Western European Grapes

Merlot is one of the most widely planted and popular red wine grape varieties in the world. Originating from the Bordeaux region of France, Merlot is known for producing soft, elegant, and fruit-forward wines. It is often used both as a single var... READ MORE

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized and celebrated red wine grape varieties. Originating from the Bordeaux region of France, it has spread to virtually every major wine-producing country, becoming a key component of man... READ MORE

Chardonnay is a popular and widely cultivated white grape variety that is used to produce white wine. Originating from the Burgundy region of France, Chardonnay is now grown in wine regions around the world, including the United States, Australia,... READ MORE

Sauvignon Blanc is a widely cultivated white grape variety known for producing crisp, aromatic, and refreshing wines. Originating from the Bordeaux region of France, Sauvignon Blanc is now grown in many wine regions worldwide, including New Zealan... READ MORE

Pinot Noir is a highly esteemed red wine grape variety known for producing some of the world's finest and most elegant wines. Originating from the Burgundy region of France, Pinot Noir is revered for its complex flavors, silky texture, and ability... READ MORE

Although Syrah is an internationally known grape that is planted worldwide, it attains distinctive character in northern Rhône—which is often dubbed as Mecca for Syrah. There are several theories about the origin of the grape,... READ MORE

Pinot Gris, also known as Pinot Grigio in Italy, is a white wine grape variety that is believed to be a mutation of the Pinot Noir grape. It is known for producing wines that can vary widely in style depending on the region and winemaking techniqu... READ MORE

Cabernet Franc is a black grape variety that is one of the major red grape varieties worldwide. It is often overshadowed by its more famous offspring, Cabernet Sauvignon, but it has its own distinct characteristics and merits. Cabernet Franc is kn... READ MORE

Primitivo is an Italian grape variety with quite interesting origins. Research conducted in 1994 proved that the grape is identical to Californian Zinfandel, while it was later discovered that both grapes originated from an old and obscur... READ MORE

Sangiovese is a red grape variety indigenous to Italy that is predominantly grown in Tuscany, but also in other central and southern regions, from Romagna down to Lazio, Campania, and Sicily. It is best known as the main grape used in Chi... READ MORE

Malbec is a red wine grape variety that is most famously associated with Argentina, although it originally hails from the Bordeaux region of France. It is known for producing deeply colored, full-bodied red wines with strong fruit flavors and smoo... READ MORE

Barbera is the most common grape in Piedmont and the third most-planted grape in the country. It is used in varietals and blends. Nowadays, it is considered to have great potential to produce excellent quality wines, although it was once ... READ MORE

Gewurztraminer is a pink-skinned grape that produces some of the most aromatic and complex white wines in the world. The exact origin of Gewurztraminer is hard to trace, but the grape is related to Traminer family that is cultivated acros... READ MORE

Pinot Gris, also known as Pinot Grigio and Grauburgunder, is a white grape variety whose origins are believed to be in Burgundy, but the grape has shown amazing potential in Alsace—the region with which it is mostly associated nowad... READ MORE

Monastrell, also known as Mourvèdre, is a red wine grape variety widely grown in several wine regions, particularly in Spain and France. Believed to have originated in Spain, it is most commonly known as Monastrell there, while in France it... READ MORE

Macabeo, also known as Viura in the Rioja region of Spain, is a white wine grape variety widely grown in Spain and parts of southern France. Native to Spain, Macabeo is most commonly known by this name in Catalonia and other Spanish regions, while... READ MORE

Nebbiolo is the highly-praised Italian grape that is mostly cultivated and gives the best results in its native Piedmont. Wines made with this red-skinned grape tend to be powerful, age-worthy, and high in tannins as well as acidity. Dist... READ MORE

Garnacha, also known as Grenache in France, is a widely cultivated red wine grape variety known for producing wines with rich, fruity flavors and high alcohol content. It is one of the most versatile and widely p... READ MORE

Mostly cultivated in Campania, Fiano is an old Italian variety that has seen a significant revival since the 1980s. This low-yielding, early-ripening grape is praised for its ability to produce crisp and aromatic wines with a lot... READ MORE

Chenin Blanc is a grape variety grown in the Loire valley of France, from where it spread to South Africa and became popular as Steen. Due to its versatility, it comes in a few varieties, such as bubbly, dry, or sweet. The dry version of ... READ MORE

Dolcetto is a red grape that is mostly cultivated in Piedmont. Although its name translates to a sweet little one, the variety is used for the production of dry, medium-bodied red wines. Dolcetto based wines are usually deep ruby... READ MORE

Negroamaro is a red grape variety mostly found throughout Apulia, particularly in Salento, Lecce, Tarento, Brindisi, and Foggia. It is often used together with other regional grapes such as Malvasia Nera, Susumaniello, and Primitivo, alth... READ MORE

Verdicchio is an Italian grape variety that is mostly associated with Marche. It is a versatile grape used in varietals and blends, and it can produce light and refreshing wines as well as more complex examples. Verdicchio wines are usual... READ MORE

Vermentino is a white grape variety predominantly grown in several Mediterranean wine regions, especially in Northern Italy and Sardinia. It is particularly known for producing crisp, aromatic white wines. Vermentino wines are known for their vibr... READ MORE

Viognier is a grape variety with unclear origins that found its home in the northern Rhône, where it has been cultivated for centuries. It is best known as the single varietal used in the Condrieu appellation, though it is also used... READ MORE

Corvina is an Italian red grape variety that is mostly planted in Veneto. This thick-skinned red grape is best known as the backbone of many blends such as Valpolicella and Bardolino. Dried Corvina grapes are used for th... READ MORE

Lagrein is an ancient Italian red grape mainly cultivated in Trentino-Alto Adige in Northeast Italy. The grape has ancient origins, and though it was once common, it was later mainly replaced by Schiava (Vernatsch), which proved to be mor... READ MORE

Nero d’Avola is an indigenous Sicilian red grape, whose name, meaning the black of Avola, refers to its distinctive dark color. For most of the 20th century, Nero d'Avola was used as a blending grape, but in the 1990s winem... READ MORE

Friulano is an Italian name for Sauvignonasse variety that originated in southwest France, where it was never widely cultivated. The grape is rarely seen outside Italy and is considered as one of the signature grapes in Friuli-Venezia Gi... READ MORE

Tannat is a French red-skinned grape primarily associated with south-western France and the Madiran appellation, though it is suggested that it could have Basque origin. This grape typically produces big, bold, and richly-colored tannic r... READ MORE

Falanghina is an old Italian white grape variety that is mostly associated and cultivated in Campania. For a very long time, it was not known that the name was used for two distinct sub-varieties: Falanghina Beneventana and the b... READ MORE

Cinsault, also known as Cinsaut, is a red wine grape variety primarily grown in the southern regions of France, particularly in the Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence areas. It is also widely cultivated in other wine regions around the world, inclu... READ MORE

Petit Verdot is a red wine grape variety known for its deep color, robust tannins, and rich flavors. Originating from the Bordeaux region of France, Petit Verdot is traditionally used as a blending grape in Bordeaux wines, particularly in the M&ea... READ MORE

Gamay is a red wine grape variety best known for producing Beaujolais, a light-bodied red wine from the Beaujolais region in France. It is renowned for its bright fruit flavors, low tannins, and high acidity, making it a refreshing and approachabl... READ MORE

Arneis is a native grape from Piedmont that gives the best results in Roero—where it is used in the production of the famed Roero Arneis DOCG. Its exact origin is not known, but it is assumed that it has been cultivated in the area ... READ MORE

Inzolia is an Italian grape variety mainly associated with Sicily, though small amounts are also found in Tuscany (Ansonica Bianca). The grape was best known for its use in Marsala wine, but it is now often blended with the local Catarrat... READ MORE

Montepulciano is an Italian grape variety that cultivated throughout the country, but it is mostly associated with central Italy, particularly with the regions Abruzzo and Marche. Montepulciano-based wines are typically medium-bodied, wit... READ MORE

Passerina is a white Italian grape variety that is nowadays primarily associated with Marche. Although it can be used in various styles, it is now mostly used in the production of dry white wines. Passerina is included in several regional... READ MORE

Garganega is one of the oldest and the most important grape varieties in Italy. It is planted in different regions, but its foreground is in Veneto, where it is used in the production of Gambellara DOC and the renowned Soave wines—b... READ MORE

Nerello Mascalese is a late-ripening native Sicilian grape variety that is mostly cultivated around Mount Etna. One of the few grapes that survived the phylloxera plague—due to the high altitudes where it is grown—Nerello Masc... READ MORE

Catarratto is an ancient and little-known Sicilian white grape. In the past, it was mainly used for unimpressive, bland wines, but some producers have shown that a better approach can result in excellent white wines with a fresh and miner... READ MORE