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.
Chelois is a highly ranked French-American variety used as a varietal or for blending with other red hybrids. Like many French-American hybrids, it may require cluster thinning to prevent overcropping. Chelois combines ...
Concord is the most famous American grape, described by Horace Greeley as "the grape for the millions" with vigorous, hardy and productive vines that produce medium-sized clusters bearing large blue-black berries. Concor...
Corot Noir produces distinctive deep red wine with attractive berry and cherry aromas and can be used for varietal wine production or for blending. Corot Noir is considered to represent a distinct improvement in red win...
DeChaunac is a productive, vigorous variety with large, loose clusters resistant to bunch rots. Cluster thinning is usually required to produce quality wines as overcropped vines are known to produce relatively low qual...
In the early 1800s, Isabella was widely planted in the North Atlantic and New England States where Catawba could not reliably ripen, but it fell out of favor after Concord was introduced. Isabella can withstand tropical...
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...
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...
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...
St. Croix produces wines that have been compared to a light to medium burgundy. Sugar content and tannins are low at maturity, but St. Croix has been used both as a varietal and for blending.
Steuben produces medium to large, compact clusters of medium-sized, spherical slipskin berries with a spicy tang. Steuben can produce an aromatic white, blush, or rosé wine.
Tannat grape is an important variety in Uruguay, known for producing deeply colored, astringent wines. These wines are often blended with other varieties like Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon to enhance their comple...
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, an exotic black grape variety predominantly grown in California, is now recognized as identical to the Italian Primitivo grape. This versatile grape is typically used to produce robust varietal wines known for...
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...
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.