Discover the diversity of grape varieties - from Riesling to Pinot Noir.
No decision shapes the taste of a wine as strongly as the grape variety. Whether a wine tastes crisp and fresh, velvety and soft, or powerful and spicy is decided first in the vineyard: Riesling brings lively acidity and aromas of apple and peach to the glass, Primitivo dark berries and warmth, and Chardonnay – depending on how it's made – everything from lean and mineral to creamy and buttery.
In our grape variety profiles, you'll find a detailed taste profile for each variety covering acidity, sweetness, body, and tannin structure, the typical aromas from the first scent to the finish, the most important growing regions, and concrete food pairing recommendations. That way, you know what to expect in the bottle before you buy – and can discover new varieties that match your taste.
New to the world of wine? Then start with the great classics: Riesling and Grauburgunder show what German white wines can do, while Spätburgunder, Merlot, and Primitivo open the door to the world of red wine. From there, our cross-references take you ever deeper – to over 60 grape varieties from around the world.
What does Castelão (Periquita) taste like? Red berries, spice and sandy soils: aromas, styles and food pairings from Setúbal and southern Portugal.
What does Malbec taste like? Dark fruit, violet and cocoa: aromas, styles from Argentina and Cahors, high-altitude viticulture and the food that suits it.
What does Malvasia taste like? Apricot, peach, honey and almonds: the aromatic grape family from dry white wine to sweet Madeira – with food pairings.
What does Parellada taste like? The delicate Catalan white grape from the Penedès: aromas, its role in Cava and the food that goes with it.
What does Verdelho taste like? Lime, citrus and melon: aromas, styles from dry Australian white to fortified Madeira, and the food that pairs with it.
What does Mencía taste like? Elegant, mineral red from Bierzo and Ribeira Sacra with red cherry, raspberry and violet – fresh and finesse-driven.
Touriga Nacional – Portugal's most prestigious grape variety with intense violet aromas, powerful tannins and extraordinary ageing potential. Everything about origin, flavour and food pairings.
Agiorgitiko is Greece's great red grape from Nemea: juicy cherry and velvety tannins. Its taste, wine styles and the best food pairings at a glance.
What does Airén taste like? Light, crisp white wine from La Mancha with citrus, green apple and pear – Spain's most-planted grape, best drunk young.
What does Albariño taste like? Crisp, saline white from Galicia with citrus, peach and apricot – ideal with seafood. Rías Baixas & Vinho Verde.
What does Alicante Bouschet taste like? Bold, inky red with blackberry, black cherry and pepper – known for its red flesh, a rising star in the Alentejo.
What does Aligoté taste like? Zingy, fresh white from Burgundy with citrus, green apple and floral notes – classic in Kir and a perfect match for oysters.
What does Arinto taste like? Mineral, age-worthy white from Portugal with lemon, green apple and peach – vibrant acidity makes it a natural match for fish.
What does Assyrtiko taste like? Mineral, saline white from Santorini with lemon zest, flint and bracing acidity – Greece's answer to Chablis.
What does Barbera taste like? Juicy red from Piedmont with red cherry, raspberry and pepper – low tannin, lively acidity, perfect with pasta and pizza.
What does Blaufränkisch taste like? Spicy, fruit-forward red from Burgenland with blackberry, pepper and violet – firm acidity, great with game and goulash.
What does Bobal taste like? Juicy, dark red from Utiel-Requena with cherry, blackberry and herbs – fresh acidity, also made as a fruity rosé.
Cabernet Franc: violets, raspberry and spicy herbs. How the elegant red grape of the Loire and Bordeaux tastes – and which foods pair best with it.
What does Cabernet Sauvignon taste like? Full-bodied, tannic red with blackcurrant, cedar and tobacco – age-worthy, ideal with steak. Bordeaux & Napa.
What does Carménère taste like? Velvety red from Chile with black cherry, green pepper and chocolate – soft tannins, spicy, great with grilled meat.
What does Chardonnay taste like? From mineral Chablis to buttery, oaked styles – green apple, lemon, butter. The world's most versatile white grape.
Chenin Blanc explained: how the Loire and South African grape tastes – from crisp and dry to nobly sweet – plus its wine styles and best food matches.
What does Cortese taste like? Light, fresh white from Piedmont with citrus, green apple and almond – best known as Gavi, great with fish and antipasti.
What does Corvina taste like? Cherry-driven red from the Veneto with Marasca cherry, violet and almond – the backbone of Valpolicella, Ripasso and Amarone.
What does Dornfelder taste like? Richly coloured German red with blackberry, cherry and chocolate – from fruity-easy to oaked styles, soft tannins.
What does Elbling taste like? Very light, high-acid white from the Upper Mosel with green apple, lemon and minerality – a classic sparkling wine base.
What does Frühburgunder taste like? Elegant, light red – an early-ripening relative of Pinot Noir with red cherry, strawberry and rose petals.
What does Gamay taste like? Light, fruity red from Beaujolais with red cherry, strawberry and violet – low tannin, delicious lightly chilled.
What does Gewürztraminer taste like? Intensely aromatic white with rose, lychee and ginger – full-bodied, often off-dry, ideal with Asian cuisine and cheese.
What does Graševina taste like? Fresh, mineral white from Slavonia with green apple, peach and elderflower – Croatia's take on Welschriesling.
What does Grauburgunder taste like? Dry white with pear, peach, honey and almond – rich as Grauburgunder, lighter as Pinot Grigio. Great with white meats.
What does Grenache (Garnacha) taste like? Red berries, spice and southern warmth: aromas, styles from rosé to Châteauneuf-du-Pape and food pairings.
What does Grüner Veltliner taste like? Dry white with green apple, lime and a signature white-pepper note – crisp acidity, perfect with schnitzel and asparagus.
What does Gutedel taste like? Very light, mild white from Markgräflerland with green apple, pear and almond – known as Chasselas in Switzerland.
What does Kerner taste like? Fruity, fresh German white with green apple, pear and floral notes – Riesling-like character but softer, often made off-dry.
What does Macabeo taste like? Fresh Spanish white with citrus, green apple and almond – as Viura it is the key grape in Cava and white Rioja.
What does Mazuelo taste like? Tannic, acid-bright red with blackberry, herbs and liquorice – as Cariñena/Carignan it adds structure and spice to Rioja blends.
What does Merlot taste like? Velvety red with plum, black cherry and chocolate – low harsh tannins, ideal for newcomers to red wine. Bordeaux & worldwide.
What does Monastrell taste like? Full-bodied, powerful red from Jumilla with blackberry, plum, leather and pepper – also grown as Mourvèdre in the Rhône.
What does Müller-Thurgau taste like? Mild, floral white with elderflower, green apple and peach – low acidity, easy-drinking, also sold as Rivaner.
What does Nebbiolo taste like? Tannic, age-worthy red from Piedmont with rose, cherry, leather and tar – the noble grape of Barolo and Barbaresco.
What does Negroamaro taste like? Full-bodied, slightly bitter red from Puglia with black cherry, plum and liquorice – sun-soaked and richly spiced.
What does Nero d'Avola taste like? Full-bodied Sicilian red with black cherry, plum and herbs – soft tannins, spicy, ideal with Mediterranean cuisine.
What does Petit Verdot taste like? Deeply coloured, tannic red with violet, blackberry, pepper and leather – a Bordeaux blending anchor, bold on its own too.
What does Pinot Noir taste like? Cherry, forest floor and silky tannins: the grape's flavour profile, its best growing regions and ideal food pairings.
What does Pinotage taste like? Bold South African red with plum, strawberry, smoke and coffee – a cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsault, great with braai.
What does Portugieser taste like? Light, low-acid red with red cherry, strawberry and raspberry – easy-drinking, best chilled, also popular as a blush.
What does Primitivo taste like? Powerful, ripe-fruited red from Puglia with black cherry, fig and chocolate – genetically identical to Zinfandel.
What does Riesling taste like? From bone-dry to nobly sweet: citrus and peach aromas, the famous petrol note – and which foods pair perfectly with it.
What does Rkatsiteli taste like? Versatile Georgian white with citrus, quince and peach – made fresh and crisp or as a deep amber Qvevri orange wine.
What does Roussanne taste like? Rich, aromatic Rhône white with pear, peach, honey and almond – often blended with Marsanne, ages beautifully.
What does Sangiovese taste like? Acid-bright, savoury Tuscan red with red cherry, herbs and leather – the backbone of Chianti, Brunello and more.
What does Sauvignon Blanc taste like? Crisp white with grapefruit, lime, gooseberry and grassy notes – from the Loire to New Zealand, ideal with goat's cheese.
What does Scheurebe taste like? Aromatic German white with grapefruit, blackcurrant and peach – from bone-dry to luscious botrytised, always expressive.
Schwarzriesling (Pinot Meunier) is Champagne's secret grape and a Württemberg classic: how it tastes, its typical aromas and the food that pairs best.
What does Sémillon taste like? Rich white with honeydew melon, lemon and fig – dry from Bordeaux, luscious in Sauternes, age-worthy in Hunter Valley.
What does Silvaner taste like? Mild, mineral white from Franconia with green apple, pear and an earthy note – restrained acidity, great with asparagus.
What does St. Laurent taste like? Silky Austrian red with black cherry, raspberry and violet – Pinot-like in elegance, smooth, refined and deeply enjoyable.
What does Syrah taste like? Bold, spicy red with black pepper, blackberry and smoke – elegant as Syrah from the Rhône, fruit-driven as Shiraz from Australia.
What does Tempranillo taste like? Cherry to leather aromas, the Crianza to Gran Reserva ageing levels, Rioja & Ribera del Duero – and the food to match.
What does Touriga Franca taste like? Aromatic red from the Douro with blackberry, cherry and violet – a key grape for Port and Douro table wines.
What does Trebbiano Toscano taste like? Light, fresh Italian white with citrus, green apple and almond – as Ugni Blanc it also forms the base for Cognac.
What does Verdejo taste like? Fresh, slightly bitter white from Rueda with lime, grapefruit and fennel – aromatic and mineral, perfect as an aperitif.
What does Verdicchio taste like? Mineral white from Le Marche with citrus, green apple and a characteristic bitter-almond finish – fresh and age-worthy.
What does Vermentino taste like? Fresh Mediterranean white from Sardinia and Liguria with citrus, peach and a saline note – ideal with fish and seafood.
What does Viognier taste like? Full-bodied, aromatic white with apricot, peach and honeysuckle – opulently floral, from Condrieu and the northern Rhône.
What does Weißburgunder taste like? Elegant, low-acid white with green apple, pear and almond – delicate, food-friendly. Known as Pinot Blanc internationally.
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