Wine Varietals: A Breakdown of Red and White Wine Varietals

A wine varietal is a wine made with one variety of grapes, such as pinot noir, chardonnay, and cabernet sauvignon. In the United States, a wine qualifies as a varietal if the single grape variety makes up at least 75 percent of the wine. There's no international standard for varietals—in Canada, this threshold is 85 percent.

Different types of wine—like red wine, white wine, sparkling wine, and dessert wines—aren't varietals, but varietals exist within these categories. Cabernet franc is an example of a red wine varietal.

In some wine-producing regions, a wine varietal has the same name as the grape it's made from—a Syrah is a varietal made from Syrah grapes. This is a common naming convention in North America, Australia, and South America. In more traditional wine regions, such as France and Italy, varietals’ names come from where winemakers produce the drink instead of the grape variety. A Burgundy wine, made in the French wine region, contains Pinot Noir grapes.

Wines made from two or more types of grapes that don't meet the varietal threshold are blends. A Bordeaux blend, for example, usually contains cabernet sauvignon, merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.

There are an estimated 10,000 varieties of wine grapes grown around the world. The Vitis International Variety Catalogue has more than 13,500 listings for Vitis vinifera, the species used for wine production. However, not every species on the list works for winemaking. Some are better suited as table grapes or made into grape juice.

Without a central global registry of varietal wines, it's difficult to determine how many different types there are in the world.

Producers make red wine with the grape skins left on during fermentation. This increases the levels of tannins and gives red wine an astringent, almost bitter taste. Here is a list of popular red wine varietals:

1. 1. Cabernet sauvignon: This full-bodied varietal is high in tannins and tends to be peppery with fruity notes. Wines made with cabernet sauvignon grapes in the Bordeaux region are Bordeaux wines.
2. 2. Gamay: Gamay grapes lend fruity, floral notes to Beaujolais, a regional French wine. While Beaujolais wines typically contain about 85 percent Gamay grapes, some contain 100 percent. Beaujolais is high in acidity and low in tannins.
3. 3. Grenache: Grenache grapes grow in France, Spain, and the Napa Valley in California. They're often used to make rosé wines with light, soft berry flavors.
4. 4. Malbec: This varietal is spicy and savory with hints of blackberry, plum, cloves, and pepper. Malbec grapes originated in France but are the predominant variety in Argentina.
5. 5. Merlot: Merlot wines have deep fruity flavors such as blackberry, plum, black cherry, and black currant. In warm climates like Chile, merlots tend to have a higher alcohol content.
6. 6. Pinot noir: This light-bodied red wine has hints of red fruit, such as strawberry, cherry, and cranberry. Pinot noir is a versatile grape variety that winemakers also used to make white wine, rosé wine, and sparkling wine.
7. 7. Sangiovese: Sangiovese varietals are medium-bodied with hints of raspberry and licorice. Producers commonly blend the blue-black Sangiovese grape with other varietals in Chianti, an Italian Tuscan wine blend.
8. 8. Syrah: This red grape goes by ”Syrah” in the French Rhône Valley and “Shiraz” in Australia. Due to regional differences in terroir, syrahs from Italy and France are more acidic and feature earthy tones and herbaceous aromas. New World syrahs, meanwhile, tend to be fruit-forward with hints of spice.
9. 9. Tempranillo: Earthy and fruity, with hints of fig and blackberry, Tempranillo is a Spanish varietal. The wine is highly versatile when it comes to food pairings, matching well with pasta, grilled meats, and Mexican dishes.
10. 10. Zinfandel: Fruity and spicy with strawberry, raspberry, cherry, and blackberry notes, zinfandel is both a red wine and a sweet rosé. Some winemakers also produce white zinfandel.

White wine varietals are lighter and fruitier than red wines. They're fermented without grape skins, resulting in low tannin levels and high acidity. Here is a list of common white varietal wines:

1. 1. Chardonnay: This full-bodied varietal has hints of pear, apple, tropical fruit, and vanilla. Wine producers make chardonnay in many parts of the world, though its roots trace to Burgundy.
2. 2. Chenin blanc: This grape variety originated in the Loire Valley in France and has citrus and floral notes, such as apple blossom, honeysuckle, and jasmine. Producers also make Chenin blanc in South Africa and California.
3. 3. Gewürztraminer: With notes of lychee, pineapple, passion fruit, and rose petals, Gewürztraminer has medium acidity and a touch of sweetness. This pink grape originated in the Alsace region in France.
4. 4. Muscat: In Italian, the Muscat family of grapes goes by “Moscato.” Moscato is a fruity, sweet wine with notes of peach, nectarine, and orange. The Piedmont region in Italy produces Moscato wines.
5. 5. Pinot grigio: Fresh and zesty, this varietal is also known as pinot gris. It originated in Burgundy and is a crisp white wine with pear, peach, and apricot notes.
6. 6. Riesling: Highly acidic with fruit flavors such as nectarine, apple, and pear, this white grape originated in the Rhine region of Germany.
7. 7. Sauvignon blanc: Fresh and crisp, with high levels of acidity, sauvignon blanc has notes of grapefruit, white peach, and passion fruit. In California, it's sometimes called fumé blanc because of oak aging in the winemaking process.
8. 8. Viognier: This aromatic, full-bodied varietal has hints of rose petal, tangerine, and citrus. While Viognier is grown in North America and New Zealand, it originated in the Rhone Valley and is the only grape used in Condrieu wine.

Want to learn more about the culinary arts? The MasterClass Annual Membership provides exclusive video lessons from the world’s best chefs and wine critics, including James Suckling, Lynnette Marrero, Ryan Chetiyawardana, Gabriela Cámara, Gordon Ramsay, Massimo Bottura, and more.

A wine varietal is a wine made with one variety of grapes, such as pinot noir, chardonnay, and cabernet sauvignon. In the United States, a wine qualifies as a varietal if the single grape variety makes up at least 75 percent of the wine. There's no international standard for varietals—in Canada, this threshold is 85 percent.

Different types of wine—like red wine, white wine, sparkling wine, and dessert wines—aren't varietals, but varietals exist within these categories. Cabernet franc is an example of a red wine varietal.

In some wine-producing regions, a wine varietal has the same name as the grape it's made from—a Syrah is a varietal made from Syrah grapes. This is a common naming convention in North America, Australia, and South America. In more traditional wine regions, such as France and Italy, varietals’ names come from where winemakers produce the drink instead of the grape variety. A Burgundy wine, made in the French wine region, contains Pinot Noir grapes.

Wines made from two or more types of grapes that don't meet the varietal threshold are blends. A Bordeaux blend, for example, usually contains cabernet sauvignon, merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.

There are an estimated 10,000 varieties of wine grapes grown around the world. The Vitis International Variety Catalogue has more than 13,500 listings for Vitis vinifera, the species used for wine production. However, not every species on the list works for winemaking. Some are better suited as table grapes or made into grape juice.

Without a central global registry of varietal wines, it's difficult to determine how many different types there are in the world.

Producers make red wine with the grape skins left on during fermentation. This increases the levels of tannins and gives red wine an astringent, almost bitter taste. Here is a list of popular red wine varietals:

1. 1. Cabernet sauvignon: This full-bodied varietal is high in tannins and tends to be peppery with fruity notes. Wines made with cabernet sauvignon grapes in the Bordeaux region are Bordeaux wines.
2. 2. Gamay: Gamay grapes lend fruity, floral notes to Beaujolais, a regional French wine. While Beaujolais wines typically contain about 85 percent Gamay grapes, some contain 100 percent. Beaujolais is high in acidity and low in tannins.
3. 3. Grenache: Grenache grapes grow in France, Spain, and the Napa Valley in California. They're often used to make rosé wines with light, soft berry flavors.
4. 4. Malbec: This varietal is spicy and savory with hints of blackberry, plum, cloves, and pepper. Malbec grapes originated in France but are the predominant variety in Argentina.
5. 5. Merlot: Merlot wines have deep fruity flavors such as blackberry, plum, black cherry, and black currant. In warm climates like Chile, merlots tend to have a higher alcohol content.
6. 6. Pinot noir: This light-bodied red wine has hints of red fruit, such as strawberry, cherry, and cranberry. Pinot noir is a versatile grape variety that winemakers also used to make white wine, rosé wine, and sparkling wine.
7. 7. Sangiovese: Sangiovese varietals are medium-bodied with hints of raspberry and licorice. Producers commonly blend the blue-black Sangiovese grape with other varietals in Chianti, an Italian Tuscan wine blend.
8. 8. Syrah: This red grape goes by ”Syrah” in the French Rhône Valley and “Shiraz” in Australia. Due to regional differences in terroir, syrahs from Italy and France are more acidic and feature earthy tones and herbaceous aromas. New World syrahs, meanwhile, tend to be fruit-forward with hints of spice.
9. 9. Tempranillo: Earthy and fruity, with hints of fig and blackberry, Tempranillo is a Spanish varietal. The wine is highly versatile when it comes to food pairings, matching well with pasta, grilled meats, and Mexican dishes.
10. 10. Zinfandel: Fruity and spicy with strawberry, raspberry, cherry, and blackberry notes, zinfandel is both a red wine and a sweet rosé. Some winemakers also produce white zinfandel.

White wine varietals are lighter and fruitier than red wines. They're fermented without grape skins, resulting in low tannin levels and high acidity. Here is a list of common white varietal wines:

1. 1. Chardonnay: This full-bodied varietal has hints of pear, apple, tropical fruit, and vanilla. Wine producers make chardonnay in many parts of the world, though its roots trace to Burgundy.
2. 2. Chenin blanc: This grape variety originated in the Loire Valley in France and has citrus and floral notes, such as apple blossom, honeysuckle, and jasmine. Producers also make Chenin blanc in South Africa and California.
3. 3. Gewürztraminer: With notes of lychee, pineapple, passion fruit, and rose petals, Gewürztraminer has medium acidity and a touch of sweetness. This pink grape originated in the Alsace region in France.
4. 4. Muscat: In Italian, the Muscat family of grapes goes by “Moscato.” Moscato is a fruity, sweet wine with notes of peach, nectarine, and orange. The Piedmont region in Italy produces Moscato wines.
5. 5. Pinot grigio: Fresh and zesty, this varietal is also known as pinot gris. It originated in Burgundy and is a crisp white wine with pear, peach, and apricot notes.
6. 6. Riesling: Highly acidic with fruit flavors such as nectarine, apple, and pear, this white grape originated in the Rhine region of Germany.
7. 7. Sauvignon blanc: Fresh and crisp, with high levels of acidity, sauvignon blanc has notes of grapefruit, white peach, and passion fruit. In California, it's sometimes called fumé blanc because of oak aging in the winemaking process.
8. 8. Viognier: This aromatic, full-bodied varietal has hints of rose petal, tangerine, and citrus. While Viognier is grown in North America and New Zealand, it originated in the Rhone Valley and is the only grape used in Condrieu wine.

Want to learn more about the culinary arts? The MasterClass Annual Membership provides exclusive video lessons from the world’s best chefs and wine critics, including James Suckling, Lynnette Marrero, Ryan Chetiyawardana, Gabriela Cámara, Gordon Ramsay, Massimo Bottura, and more.