Discover Varieties

The most widely cultivated red wine grape in the world. It has powerful tannins, deep color, and potential for long aging. Known for its cassis and blackberry aromas, it gains complexity through barrel aging.

The flagship variety of Bordeaux's Right Bank. Known for soft, smooth tannins and fruit flavors reminiscent of plum and cherry. More approachable than Cabernet and recommended for beginners.

A noble variety native to Burgundy. It produces delicate, complex, and elegant wines, but is also known for being very difficult to cultivate. Its charm lies in its transparent color and aromas of red fruits and spices.

A powerful variety native to France's Rhône Valley. Known for its deep color and aromas of dark fruits, spices, and smoke. In Australia, it's called 'Shiraz' and made in a more fruit-forward style.

Italy's signature red wine grape. Known for high acidity and firm tannins, it's the main variety in Tuscany's Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino. It pairs wonderfully with Italian cuisine.

The world's most popular white wine grape. Native to Burgundy, it shows diverse expressions from the crisp acidity of Chablis to the rich style of California, depending on region and winemaking.

A white wine grape known for its refreshing acidity and herbal aromas. It shows its finest expression in Loire Valley's Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, and New Zealand's Marlborough. Perfect as an aperitif on hot days.

A noble white wine grape native to Germany. Made in styles ranging from dry to extremely sweet, it has remarkable aging potential. Known for high acidity and delicate aromas, with aging it develops a distinctive 'petrol' aroma.

A variety born from a mutation of Pinot Noir. In Italy, it's made in a light and crisp style, while in Alsace, as 'Pinot Gris,' it's made rich and full-bodied.

An aromatic variety meaning 'spicy Traminer.' Known for its intense aromas of lychee and rose, it has an unforgettable personality once tasted. Alsace is known as its finest region.

A noble variety from Piedmont, Italy. Known as the 'King of Italian Wine' as the grape behind Barolo and Barbaresco. Despite its pale color, it has strong tannins and acidity, developing complex aromas with long aging.

Native to Spain and one of the world's most widely planted varieties. Known for high alcohol and rich fruitiness. It shows its finest expression in Southern France's Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Spain's Priorat.

Native to Cahors in southwestern France, but achieved worldwide fame in Argentina. Known for its deep purple color, rich fruitiness, and velvety tannins. It shows its finest expression in the highlands of Mendoza.

An aromatic white wine variety native to Condrieu in the Northern Rhône. Known for aromas of apricot, white peach, and flowers, with a rich, oily texture. It nearly faced extinction but has now made a comeback.

A versatile white wine variety native to France's Loire Valley. Made in diverse styles from dry to extremely sweet to sparkling. Its high acidity gives remarkable aging potential, gaining complexity over time.

Spain's signature noble red wine variety. It shows its finest expression in Rioja and Ribera del Duero. Known for vanilla and spice aromas from barrel aging, offering different charms at each aging level: Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva.

Japan's indigenous white wine grape. Said to have arrived via the Silk Road from China over 1,300 years ago, it's a rare subspecies of Vitis vinifera. It produces delicate, mineral wines with exceptional affinity for Japanese cuisine.

A red wine grape born in Japan. Created by Zenbei Kawakami in 1927 by crossing Bailey with Muscat Hamburg. Known for its sweet aromas and soft tannins, it's beloved as Japan's representative red wine variety.

California's signature red wine grape. DNA analysis revealed it's identical to Italy's Primitivo. Known for jammy fruit and spicy nuances, it tends to produce higher alcohol wines.

Austria's signature white grape variety. Distinguished by its characteristic white pepper spiciness and vibrant acidity. Produced in styles from light to full-bodied, gaining complexity with age.

The signature variety of Galicia in northwestern Spain. Characterized by sea-influenced salinity and minerality with rich fruit. Produces wines that are fresh yet complex, exceptionally paired with seafood.

The signature variety of Santorini, Greece. Features extraordinary minerality from volcanic soils and sharp acidity. Retains acidity even in hot climates, producing some of the world's most mineral-driven white wines.

An ancient Georgian variety, one of the few 'teinturier' (red-fleshed) grapes in the world. Features remarkably deep color, powerful tannins, and high acidity. Develops into complex, captivating wines with extended aging.

Hungary's signature white grape and the main variety for Tokaji Aszú. Its thin skin is susceptible to noble rot, making it ideal for world-class sweet wines. Dry styles have also gained recent attention.

Originally from Bordeaux, France, with Chile as its new home. Long confused with Merlot, it was rediscovered through DNA testing in 1994. Devastated by phylloxera in Bordeaux, it brilliantly revived in Chile.

Created in 1925 in South Africa by crossing Pinot Noir and Cinsaut. Produces wines with distinctive smokiness and fruitiness, embodying South Africa's wine identity.

The principal grape behind Valpolicella in Italy’s Veneto. Thick skins and firm acidity make it exceptionally well suited to appassimento, the post-harvest drying of grapes. Vinified fresh it gives a light red scented with sour cherry; dried, it becomes the concentrated world of Amarone. A grape with two distinct faces.

Sicily's flagship black grape. Grown under the island's fierce sun, it combines dense ripe black fruit with surprisingly gentle tannins. Once destined for bulk wine, lower-yield viticulture has spread and it is now increasingly bottled as a high-quality varietal wine.

An unusually delicate Sicilian grape grown on the slopes of Mount Etna. Pale in colour, it layers red fruit over the saline, smoky signature of volcanic soil. Its high acidity and fine-grained tannins invite frequent comparison with Burgundian Pinot Noir and Barolo.

The white grape at the heart of Etna Bianco. Grown high on volcanic slopes, it shows an incisive acidity unexpected in Sicily, alongside a flinty mineral character. Austere when young, after a few years honey and nut aromas emerge and it becomes remarkably complex.

Western Sicily's signature white. Citrus and herbal aromas are layered with a sea-breeze salinity. Its resistance to oxidation and readiness to accumulate sugar long made it a Marsala grape, but today it is more often picked early and made into fresh dry whites.

A parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. It ripens earlier and shows lighter colour and softer tannins. Red fruit and violet aromatics are joined by a green, herbal edge. A supporting player in Bordeaux blends, it takes the lead as a varietal wine in the Loire.

A late-ripening grape that demands intense sunlight. Firm structure and a wild, gamey edge define it, and in GSM blends (Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre) it supplies structure and spice. In Bandol in southern France it dominates blends that yield long-lived reds.

A white grape planted widely around the Mediterranean. Fresh citrus and herb aromas are joined by a faint bitterness and salinity on the finish, evoking the food of the coast. It goes by Rolle in Provence and Favorita in Piedmont.

The grape of Beaujolais. Low tannin and high acidity give light, fruit-forward wines. Carbonic maceration produces the distinctive banana and candy aromatics that define the smell of Beaujolais Nouveau.

One of the three principal Champagne grapes. A black grape that goes into white sparkling wine, it ripens earlier than Pinot Noir with rounder fruit, lending blends approachability and early drinkability.

A deeply coloured grape high in both acidity and tannin. Cropped heavily it turns flat, but low-yielding old vines give strikingly concentrated reds. It is Cariñena in Spain, Mazuelo in Rioja and Samsó in Catalonia.

Piedmont's most widely planted black grape. Soft tannins and very high acidity give the unusual combination of deep colour and easy drinking. If Nebbiolo is for special occasions, Barbera is the wine of the everyday table.

One of Piedmont's three principal black grapes. The name means "little sweet one", a reference to the sugar in the fruit rather than the wine, which is dry. Modest acidity meets firmer tannin, with a bitter-almond note on the finish.

The grape behind Prosecco. Usually made by tank fermentation (the Charmat method), it shows white peach and pear fruit with a light mousse. Rather than the yeasty complexity of Champagne, the style keeps the aroma of the grape itself.

The principal grape of Soave. Restrained aromatics and firm acidity are finished by a bitter-almond note. From volcanic sites it gains salinity and mineral definition, and a few years in bottle bring a honeyed complexity.

The grape that supports Corvina in Valpolicella blends. Modest in aroma and flavour on its own, its resistance to disease and to drying makes consistent Amarone production possible. It contributes colour and gentle fruit to the blend.

The grape behind Muscadet at the mouth of the Loire. Aromatically restrained, it yields a dry wine of sharp acidity and salinity. Ageing on the lees — sur lie — adds a bready savour and a faint prickle of gas.

A white member of the Pinot family. Its gentle fruit recalls Chardonnay but stays more restrained and softer on the palate. In Alsace it serves both as an everyday food wine and as a base for Crémant d'Alsace.

Portugal's finest black grape. Small, thick-skinned berries deliver intensity in colour, aroma and tannin alike. Floral notes of violet and bergamot set it apart. It gives Port its backbone and, increasingly, leads the dry reds of the Douro.

The most widely planted black grape in the Douro. Gentler than Touriga Nacional, it brings rose and red-fruit perfume to a blend. Its structure is modest on its own, so it is almost always used in combination.

One of the Douro's traditional black grapes; the name means "red dog". Very low yielding and difficult to grow, it contributes high acidity and delicate aromatics, and is prized for the finesse it lends age-worthy Ports and Douro reds.

Argentina's signature white. It offers sweetly perfumed rose and lychee aromatics yet drinks dry and fresh — the gap between nose and palate is its defining trait. The highest vineyards of Salta give the most aromatic examples.

Argentina's second most planted red after Malbec. Soft plum and fig fruit meets gentle tannin in an easy, everyday style. DNA analysis identified it as the same variety as Douce Noire from Savoie in France.

A white grape bred from Riesling and Trollinger. It carries Riesling's high acidity alongside a Muscat-like perfume. Its cold hardiness has made it a mainstay in Hokkaido, where Yoichi and Sorachi have adopted it as a signature grape.

A cross of St. Laurent and Blaufränkisch. Bright cherry fruit and soft tannins give a light, easy red. Its cold hardiness has made it important not only in Austria but also in Japan's Hokkaido.

A blending grape at the heart of Rioja. Very high acidity, firm tannin and a violet-scented lift define it. Austere on its own, a small proportion added to Tempranillo markedly raises both ageing potential and aromatic complexity.

A white grape of mild acidity and light aromatics. Early ripening and easy to grow, it spread widely across Germany and other cool regions. It lacks Riesling's tension but gives soft, approachable dry and off-dry wines.

An ancient white grape of the upper Mosel. Aromatically very restrained, its defining feature is piercing acidity. That acidity serves it both as a dry white and as a base for German sparkling Sekt.

A black grape planted widely in southern France. Pale in colour and low in tannin, with red fruit and floral perfume. That lightness makes it indispensable in Provençal rosé, and in reds it is blended with Grenache and others to lift the whole.

An American hybrid, also familiar in Japan as a table grape. Vinified, it gives an approachable white with the sweet aromatics Japanese drinkers know well and soft acidity. It has long been used for wine in Yamagata and the wider Tōhoku region.

A white grape used alongside Furmint in Hungary's Tokaj. The name means "linden leaf". More perfumed than Furmint, it contributes honeyed, floral sweetness and gives Tokaji Aszú its aromatic depth.

Georgia's leading white grape; the name means "red stem". High acidity meets substantial fruit, and fermented on the skins in the clay qvevri it becomes the distinctive amber, tannic style known as orange wine.