Top 10 Types of Red Wine Grapes

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Top 10 Types ofRed Wine Grapes
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What kind of grapes make all the red wine types?
What are their differences? Is there a best red
wine?
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The 10 Major Red Wine Grapes
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1. Cabernet Sauvignon

• Typically makes a full-bodied, dry wine and is
  widely known as one of the top varieties in the
  world.

Regions Planted nearly anywhere that red wine
grapes are grown California, France (Bordeaux
region), Australia, Chile, and more.
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2. Merlot

• One of the more popular red wine types due to its
  smoothness and low-level acidity that make it a
  very drinkable wine.

This grape makes a beautiful stand-alone wine,
but it is often used in blends, particular with
the Cabernet grape.
Regions Merlot has long been a key ingredient in
Bordeaux blends, but due to its increasing
popularity it is also now grown in Washington
State, California, Chile, Italy, Australia, and
Romania.
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3. Pinot Noir

• Known to be a difficult one to grow, but when
  conditions are right, it produces an exceptional
  light- to mid-body wine with a wonderful
  complexity.

The characteristics and flavor of Pinot Noir
varies greatly by the area in which its grown,
making it difficult to pin a typical
description on wine made from it.
Regions Grown in Burgundy, New Zealand, Austria,
Oregon, and California. Several California
wineries use Pinot Noir grapes to make delicious
rose-style champagnes.
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4. Syrah (called Shiraz in South Africa and
Australia)

• Known to produce spicy, fruity red wine types
  that have low to mid-range acidity, which, like
  the Merlot, make it a very drinkable wine.

Regions The best growing regions for the Syrah
grape are found in the Rhone Valley of France,
California, South Africa, and Australia.
Note The Petit Syrah grape that grows abundantly
in California isnt related to the Syrah grape.
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5. Zinfandel

• This grape produces a low- to mid-range acidity,
  medium to full-body with fruity, peppery flavors.
  While it is easily a great stand-alone wine, it
  is also considered the most versatile grape.

While the Zinfandel grape is often used in blends
with other grapes, it is not always mentioned on
the wine label.
Regions The Zinfandel grape is mostly grown only
in California.
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6. Sangiovese

• Used to produce the famous Chiantis and is
  Tuscanys signature grape. This grape produces a
  beautiful, complex, mid-body, red wine with
  varying aromas and flavors.

Regions Sangiovese is grown in the Tuscany
region of Italy, and while there has not been
much success in growing this grape outside of the
region, recently California has been able to
bottle some good wines from this grape.
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7. Malbec

• Produces a wine whose acidic characteristics vary
  quite a bit by the region growing the grape, but
  it typically has an easy drinking taste of
  berries and spice.

Regions The most widely-grown and popular grape
of Argentina, where it thrives on the hot sun. It
is also grown in Chile, Australia, and
California, and to a lesser extent in Bordeaux
(where it was once very popular).
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8. Nebbiolo

• A red wine grape that is responsible for the many
  fine red wines of Italy. This grape tends to
  produce a light and very dry wine with high
  acidity, but does well with extensive aging.

Region Piedmont, Italy
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9. Grenache

• Increasing in popularity for creating a good
  stand-alone wine that is mid- to full-bodied with
  fruity flavors, like strawberry. It is also often
  blended with other grapes.

Regions Grown in Rhone Valley (France), Spain,
and in California, where it was once commonly
used in rose and red jug wines.
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10. Gamay

• Used in the wines from the Beaujolais region of
  France. Gamay wines are light-bodied, fresh, and
  fruity and are meant to be drunk soon after they
  are bottled. 

Region Largely grown in Beaujolais, France. Two
wineries produce Gamay in California, but some
wine connoisseurs dont regard them as being
real Gamay wines as the quality is not on par
with Frances Gamay.
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Selecting the right type of wine is decided by
your personal taste, by the type of food you plan
to serve with it, and even by the glasses you
plan to serve it in.
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