Wine Grapes

There are thousands and thousands of different types of grapes. There are table grapes, wine grapes and even raisin grapes. Each purpose requires specific characteristics, so there really isn’t a “one grape fits all” situation.

Maybe it’s obvious that, as a wine blog, we’d be primarily interested in wine grapes. There are still over 5,000 wine grape varieties but most vintners focus on just a few since each grape thrives in its own preferred terrain. The wines that emerge from any particular region are usually made from locally grown grapes. California offers a friendly climate to Chardonnay grapes but for Gewürztraminer, not so much. This helps explain why the California Gewürztraminer isn’t exactly sweeping the nation.

As with most things wine related, the variables don’t stop there. For instance, while it’s true that grapes come in red/black or white varieties and the grape often produces an eponymous wine, there are some varieties where the skins are removed after crushing so a colored grape can produce a white wine. So a dark Grenache grapes can produce a pale or blushing white wine.

We will address each type of wine grape in separate articles. We’re betting you’ll recognise a fair few of the names already but there are some surprises that we hope will interest you as well. Some of us are really excited about blended wines and there are more than one or two grapes that are go-to blending varieties.