Types of Grape Varieties you should know about :
 
 
Cabernet Sauvignon
One of the noblest red wine grapes, used in Bordeaux, also as either a 100 percent varietal or in red blends in the U.S., Australia, Chile, Argentina, South Africa and wherever wine grapes grow. The most famous red wine grape.
 
 
Chardonnay
One of the world's most well known white wine grapes. Originated in Burgundy, but widely planted in the U.S, Australia and all over the world. Available in India.
 
 
Chenin Blanc
Noble French grape, most common in the Loire, making very fine white wines both dry and slightly sweet. Fantastic wines from this grape come from South Africa, where it's known as Steen.
 
 
Malbec
Red-wine grape used as a nominal element of the Bordeaux blend, where its intense colour and extract add to the wine's body. However this grape has come into its own in Argentina and nearly all the top Argentinean wines showcase this varietal.
 
 
Merlot
Very good red-wine grape, a key player in the Bordeaux blend, more recently grown as a varietal in its own right, especially in the U.S, Australia, Chile, Washington State and Argentina.
 
 
Pinot Noir
Classic red grape, widely accepted as one of the world's best. Think Burgundy when you think of this grape.
 
 
Riesling
The classic German grape of the Rhine and Mosel, certainly ranks with Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir among the noblest wine grapes.
 
 
Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a white varietal with a notable aroma, which is often characterized as "grassy" or "herbal." The pure varietal is found mainly in the Loire, especially in and around Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume. New Zealand has had striking success with Sauvignon Blanc in recent years, producing its own perfumed, fruity style that has spread to North America and back to France.
 
 
Syrah
The grape seems to grow well in a number of areas and is capable of rendering rich, complex, and distinctive wines, with pronounced pepper, spice, black cherry, tar, leather and roasted nut flavors, as well as a smooth, supple texture and ripe tannins. Known as Shiraz in Australia, Syrah was long used there for bread-and-butter blends, but an increasing number of high-quality varietal bottlings are now being made, especially from old vines in the Barossa Valley.
 
 
Zinfandel
The origins of this tremendously versatile and popular grape are still not known for certain, although it is thought to have come from Southern Italy as a cousin of Primitivo. Zinfandel is the most widely planted red grape in California (although Australia has also played around with the grape.) Much of it is vinified into white Zinfandel, a blush colored, slightly sweet wine.
 
 
 
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