italy's German-speaking Alto Adige, Lagrein is a close relative of Syrah according to DNA studies and ripens on the warm gravel terraces above the Adige river. It gives wines of deep purple colour, blackberry and violet fruit, and a slightly bitter, chocolatey finish that distinguishes it from the region's paler alpine reds.
red · Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Rather than a single grape, Lambrusco refers to a group of related varieties native to Emilia-Romagna, each associated with a particular subzone: Lambrusco di Sorbara produces pale, dry, savoury wines, while Lambrusco Grasparossa gives darker, fuller styles. Fermented to retain light sparkle, these wines have long accompanied the region's rich charcuterie and Parmigiano Reggiano.
white · Vinho Verde, Portugal
Named for the laurel-like floral aroma that distinguishes it from other Vinho Verde grapes, Loureiro is grown extensively across the cooler, Atlantic-influenced subregions of Monção and Melgaço in northern Portugal. Its citrus and orchard-fruit character, combined with vivid acidity, makes it one of the more structured components in the region's typically light, quaffable blends.
white · Spain
also known as Viura
Under the name Viura it forms the principal grape of white Rioja, where extended barrel ageing can develop richer, oxidative character in the traditional style pioneered by producers such as López de Heredia. As Macabeo, the same variety anchors much of Catalonia's Cava production alongside Xarel·lo and Parellada, contributing gentle stone-fruit character and a neutral, fresh base.
white · Northern Greece
Nearly lost to cultivation until the late twentieth century, Malagousia was revived largely through the efforts of Greek researcher and winemaker Evangelos Gerovassiliou, who propagated surviving vines found near Naoussa. It produces intensely perfumed wines with jasmine, peach and citrus character, and has since spread to vineyards across northern and central Greece.
red · Southwest France (Cahors)
also known as Côt, Auxerrois
Historically one of the six permitted red grapes of Bordeaux, Malbec lost ground there after the 1956 frost devastated plantings, though it survives as the dominant grape of Cahors, where it is called Côt and produces dark, tannic wines known locally as 'black wine'. Cuttings taken to Argentina in the nineteenth century found ideal conditions at altitude in Mendoza, where the grape became the country's calling card.
white · Mediterranean (family of grapes)
The name Malvasia covers a large and only loosely related family of grapes dispersed across the Mediterranean by medieval Venetian trade routes, tracing back to the port town of Monemvasia in the Peloponnese. Depending on the biotype and region, it can produce crisp dry wines such as Malvasia Istriana, aromatic table wines, or richly sweet passito styles in Italy, Iberia and the Canary Islands.
white · Northern Rhône, France
Typically partnered with the more aromatic Roussanne, Marsanne contributes body, low acidity and a distinctive almond and honeysuckle character to the white wines of the northern Rhône, most notably the age-worthy Hermitage Blanc produced on the granite hill above Tain-l'Hermitage. It is also grown with success in Australia's Victoria, where old vines at Tahbilk have produced Marsanne continuously since the nineteenth century.
red · Southern France (Cabernet Sauvignon × Grenache)
Bred in 1961 by French ampelographer Paul Truel at a research station near the town of Marseillan, this crossing of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache was designed to combine structure with heat tolerance and resistance to coulure. It has become a fixture of Languedoc blends and, more recently, of Chinese vineyards in Shandong and Ningxia, where it produces deeply coloured, dark-fruited wines with supple tannin.
white · Loire, France (Muscadet)
Transplanted from Burgundy to the mouth of the Loire in the seventeenth century after severe frosts devastated local vineyards, Melon de Bourgogne became the sole permitted grape of Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine. Its naturally neutral, saline character is traditionally deepened by sur lie ageing, in which the wine rests on spent yeast lees through the winter, adding texture without masking its coastal freshness.
red · Northwest Spain (Bierzo, Ribeira Sacra)
also known as Jaen
Long overlooked and often blended away, Mencía has been reassessed over the past two decades as growers in Bierzo and the terraced slopes of Ribeira Sacra began isolating old vines planted on slate and granite. The resulting wines show floral perfume, pure red fruit and a mineral edge that has drawn comparisons, not always fairly, to cool-climate Cabernet Franc.
red · Bordeaux, France
Genetically a natural offspring of Cabernet Franc, Merlot ripens earlier and carries softer tannin than its Bordeaux counterpart, qualities that made it especially suited to the clay-limestone soils of Pomerol and St-Émilion, home to estates such as Pétrus. Beyond Bordeaux, where it softens Left Bank Cabernet blends, it has become one of the most widely planted red grapes globally in its own right.
red · Spain (Levante) / Southern France
also known as Mourvèdre, Mataró
A grape that demands heat and sun to ripen fully, Monastrell reaches particular distinction in Bandol on the Provençal coast, where limestone-clay soils and a warm microclimate allow it to build tannin, dark fruit and a gamey, animal edge over extended barrel ageing. In Spain, as Monastrell, it forms the backbone of Jumilla and Yecla and features in many GSM blends worldwide.
red · Central Italy (Abruzzo)
Frequently confused with the Tuscan hill town of the same name, which in fact grows Sangiovese, this grape is native to Abruzzo along Italy's Adriatic coast. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo delivers deep colour, soft tannin and generous dark-fruit character at accessible prices, though the more structured Colline Teramane subzone shows the variety's capacity for greater seriousness.
white · Peloponnese, Greece (Mantinia)
A pink-skinned member of the broad Muscat-adjacent family, Moschofilero is grown on the cool, elevated plateau of Mantinia in the central Peloponnese, where altitude preserves the acidity needed to balance its exuberant rose-petal and citrus perfume. It is vinified both as a still white and, increasingly, as a lightly sparkling wine.
white · Switzerland (Riesling × Madeleine Royale)
Bred in 1882 by Swiss botanist Hermann Müller, a native of the canton of Thurgau, this crossing of Riesling and Madeleine Royale was intended to combine early ripening with reliable yields, and it later became the dominant grape behind much of Germany's mass-market Liebfraumilch. Grown with more care, particularly at altitude in Alto Adige or in Franken, it can yield genuinely aromatic, well-balanced wines.
white · Mediterranean (ancient)
also known as Moscato, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, Muscat of Alexandria
One of the oldest domesticated grape families, tracing back to antiquity around the Mediterranean, Muscat exists in numerous distinct biotypes rather than as a single variety, the finest generally considered to be Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains. Its grapey, orange-blossom aromatics translate across dry Alsace bottlings, lightly sparkling Moscato d'Asti in Piedmont, and a wide range of fortified sweet wines from Rutherglen to Samos.
red · Piedmont, Italy
Named, most scholars believe, for the autumn fog (nebbia) that settles over Piedmont's Langhe hills as the grape ripens, Nebbiolo combines pale colour with formidable tannin and acidity. On the calcareous marl of Barolo and the sandier soils of Barbaresco it produces wines of rose, tar, dried cherry and truffle that rank among Italy's longest-lived reds.
red · Southwest France (Fronton)
Cultivated almost exclusively around Fronton, north of Toulouse, Négrette is thought to have arrived from Cyprus with the Knights of St John in the Middle Ages, though this remains debated among historians. It yields soft, aromatic wines marked by violet and liquorice notes, typically blended with Syrah or Cabernet Franc to add backbone.
red · Etna, Sicily
Planted on the volcanic contrada of Mount Etna, often on ungrafted vines at elevations exceeding 900 metres, Nerello Mascalese produces pale, translucent wines with a structural intensity that belies their colour. Ash, red cherry and dried flowers are typical markers, and the grape's textural similarities to Nebbiolo and Pinot Noir have made Etna Rosso a focus of international attention.
red · Sicily, Italy
Named after the southeastern Sicilian town of Avola, this variety became the island's leading red grape as growers shifted from bulk production toward quality winemaking in the late twentieth century. It ripens fully under intense Mediterranean sun, giving wines with black cherry, plum and dried-herb character, and pairs with the lighter Frappato in the blended wines of Cerasuolo di Vittoria.
white · Jerez, Spain
Largely neutral and unremarkable as a table wine grape, Palomino was instead selected over centuries of trial in the chalky albariza soils around Jerez de la Frontera for its suitability to oxidative and biological ageing under a layer of flor yeast. This process transforms it into the full range of Sherry styles, from the delicate, saline Fino to the darker, nuttier Amontillado and Oloroso.
white · Catalonia, Spain
Grown at higher elevations than its Cava partners Macabeo and Xarel·lo, Parellada retains a lighter body and more pronounced floral character thanks to the cooler conditions of Catalonia's inland vineyards. It contributes finesse and acidity rather than structure, softening the blend's fuller components in the traditional-method sparkling wines of Penedès.
white · Central Italy (Marche / Abruzzo)
Despite sharing its name with the famous sheep's-milk cheese, this Italian grape has no connection beyond a folk etymology suggesting sheep once grazed among the vines. Nearly forgotten by the mid-twentieth century, it was revived by growers in the Marche and Abruzzo, producing fresh, mineral wines with pear and herbal notes that stand apart from the region's more neutral whites.
white · Andalusia, Spain
also known as PX
Grown chiefly in Montilla-Moriles and, to a lesser degree, Jerez, Pedro Ximénez has thin skins that make it exceptionally suited to drying under the Andalusian sun on esparto grass mats, a process that concentrates sugars dramatically before pressing. The resulting sweet fortified wine is intensely raisined, near-black in colour, and often used to sweeten or blend with drier Sherry styles.
white · Southwest France (Jurançon)
Distinguished by small, thick-skinned berries that can shrivel on the vine well into autumn without succumbing to rot, Petit Manseng is left hanging for a late harvest called passerillage in Jurançon, in the foothills of the Pyrenees. The resulting sweet wines pair intense honeyed richness with piercing acidity, a balance that also allows the grape to succeed as a drier, aromatic table wine elsewhere in southwest France.
red · Bordeaux, France
Notoriously slow to ripen, Petit Verdot fell out of favour in cooler Bordeaux vintages before climate change made it more reliable, and it remains a minor but valued component of Left Bank blends, contributing deep colour, violet perfume and firm tannin in small proportions. Warmer growing regions such as Spain, California and parts of Australia now bottle it as a standalone variety.
red · France (Rhône crossing)
also known as Durif
Bred by French nurseryman François Durif in the 1880s as a cross of Syrah and Peloursin, this variety proved more resistant to downy mildew than its Rhône parent and found particular success in California, where it is bottled under the name Petite Sirah despite having little relation to true Syrah. Inky in colour, it delivers dense tannin, blackberry fruit and dark chocolate notes.
white · Languedoc, France
also known as Piquepoul
Its name, meaning roughly 'lip-stinger' in the local Occitan dialect, describes the grape's sharply high acidity, a trait well suited to the AOC Picpoul de Pinet, grown on chalky slopes overlooking the coastal Étang de Thau lagoon. The wine's bracing freshness and mineral tang have made it a natural regional partner to the lagoon's oyster farms.
white · France / Central Europe
also known as Pinot Bianco, Weissburgunder
A colour mutation within the unstable Pinot family, genetically very close to Pinot Gris and, further back, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc produces medium-bodied wines with apple and almond notes but comparatively restrained aromatics. It is grown widely across Alsace, where it often forms the base of Crémant d'Alsace, as well as in Alto Adige, Austria and Germany under the name Weissburgunder.
white · France / Northern Italy
also known as Pinot Grigio, Grauburgunder, Ruländer
A pink-skinned mutation of Pinot Noir that can range in appearance from grey-blue to coppery pink, this single grape produces two markedly different wine styles depending on region and intent. In northeastern Italy it is typically picked early and vinified for freshness as crisp Pinot Grigio, while in Alsace it is left to ripen fully, yielding richer, spicier wines that can extend to late-harvest sweetness.
red · Burgundy, France
Genetically ancient and highly unstable, Pinot Noir has produced countless clonal variations over centuries of cultivation on the limestone slopes of Burgundy's Côte d'Or, where individual climats such as Chambertin and Musigny are prized for their distinct character. Thin-skinned and sensitive to site, the grape is equally central to Champagne and has become the benchmark for cool-climate red winemaking from Oregon to Central Otago.
red · South Africa (Pinot Noir × Cinsault)
Bred in 1925 by Stellenbosch University professor Abraham Izak Perold, who crossed Pinot Noir with Cinsault (then known locally as Hermitage), Pinotage became South Africa's own contribution to the world's grape varieties. Handled with care it gives deeply coloured wines with red and black fruit, though overripe fruit or poor winemaking can produce a distinctive burnt-rubber note that has divided opinion.
red · Dalmatian coast, Croatia
Genetic testing has shown Plavac Mali to be a natural offspring of Zinfandel's Croatian ancestor Tribidrag and the local grape Dobričić, making it a close relative rather than identical to Zinfandel. It thrives on the steep, sun-baked terraces of the Pelješac peninsula, particularly the Dingač and Postup sites, producing powerful, alcoholic reds with dark fig and Mediterranean herb character.
red · Jura, France
also known as Ploussard
One of the palest red grapes grown anywhere, Poulsard yields wines closer in hue to a deep rosé, yet retains a savoury, slightly reductive character distinct from true pink wines. Cultivated mainly around Arbois in the Jura, it is often left unfined and unfiltered, and frequently undergoes oxidative ageing under a thin veil of flor in the local tradition.
red · Friuli, Italy
A family name covering several related grapes native to Friuli-Venezia Giulia and neighbouring Slovenia, of which Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, named for its red-tinged stem, is the most highly regarded. It produces wines of deep colour, fresh acidity and dark berry fruit, finishing with the gently bitter almond note characteristic of many northeastern Italian reds.
white · Friuli / Slovenia
Documented in the hills of Friuli's Collio and across the border in Slovenia since at least the thirteenth century, Ribolla Gialla has drawn renewed attention through the region's orange-wine movement, in which extended skin contact transforms the naturally crisp grape into a textured, tannic wine. It also produces conventional dry whites and, more recently, traditional-method sparkling wines.
white · Rhine, Germany
First documented by name in a Rheingau estate record from 1435, Riesling combines exceptionally high natural acidity with a thin skin that ripens slowly and reflects site with unusual precision, from the slate-soil steepness of the Mosel to the loess terraces of Austria's Kamptal. Its capacity to range from bone-dry to intensely botrytised sweet wines, all while retaining freshness, has led many critics to regard it as the world's most versatile fine-wine grape.
white · Georgia (Caucasus)
Among the most ancient grape varieties still cultivated, Rkatsiteli has been grown in Georgia's Kakheti region for thousands of years and remains one of the most widely planted white grapes across the former Soviet Union. Its naturally high acidity suits both fresh, modern dry whites and the traditional qvevri method, in which extended skin contact produces tannic, amber-coloured wines with dried-fruit depth.
white · Cephalonia, Greece
Grown on the steep limestone slopes of Cephalonia in Greece's Ionian Islands, Robola is thought to be related to, though distinct from, the Ribolla Gialla of northeastern Italy, both names likely deriving from a shared medieval root. It produces bright, mineral wines with citrus fruit and a chalky, briny finish that reflects the island's calcareous terroir.
white · Northern Rhône, France
More aromatically expressive but less reliable in the vineyard than its usual blending partner Marsanne, Roussanne is prone to poor yields and disease pressure, which historically limited its plantings despite its fine quality. In Hermitage Blanc and St-Joseph it contributes pear, herbal-tea and honeysuckle notes with real ageing potential, and it has also found a home in California's Rhône Ranger movement.
red · Central Italy (Tuscany)
also known as Brunello, Prugnolo Gentile, Morellino
Italy's most extensively planted grape exists as a mosaic of clones and local biotypes across Tuscany, taking on different names according to place: Brunello around Montalcino, Prugnolo Gentile in Montepulciano, Morellino near Grosseto. Common threads run through the wines nonetheless, with bright sour cherry, dried herbs and firm, sometimes rustic tannin framed by lifted acidity.
red · Georgia (Caucasus)
Among the oldest cultivated grapes in the world, Saperavi has been grown in Georgia's Kakheti region for millennia and is notable for its rare teinturier flesh, which stains both juice and skin dark red. It is frequently fermented and aged in buried clay qvevri vessels according to a method recognised by UNESCO, and its combination of colour, acidity and tannin has drawn increasing plantings in Eastern Europe and beyond.
white · Loire / Bordeaux, France
A parent, alongside Cabernet Franc, of Cabernet Sauvignon, this grape shows sharply different faces depending on climate: flinty and reserved in the Kimmeridgian clay of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, more overtly tropical and pungent in New Zealand's Marlborough region since plantings expanded there in the 1970s. In Bordeaux it is traditionally blended with Sémillon for both dry whites and the botrytised sweet wines of Sauternes.
white · Jura, France
Genetically linked to the Traminer family, Savagnin found its most distinctive expression in the Jura, where it is aged for a minimum of six years and three months under a film of flor yeast to produce Vin Jaune, a nutty, curry-scented wine bottled in the distinctive 62cl clavelin bottle. Unoxidised versions of the grape, made in a cleaner style, are increasingly bottled as fresh, mineral dry whites.
white · Germany
Bred in 1916 by German viticulturist Georg Scheu, whose name it bears, this crossing of Riesling with an obscure Rhineland variety produces markedly more aromatic wines than its parent, marked by pink grapefruit and blackcurrant-leaf notes. It is made across the full sweetness spectrum in Germany and Austria, including botrytis-affected dessert wines from regions such as the Pfalz.
white · Bordeaux, France
Thin-skinned and highly susceptible to noble rot, Sémillon is the primary grape behind the great sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac, where botrytis concentrates its naturally waxy, honeyed character. Blended with Sauvignon Blanc it also underpins much dry white Bordeaux, and in Australia's Hunter Valley it is bottled unoaked, developing remarkable toasty complexity over decades in bottle.
white · Madeira, Portugal
Grown at some of the highest and coolest vineyard sites on the island of Madeira, Sercial ripens later than the island's other noble grapes and retains the sharpest acidity, making it the base for the driest style of fortified Madeira. Long oxidative ageing in wooden casks under Madeira's warm loft conditions, known as canteiro, develops its characteristic citrus and salted-nut complexity.
white · France (hybrid)
Bred by French hybridiser Bertille Seyve and his father-in-law Victor Villard in the early twentieth century, Seyval Blanc combines French vinifera parentage with American Vitis riparia and Vitis rupestris, giving it resistance to fungal disease and cold winters unusual among fine-wine grapes. Its reliability has made it a staple in England, upstate New York and Quebec, producing crisp, apple-and-citrus wines and traditional-method sparkling.
white · Central Europe
also known as Sylvaner
Once Germany's most widely planted white grape before Müller-Thurgau and Riesling overtook it, Silvaner has receded to a smaller but more specialised role, particularly in Franken, where it is traditionally bottled in the flask-shaped Bocksbeutel. Its understated orchard-fruit and earthy character rewards low yields and can develop real depth in the region's limestone soils, as well as in parts of Alsace.
red · Austria
A member of the Pinot family and, according to ampelographic research, one parent of Zweigelt, St. Laurent is thought to take its name from its early ripening around the feast of St Lawrence in mid-August. Grown chiefly in Austria's Thermenregion and in the Czech Republic, it produces dark-coloured, cherry-scented wines with a softer tannic structure than Blaufränkisch.
red · Puglia, Italy
The name is thought to derive from a local dialect word describing how heavily the vine can load a donkey (asinello) with fruit at harvest, reflecting its historic role as a high-yielding blending grape in Puglia. A wave of younger producers around Brindisi has since begun vinifying it separately, revealing deep colour, ripe dark fruit and a savoury, herb-tinged finish.
red · Northern Rhône, France
also known as Shiraz
DNA profiling in the 1990s established Syrah as a natural cross of two obscure grapes from southeastern France, dispelling older legends of Persian or Shiraz origin. On the steep granite terraces of Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie it produces dense, peppery wines layered with black olive and smoked meat, while in Australia's Barossa Valley, where it is called Shiraz, warmer conditions yield richer, more overtly fruit-forward styles.
red · Southwest France (Madiran) / Uruguay
Renowned for having among the highest tannin and antioxidant polyphenol content of any wine grape, Tannat forms the core of Madiran in southwest France, where traditional micro-oxygenation techniques were developed to soften its formidable structure. Basque immigrants carried the grape to Uruguay in the nineteenth century, where it has since become the national variety, generally producing rounder, more approachable wines than its French counterpart.
red · Spain (Rioja / Ribera del Duero)
also known as Tinto Fino, Tinta Roriz, Aragonez
Taking its name from the Spanish temprano, meaning early, in reference to its earlier ripening than most Spanish reds, Tempranillo forms the backbone of Rioja, where extended ageing in American oak barrels traditionally imparts notes of dill and vanilla alongside its core of red fruit and leather. In Ribera del Duero it is called Tinto Fino, and across the border in Portugal's Douro Valley it appears as Tinta Roriz, contributing to both table wines and Port.
red · Trentino, Italy
Confined almost entirely to the alluvial gravel plain of the Campo Rotaliano in Trentino, Teroldego is genetically linked to a cluster of northern Italian varieties that includes Lagrein and Marzemino. It produces deeply coloured wines with dark berry fruit and gentle tannin, carrying the fresh, almost alpine acidity typical of grapes grown at the foot of the Dolomites.
white · Argentina
The name Torrontés actually covers at least three distinct Argentine varieties, of which Torrontés Riojano, grown in and around Cafayate at altitudes exceeding 1,700 metres, is considered the finest. Despite its intensely perfumed rose and jasmine aromatics, which might suggest sweetness, the grape typically produces dry wines with crisp acidity sustained by the high-altitude diurnal temperature swing.
red · Douro, Portugal
The most extensively planted grape in the Douro Valley today, Touriga Franca is valued for its consistent yields and resistance to drought on the region's punishing schist terraces. It brings floral perfume and structural elegance to both Port and increasingly ambitious dry Douro reds, typically blended alongside the more concentrated Touriga Nacional.
red · Douro / Dão, Portugal
Widely regarded as Portugal's finest red grape, Touriga Nacional produces small, thick-skinned berries that yield disproportionately concentrated wine relative to their low juice volume. Its violet perfume and dense dark fruit form the structural core of top vintage Port and, increasingly, of ambitious dry reds from both the Douro and the granite soils of the Dão.
white · USA (Gewürztraminer × Joannes Seyve)
Developed at Cornell University's breeding programme and released in 1996, Traminette crosses Gewürztraminer with the hybrid Joannes Seyve to retain much of the former's spicy floral perfume while gaining cold hardiness and disease resistance. It has become a signature grape for wineries across the American Midwest and mid-Atlantic, where true Gewürztraminer struggles with harsh winters.
white · Italy / France
also known as Ugni Blanc
Encompassing a wide range of related but distinct biotypes across central Italy, Trebbiano is the country's most extensively planted white grape family, generally valued more for reliability and high acidity than for aromatic distinction. Carried to France, where it is known as Ugni Blanc, it became the principal grape distilled into Cognac and Armagnac, its neutral, acidic base proving ideal for the still-wine feedstock these spirits require.
red · Jura, France
also known as Bastardo
A late-ripening variety confined largely to the cooler reaches of the Jura, Trousseau yields translucent, high-acid wines with red fruit, white pepper and an earthy undertone that sets it apart from its paler Jura neighbour Poulsard. Carried to Portugal at some point in its history, it is cultivated there under the name Bastardo, particularly in the Douro and Dão.
white · Rueda, Spain
Long grown in Rueda, in Spain's Castilla y León, Verdejo was historically used for oxidative, Sherry-like wines before modern cool-fermentation techniques introduced in the 1970s and 1980s revealed its potential for fresh, herbal whites. Its citrus and fennel character, finishing on a note of bitter almond, has invited comparison with Sauvignon Blanc, though the two grapes are unrelated.
white · Madeira, Portugal
One of the noble grapes historically used to classify Madeira's fortified wines by sweetness, Verdelho sits between the drier Sercial and the sweeter Bual, producing medium-dry wines with citrus, smoke and salted-almond character shaped by decades of oxidative cask ageing. Cuttings taken to Australia in the nineteenth century have since developed into a distinct dry table-wine style, particularly in the Hunter Valley.
white · Marche, Italy
Grown along Italy's Adriatic coast in the Marche, Verdicchio takes its name from the slightly greenish tint of its skin at ripeness and is the principal grape of both Castelli di Jesi and the more inland, higher-altitude Verdicchio di Matelica. It produces mineral, sea-air-inflected wines with citrus, fennel and almond notes that, in top examples, can age for well over a decade.
white · Mediterranean (Sardinia, Corsica, Liguria, Provence)
also known as Rolle
Grown across the western Mediterranean coastline from Liguria to Sardinia and Corsica, Vermentino is genetically identical to the grape called Rolle in Provence, where it appears in the white wines of Bandol and Bellet. It typically produces citrus and herbal wines with a distinctive saline, lightly bitter finish, particularly pronounced in Sardinia's Vermentino di Gallura, the island's only DOCG.
white · France (hybrid)
Bred by French hybridiser Jean-Louis Vidal by crossing Ugni Blanc with the hybrid Rayon d'Or, Vidal Blanc combines thick skins and cold tolerance that have made it especially valuable in regions prone to hard freezes. Its resilience allows grapes to hang and freeze naturally on the vine for Canadian icewine, and it also produces off-dry table wines across New York and the American Midwest.
white · Northern Rhône, France (Condrieu)
Reduced to only a handful of hectares in Condrieu by the 1960s, Viognier has since undergone a remarkable revival both in its native northern Rhône and further afield, prized for its low acidity, full body and pronounced peach, apricot and honeysuckle perfume. California and southern France have adopted it widely, though the granite slopes of Condrieu remain its benchmark expression.
red · Montenegro / North Macedonia
The name translates roughly as 'strong black stallion' in Serbo-Croatian, a fitting description for a grape that produces deeply pigmented, tannic wines with dark fruit and a distinctive wild-herb streak drawn from the limestone hillsides of Montenegro's Lake Skadar basin. It remains the country's most planted and most celebrated indigenous variety.
white · Central Europe
also known as Grasevina, Olaszrizling, Laški Rizling
Despite the name, ampelographic study has confirmed Welschriesling bears no genetic relation to true Riesling, the shared name instead reflecting an older, looser use of 'Riesling' across Central Europe to denote quality white grapes generally. Grown widely under various local names in Austria, Hungary, Croatia and the Balkans, it ranges from crisp, everyday dry wines to the noble-sweet, botrytised dessert wines of Burgenland's Neusiedlersee.
white · Catalonia, Spain
One of the three traditional grapes of Cava alongside Macabeo and Parellada, Xarel·lo contributes structure, body and ageing potential to the blend, its naturally high acidity and phenolic grip helping sparkling wines withstand extended lees ageing. Increasingly bottled as a still varietal wine in Penedès, it shows citrus, fennel and a smoky mineral character.
red · Northern Greece (Naoussa)
The name translates literally as 'acid-black', a nod to the grape's combination of high acidity and deep colour that has long invited comparison with Nebbiolo. Grown on the slopes around Naoussa in Macedonia and in the volcanic soils of Amyndeon, it develops notes of tomato leaf, black olive and dried fruit, and is capable of considerable ageing.
white · Sicily / Pantelleria, Italy
also known as Muscat of Alexandria
Known internationally as Muscat of Alexandria, this ancient grape takes the name Zibibbo on the volcanic island of Pantelleria off Sicily's southwestern coast, where its Arabic-derived name reflects centuries of North African influence. There it is dried in the sun to concentrate sugars for the celebrated passito wines, showing dried apricot, candied orange peel and honey.
red · Croatia (now California & Puglia)
also known as Primitivo, Tribidrag, Crljenak Kaštelanski
A long scientific investigation, culminating in DNA work at UC Davis in the early 2000s, traced California's Zinfandel to the same grape grown in Puglia as Primitivo and, ultimately, to a rare Croatian variety called Crljenak Kaštelanski, historically known as Tribidrag. Old-vine California plantings, some over a century old, produce brambly, high-alcohol reds, while the grape also underlies the commercially significant pink wine known as White Zinfandel.
red · Austria (Blaufränkisch × St. Laurent)
Bred in 1922 by Fritz Zweigelt, then head of the viticultural research institute in Klosterneuburg, this crossing of Blaufränkisch and St. Laurent became Austria's most widely planted red grape over the course of the twentieth century. It produces cherry-scented wines that range from light, unoaked bottlings to fuller, barrique-aged versions capable of real ageing.
Missing a variety you love, or spot something we've got wrong? This guide grows with the tours we run and the winemakers we visit — send us a note and we'll add it.