Explore beginner-friendly guides to the world's most important wine grapes. Learn how different grape varieties taste, where they grow best, and which foods they pair with.
Beginner-friendly guides designed to help you understand wine with confidence.
Savagnin is a distinctive white grape best known in France's Jura region. It typically produces dry wines with high acidity and flavours of citrus, green apple, nuts and spice. Some examples develop complex oxidative notes of curry, walnut and preserved lemon.
Vermentino is a dry white grape best known for producing fresh, aromatic wines with flavours of lemon, grapefruit, green apple and Mediterranean herbs. It is particularly associated with Sardinia, Liguria and coastal Tuscany.
Sangiovese is generally regarded as Italy's most widely planted red grape and is the foundation of wines such as Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino. It typically produces dry, medium-bodied wines with flavours of sour cherry, plum, dried herbs and spice.
Merlot is a dark-skinned red grape that often produces smooth, fruit-driven wines with flavours of plum, black cherry and chocolate. It is famous in Bordeaux and widely grown across the world, from California to Chile.
Cabernet Sauvignon is a red grape variety that typically produces medium-full to full-bodied wines known for blackcurrant flavours, firm tannins and excellent ageing potential. It is famous in Bordeaux and Napa Valley, but is grown throughout the world.
Syrah and Shiraz are two names for the same dark-skinned red grape. It typically produces dry, full-bodied wines with flavours of blackberry, plum, black pepper and spice. It is most famous in the Rhône Valley and across Australia, where styles range from elegant and savoury to rich and powerful.
Riesling is an aromatic white grape known for its high acidity and flavours of lime, green apple, peach and flowers. It is famous in Germany, but also thrives in Australia, and France. Riesling is loved for its ability to make wines ranging from bone dry to very sweet while still fresh and vibrant.
Sauvignon Blanc is an aromatic white grape known for producing crisp, usually dry wines with flavours of citrus, gooseberry and fresh herbs. It is particularly associated with France's Loire Valley and New Zealand's Marlborough region.
Chardonnay is a white grape known for apple, citrus and peach flavours. Depending on winemaking choices, it can also show buttery notes and vanilla. It is famous in Burgundy, Champagne, California and Australia, and is loved for its range from crisp and refreshing to rich and creamy.
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