Auxerrois is a full sibling of Chardonnay. Widely grown in the Alsace region of France where it produces a relatively low acid wine used for blending and as a varietal.
Grown primarily in the Piedmont, Barbera is the second most planted variety in Italy. It has a high level of natural acidity even when fully ripe, so is best suited for hot climates.
Cabernet Sauvignon is a vigorous, variety with late bud break and late maturity. It is one of the world's most widely renowned red wine varieties, grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectr...
An old Bordeaux variety largely replaced by Merlot in France, but widely grown in Chile where vines planted as Merlot turned out to be Carmenère. Ripens later than Merlot but earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon.
Cayuga White is one of the most productive and disease resistant varieties grown in New York and was Cornell University's first variety released specifically for winemaking. This versatile grape can be made into a semi-d...
Gewürztraminer is a musqué mutation of Traminer that produces compact clusters of small, spicy, pinkish-red grapes with high natural sugar and low acidity, so is best suited for cooler climates. The best wines exhibit ...
Rare, jet-black variety with loose, medium-sized clusters and berries. Can be used to make deep red wines, typically with strong foxy flavor and odor that can improve with time; still used in commercial juice production...
Merlot is Bourdeaux's most planted grape variety, known for its smooth texture and outstanding varietal wines, but often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon. Earlier ripening than Cabernet Sauvignon, but not as winter hardy.
Mourvédre is Spain's second-leading red variety (after Grenache) and is also a popular variety in southern France, and has been grown in California since the 1870s. Mourvédre needs a very warm climate with long summers...
Nebbiolo is native to the Piedmont region in northern Italy where it produces the region's most distinguished wines, and some of Italy's best, long-lived wines.
Norton (also known as Cynthiana) is a V. labruscana x V. aestivalis hybrid with a long history in eastern US wine production, particularly in Missouri and Virginia. Norton produces small to medium clusters of firm, round...
Petit Verdot is one of the classic black Bordeaux varieties. It is known for high quality where it can fully ripen, which is later than that of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Sangiovese is the most planted grape variety in Italy, the principal variety for fine red wine in Tuscany, and the base wine for the production of Chianti. It is a late-ripening red that produces wines with pronounced t...
Sauvignon Blanc is responsible for some of the world's most distinctive dry white wines with a wide range of aromatics. It produces a wide range of wine styles from dry aromatic wines to desert wines in France, to ripe f...
Shiraz is the Australian synonym for Syrah, an ancient, noble variety capable of producing outstanding wines with long aging potential. The wines have a wide range of flavor depending on the climate and soils where the g...
An important variety in Uruguay, Tannat produces deeply colored wines that are astringent and often blended with other varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Tempranillo is one of Spain's most important varieties, it can produce wines that are deeply-colored and long-lasting, typically not high in alcohol content.
Zinfandel is known as an exotic black variety predominantly grown in California and recently found to be identical to the Italian variety Primitivo. Typically made into varietal wines that can age well.
Zweigelt is widely grown in Austria where it was developed and is now the country's most popular dark-skinned grape. Zweigelt ripens earlier than Lemberger but buds out later than St. Laurent and tends to produce liberal...
A component of many Bordeaux blends, Cabernet Franc matures earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon and is more suitable for cooler climates. One of the more winter hardy vinifera varieties, it is becoming more popular in easte...
The standard of white wine grapes, Chardonnay can be used to make a wide range of wine styles from "fruit forward" wines fermented in stainless, to buttery wines fermented or finished with oak. Chardonnay is the primary ...
Not to be confused with cheese, Lemberger is used to produce low acid, varietal wines. It is gaining a reputation in the Finger Lakes region of NY as a variety with good wine potential and easier to grow than Pinot Noir.
Grown primarily in the cooler regions of the US with very early ripening and good winter hardiness, Aurore is a white to pink variety that is vigorous and ripens about a month before Concord. Aurore is often used as a bl...
Soreli (Tocai Friulano x 20-3) joins mildew resistant variety, Fleurtai of the VCR varieties with excellent resistance to both Downy and Powdery mildew. While Soreli can hold it's own in a bottle, Soreli and Fleurtai hav...