Grape variety

A grape variety is the specific type of wine grape a wine is made from, for example Chardonnay, Riesling or Nebbiolo. Almost all classic wine is made from the species Vitis vinifera, and although there are thousands of documented varieties, only a few hundred are suited to wine, and fewer than fifty are used on a large scale around the world. Each variety carries its own genetic baggage that sets the outer limits of what you can taste and smell. The size of the berries and the thickness and colour of the skin matter a great deal: small berries give more concentrated flavour, and it is above all in the skin that aroma and colour are hidden.

The grape variety is the single most important factor in how a wine tastes, before vintage and production method come into play. It is also why the variety often tells you something recognisable: Sauvignon Blanc keeps its freshness, Riesling has a clear scent even before fermentation, and Nebbiolo gives full-bodied red wines with marked tannins and a pale, almost orange-red colour.

A widespread misconception is that dark grapes always give red wine. The juice is in fact usually colourless, and it is only the pigments in the skin that add colour. That is why you can perfectly well make white wine from many dark varieties if the skin is kept out of the process.