The heart and soul of any Wine are the grapes or a blend of various grapes that have gone into making it. The quality of grapes directly influences the quality and character of Wine produced.

There are a number of grapevine species around the globe and hundreds of grape varieties growing on them. Not all of them are considered appropriate for making Wines. Vitis vinifera, the European grapevine species, is the source of most popular Winemaking grapes. Some of them are listed below:

Red Grape Varieties

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Shiraz or Syrah, Pinot Noir, Barbera, Carignan, Dolcetto, Durif, Gamay, Grenache, Malbec, Mourvedre, Nebbiolo, Tempranilla, Pedro ximenez, Verdot or Petit Verdot

White Grape Varieties

Riesling, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Roussanne, Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio, White Zinfandel, Furmint, Marsanne, Muscat, Ugni blanc, Verdelho, Verdicchio, Viognier, Traminer or Gewurztraminer, Clairette

You can find out more about popular French grapes varieties and wines by clicking here.