Red wine grapes

Please note that italics refer to grape varieties that have their own entries in this guide to hundreds of the most significant grapes currently grown around the world to produce red, and pink, wine.

Abouriou, minor variety in South West France which was also known as Early Burgundy in California.

Agiorgitiko, Nemea's St George, which can make substantial, very fruity Greek reds and some good rosé.

Aglianico, deep, dark, noble, densely graphite-scented grape most famously inspiring Taurasi of Campania and Aglianico del Vulture in Campania.

Aleatico, Italian vine making strangely grapey sweet reds.

Alfrocheiro Preto, deep-coloured Portuguese grape useful in blends.

Alicante Bouschet, often just called Alicante (which is also a Languedoc name for Grenache), red-fleshed grape once widely used to tint dilute southern French table wine. Now found in Corsica, Tuscany, Calabria in southern Italy, Yugoslavia, Israel, North Africa, California, Portugal and Spain where it is known as Garnacha Tintorera. Vine breeder Henri Bouschet crossed one of his father's crossings with Grenache or Garnacha to produce this early-ripening variety in the late 19th century.

Aragonez, southern Portuguese name for Tempranillo.

Auxerrois, Cahors name for Malbec.

Baco Noir, Baco 1, French hybrid planted in north eastern America to produce light reds untainted by obvious, ‘foxy’ flavours.

Baga, Bairrada's speciality, thick-skinned, small grapes producing very tannic, acid wines.

Barbarossa, lively grape of Emilia-Romagna, known as Barberoux in Provence.

Barbera, the most common grape in north west Italy where it is responsible for cherry-flavoured wines with marked acidity. It can make light, tart wine but produced at low yields and treated to barrel ageing it can and often does yield something much more serious. About 15 times as much Barbera is grown in Piemonte than Nebbiolo. It is also widely grown in Lombardia, often blended with Bonarda, as well as in California and, more successfully, Argentina.

Bastardo, undistinguished grape used in the Douro valley, port country.

Black Muscat, Muscat Hamburg.

Blau, Blauer, German for blue and a common prefix of red wine grape varieties.

Blauburger, Austrian crossing of Portugieser and Blaufränkisch making rather ordinary light reds.

Blauburgunder, Swiss German name for Pinot Noir.

Blauer Frühburgunder, early ripening strain of Pinot Noir, fashionable in parts of southern Germany.

Blauer Spätburgunder, Austrian name for Pinot Noir.

Blaufränkisch, central European vine producing lively, fruity, sometimes peppery reds with sufficient substance in the best Burgenland examples to be worth oak ageing, or blending with Cabernet and/or Pinot Noir. It is called Limberger in Germany, Lemberger in Washington state, Franconia in Friuli, Gamé in Bulgaria (it was once confused with Gamay), Kékfrankos in Hungary and Frankovka in Slovakia and Vojvodina.

Bobal, Spanish vine making huge quantities of deeply coloured wine (and grape concentrate) on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. It makes crisper, lighter wine than Monastrell with which it is often grown.

Bonarda, Italian variety or, more accurately, three different varieties by the same name. Most common is the Lombardy version which is attractively juicy and the same as Croatina. Bonarda is also the name of one of Argentina’s most planted varieties but is not identical to Italian Bonarda and may well be of Savoie origin.

Bordo, occasional name for Cabernet Franc in north east Italy.

Bouchalès, minor variety in South West France.

Bouchet, name for Cabernet Franc in St-Emilion and in Bordeaux's other right bank districts. It is known as Bouchy in Madiran.

Brachetto, north western Italian making light, fizzy, strawberry-flavoured reds. Also known as Braquet in Provence, notably in Bellet.

Breton, middle Loire name for Cabernet Franc.

Brocol, Braucol, Fer in Gaillac.

Brunello, Sangiovese in the Montalcino region.

Burgund Mare, Romanian name for Blaufränkisch.

Cabernet usually means Cabernet Sauvignon, although in north east Italy it can often mean Cabernet Franc.

Cabernet Franc, important variety famous for playing second fiddle to Cabernet Sauvignon, even though it has shown it can make some extremely fine wines (notably in St-Emilion and the middle Loire) in its own right and has beenshown by DNA profiling to be a parent of Cabernet Sauvignon (with Sauvignon Blanc). The vine looks very like Cabernet Sauvignon except that the leaves are much less indented. Cabernet Franc buds and ripens earlier, which makes it more susceptible to coulure but it needs less heat to ripen fully. In left bank Bordeaux, on the other hand, it is seen, with Merlot, as a sort of insurance policy against a cool season. In very general terms, wine made from Cabernet Franc tends to be aromatically fruity, lighter and less tannic than Cabernet Sauvignon and, especially in the Loire, can smell appetisingly of pencil shavings. It is often rather herbaceous, and unripe Cabernet Sauvignon often smells like Cabernet Franc.

Cabernet Franc is an ingredient in most of the reds of South West France, and often the sole inspiration for the fine, silky reds of the Middle Loire such as Saumur-Champigny, Bourgueil, Chinon, and Anjou-Villages. Cabernet Franc, sometimes Cabernet Frank, is widely grown in north east Italy and some Friuli examples are ripe enough to be thrilling. It is also grown over the border in Slovenia, although Cabernet Sauvignon is much more common in the rest of central Europe.

Cabernet Sauvignon, the world's most famous red wine grape signalled on labels all over the world. The 'chocolate' to Chardonnay's 'vanilla', Cabernet is much more positively flavoured than Chardonnay, and ripens much later, so tends to be planted in rather warmer areas. The great distinction of the wine it produces is that it has a very powerful and recognizable aroma of blackcurrants wherever it is grown and, if matured in newish oak, can smell of cedar, cigar boxes and, sometimes, tobacco. Cabernet Sauvignon is also notable for being deep purple in youth and, while it is not especially alcoholic, it can be extremely long lived. This is because Cabernet Sauvignon's small, thick-skinned grapes have a very high ratio of solids rich in colouring matter and tannins to juice. If the grapes are anything less than fully ripe, however, the wine can smell of crushed green leaves, 'herbaceous', or more like Cabernet Franc. All of this means that Cabernet can make great wine, but that it is not necessarily the best grape for wines to be drunk young, particularly when grown in cooler climates.

While Chardonnay is a relatively recent globe trotter, Cabernet Sauvignon long ago strayed widely and successfully from its Bordeaux base. Contrary to popular belief Cabernet Sauvignon is not Bordeaux's most planted vine (see Merlot). Because it is relatively late ripening, it needs a warmer, drier environment than most of Bordeaux can provide to stand a commercially interesting chance of ripening fully. In Bordeaux it is therefore most important in the well drained gravels of the mild Médoc and Graves where it is invariably the chief constituent, but always blended with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and sometimes Petit Verdot. In the Médoc it is the main varietal component in St Estèphes that are taut and austere in youth (although they are getting riper and more welcoming with every vintage); in the dense, mineral-scented Pauillacs; in many a lush, silky Margaux; and in the beautifully balanced yet long-lived St-Juliens. It brings crispness and long life to the wines of Graves and the suggestion of warm bricks common to several from Pessac-Léognan.

It is planted all round the greater Bordeaux region in those appellations grouped together as constituting South West France, out-tannined only by the Tannat grape of Madiran. Bergerac and Buzet are its chief strongholds.

Elsewhere in France it is grown in the Loire (where Cabernet Franc is much easier to ripen), although most of the rest is in the south. In Provence it can blend beautifully with the spicier Syrah to make ambitious, oak-aged wines for the long term. In the Languedoc it all too often ripens less satisfactorily than in, say, the Médoc and tends to yield rather lean, hollow Vins de Pays, although there are exceptions.

Cabernet Sauvignon has been responsible for some of Italy’s most ambitious wines, notably Supertuscans, in which it is sometimes blended with Sangiovese, but particularly in the Maremma on the Tuscan coast where a host of estates have followed the example of Sassicaia. There are also bottlings from as far afield as Piemonte and Sicily. (Cabernet Sauvignon thrives in fairly hot regions as it retains its acidity well throughout its slow final ripening stage.) Bottles from north east Italy described simply as 'Cabernet', however, almost certainly contain Cabernet Franc, and sometimes Carmenère, rather than Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant Cabernet planted widely and enthusiastically in central Europe, however. It clearly has great potential in Moldova and the Ukraine, although Cabernet Severny's cold-resistance can make it more useful in Russia. Cabernet Sauvignon is extremely important to the wine industries of Bulgaria and Romania, and to a much lesser extent, Austria, Hungary and what was Yugoslavia. These Cabernets tend to be less refined than the Bordeaux protoypes, being intensely fruity, often recalling red fruits rather than black, although quality has been improving considerably.

Cabernet is relatively rare in Spain and Portugal although Penedes produces some very respectable examples and in Navarra Cabernet Sauvignon has shown that it can blend well with Tempranillo (even though the two varietals have rather similar structures).

The variety does particularly well in the warmer Mediterranean regions, notably in Lebanon and Israel. Greece, Cyprus and Turkey rely more heavily on their indigenous varieties.

Cabernet Sauvignon has shown some satisfying regional variations. Cape winemakers, however, have tended to make 100 per cent Cabernets, unsoftened by Merlot or leavened by Cabernet Franc, as indeed was the initial effect of varietalism in California. California in general, and particularly Northern California, has made some great, glossy but intense Cabernets made with great skill. Today there is growing understanding of the precise characteristics of various areas within Napa and Sonoma and how these are shown to best advantage. Much of the Napa Valley, other than Carneros at its southern limit, seems particularly well suited to Cabernet Sauvignon production and this will continue to be one of the world's most fruitful hunting grounds for lovers of super-ripe Cabernet that has the ability to age. Those blends made according to the Bordeaux recipe, often called Meritage here. Washington's Merlot is generally more successful than its equally common Cabernet Sauvignon but there are some extremely appetizing exceptions. Cabernet may well have a future in Texas too, but has difficulty ripening in Oregon.

Cabernet cuttings were taken to South America long before the phylloxera pest struck well over a century ago and indeed the Chilean wine industry was built on this very important variety. (In fact Chile's largest company Concha y Toro has claimed to be the world's most important owner of Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard.) Chilean Cabernet, most of it still ungrafted, has a very direct, fruity flavour, without the mintiness associated with parts of California and Australia.

Australia defined her perfect spot for Cabernet Sauvignon before consciously doing the same for any other variety: Coonawarra in the far south east of South Australia on a small and hotly disputed strip of terra rossa earth. These wines tend to have a noticeably high level of acidity as well, often, as some notes of eucalyptus, sometimes so powerful that the wines can seem closer to cold remedies in youth although the best age superbly. Margaret River in Western Australia can also make great, refined, more complex Cabernet and there are fine examples all over Victoria as well as in the Hunter Valley and elsewhere. Cabernet is commonly blended with the country's much richer, fleshier Shiraz in Australia, and a very complementary they are too.

New Zealand's Cabernet Sauvignon can be too herbaceous and acid by half but the best examples, most of them grown in the relatively warm climates of Hawkes Bay and Waiheke Island, certainly tend to have good acidity.

In many wine regions, however, the necessarily slow evolution of Cabernet is being re-evaluated, often to the benefit of other, fleshier red varieties. It may be that in a decade or two, Cabernet will be more exclusively the preserve of the world's most ambitious winemakers.

Cabernet Severny, specially bred version of Cabernet Sauvignon designed to withstand Russia's harsh winters by incorporating Mongolian genes.

Cadarca, Romanian Kadarka.

Calabrese, Nero d'Avola.

Caladoc, recent southern French crossing of Grenache and Malbec.

Callet, Mallorcan speciality making quite light reds.

Canaiolo, decreasingly popular ingredient in the original Chianti recipe.

Cannonau, Sardinian name for Grenache.

Carignan, Carignane in the US, Carignano in Italy, and Cariñena in Spain, the most important but, sadly, by no means the most distinguished, vine in France. It was chosen as replacement for the Aramon which perished in the frosts of 1956 and 1963 because it is extremely productive and buds late, so rarely suffers frost damage. It also ripens quite late however, so can only be grown in warm to hot climates, and produces tannic, quite acid wine too often marked by a coarse smell of hot berries. To counter these characteristic, most Carignan in the Languedoc-Roussillon, where it dominates production even of appellation contrôlée wine, is vinified to maximise softness. Of all the thousands of acres of vines which have been ripped out in the Midi in an effort to curb Europe's wine surplus, Carignan is by far the major casualty. Carignan tends to be on low bushes unsuitable for mechanical harvesting. Very old vines, in really warm climates can produce deep coloured, warm, quite rich wine and there have been some particularly creditable examples from Sardinia and California. Carignan's origins are Spanish and it is still grown in Costers del Segre, Penedès, Tarragona and Terra Alta. In Rioja and Catalunya it is known respectively as Mazuelo and Samsó.

Carmenère, rare historic Bordeaux variety that was taken to Chile in the mid 19^th century and was for long misidentified as Merlot there, even though the wine is more austere with a ‘green’ streak.

Carmenet, Médoc name for Cabernet Franc.

Carnelian, 1936 California crossing of Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon with Grenache. Designed to be a hot climate Cabernet, it is grown to a limited extent in California’s Central Valley and in Texas.

Castelão, sometimes called Castelão Frances, very common, versatile, mainly southern Portuguese variety known variously as Periquita, João de Santarém or Santarém, Mortágua and Trincadeira. Wines are fruity, relatively fleshy but can also be aged.

Catawba, deep pink skinned grape grown widely in New York state where it produces strongly flavoured deep pink to light reds.

Cencibel, La Mancha and Valdepeñas name for Tempranillo.

Centurian, Carnelian's even less popular twin.

Cesanese, or Cesanese Affile, Latium vine now planted in Sicily too.

Chambourcin, French hybrid designed to thrive in damp climates. Popular in the Muscadet region and pioneered in a particularly hot, humid part of New South Wales by Cassegrain. The dark, aromatic wine shows no trace of any non-European vine parentage.

Chancellor, French hybrid grown in New York state.

Charbono, unusual California speciality produced as an occasional varietal in the Napa Valley.

Chiavennasca, Valtellina name for Nebbiolo.

Ciliegolo, cherry-flavoured grape planted in Central Italy.

Cinsaut, Cinsault, widely planted throughout southern France and Corsica (where it is now being ripped out at a great rate). With its lighter skins and soft perfume it is particularly suitable for rosés, although low yields are needed to eke out much flavour. It has the advantage over Grenache of being easy to pick by machine and there was a notable increase in plantings in the 1970s and 1980s in southern France, mainly in the Aude and Hérault départements. Cinsaut is used to add perfume and fruit to wines such as Minervois and Corbières. The variety withstands drought well and has been important in North Africa, Lebanon, Israel and South Africa where it is most famous as a parent of Pinotage. In southern Italy it is known as Ottavianello.

Chenin Noir, Pineau d'Aunis.

Colorino, now-rare Tuscan colouring grape.

Corvina, Corvina Veronese, the finest grape in Valpolicella and Bardolino (c.f. Rondinella and Molinara), particularly good for dried grape wines such as Amarone.

Côt, Cot, alternative name for Malbec.

Concord, the 'foxiest', most powerfully non-European-scented all-American vine variety planted extensively in New York state, and in Brazil. Used extensively for grape jellu and grape juice.

Couderc Noir, hybrid rapidly disappearing from the Languedoc, not before time.

Counoise, rare ingredient in red Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The wine can be peppery and usefully high in acid.

Criolla Chica, Pais/Mission in Argentina.

Croatina, late-ripening, high-yielding vine making juicy wines with bite. See also Bonarda.

Currant, widely planted vine used almost exclusively for dried fruit, most common in Greece and Australia.

Delaware, dark pink-skinned American vine grown in New York state and, especially, Japan where its habit of ripening early is appreciated. The wine tastes more European than Concord.

Dolcetto, 'little sweet one', so named because it is naturally low in acidity. After Barbera, it is the most common red grape of Piedmont and, in youth, can be mouth-fillingly delicious in the short term. It is particularly useful to growers because it ripens much more easily than Nebbiolo or even Barbera, so tends to be planted on north-facing slopes. A little is grown in both North and South America.

Domina, modern German crossing useful for cooler sites but not particularly distinguished for its wine.

Dornfelder, Germany's most successful red crossing, making juicy, deeply coloured reds, particularly in Pfalz and Rheinhessen. It is easier to grow and ripen than Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), Portugieser or Limberger, and can also yield heavily. Understandably, it is becoming increasingly popular with German vine growers.

Dunkelfelder, deep coloured but otherwise undistingushed German vine.

Durif, southern French vine most famous for being one of several varieties known as Petite Sirah in California.

Espadeiro, productive vine in Galicia and Vinho Verde making generally thin wine.

Fer, Fer Servadou, wild speciality of Marcillac and encouraged elsewhere in South West France. Called Brocol in Gaillac and Pinenc in Madiran, it can add some rustic, smoky flavours to the blend. It is also important in the little-seen wines of Entraygues and Estaing, neighbours of Marcillac. Argentina grows a Fer which is apparently a clone of Malbec.

Fogoneu, Mallorcan speciality.

Franconia, Blaufränkisch in Friuli.

Frankovka, Blaufränkisch in Slovakia.

Frappato, light, grapey Sicilian.

Freisa, Piedmont love-or-loathe variety making pale but quite tannic, tart wines, many of which are frothy and medium sweet.

Frühburgunder. See Blauer Frühburgunder.

Gaglioppo, Calabrian vine making extremely alcoholic wines.

Gamay, the Beaujolais grape known in full as Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc to distinguish it from the host of red-fleshed Gamays Teinturiers which were once widely grown in France (and can still be found in eastern Europe). Everything about Gamay is hasty, in terms of both vine and wine, which means it can suffer frost damage but can ripen somewhere as cool as the Loire. Wines tend to be light coloured, often with a strong blue tinge and traditionally attract the vague adjectives 'fresh and fruity'. Rapid vinification using carbonic maceration, particularly to hasten Nouveau wines on to the market, can result in strong banana/peardrop/boiled candy/nail polish remover aromas. Most Gamay is designed to be drunk young it is the red answer to Sauvignon Blanc. It can be extremely refreshing when served chilled, thanks to low tannins and high acidity. Gamay is grown in the Mâconnais to the north of Beaujolais, in the Touraine, and in outlying areas such as Châteaumeillant, Coteaux du Lyonnais, Coteaux du Giennois, Côtes d'Auvergne, Côtes du Forez, Côte Roannaise and St-Pourçain. In the Mâconnais and Switzerland Gamay is often blended with a bit of Pinot Noir, to produce Bourgogne Passetoutgrains and Dôle respectively. Outside France only the Swiss are particularly keen on Gamay, although it can be found in parts of central Europe. It has been confused with Blaufränkisch. Some is planted in Hawke’s Bay in New Zealand.

Gamé, Bulgarian name for Blaufränkisch.

Gamza, Kadarka in Bulgaria.

Garnacha, Garnacha Tinta, Grenache in its Spanish homeland. Garnacha Tintorera, the 'dyer' version of Garnacha is Spain's name for Alicante Bouschet which is widely planted, notably in Almansa.

Garrut, Catalan speciality whose relatively tough wines can taste of liquorice.

Graciano, rare but fine and perfumed Rioja grape which is difficult to grow until recently had largely been abandoned. Portugal’s Tinta Miúda, It is almost certainly identical to the equally rare Morrastel of the Languedoc-Roussillon. Argentina grows a variety called Graciana.

Grand Noir, Grand Noir de la Calmette is, fortunately, fast disappearing from the Languedoc and Cognac. High yield and red flesh.

Grenache, Grenache Noir, world's most widely planted dark-skinned grape variety thanks to its popularity in Spain and southern France. In the late Middle Ages the house of Aragon apparently took it far and wide around the Mediterranean - although Sardinians (who call it Cannonau) argue they stole it from them. This archetypal hot climate vine, which has to be pruned very severely if it is not to produce too much bland wine, can produce slightly light-coloured but quite alcoholic wine which can taste spicy and sweet. Like Cinsaut, the grapes have relatively thin skins and musts tend to oxidize easily but fine rosés can be made. Grenache is usually blended with other varieties higher in colour and tannin such as Syrah and Mourvèdre, even in its perfect spot, Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Grenache inspires all the fine reds and rosés of the Southern Rhône, and is an ingredient in most Languedoc-Roussillon AC wines. Its most distinctive products are the vins doux naturels of Banyuls, Maury and Rivesaltes. Garnacha Tinta is Spain's most important red grape and is grown extensively everywhere other than Andalucia. In Rioja and Navarra its juicy ballast is valued for the more structured Tempranillo. Priorat is Spain's finest incarnation of Garnacha Tinta (often incorporating some of the downier Garnacha Peluda, otherwise known as Lladoner Pelut).

Grenache is quantitatively very important in both California and Australia, but most of the vines are planted in hot, heavily irrigated vineyards where yields are too high to produce interesting wine. Dry-farmed, older vines are being sought out, however, as the market clamours for more and more Rhône-like wines. And in California the success of White Zinfandel spawned White Grenache. The variety is cultivated all round the Mediterranean.

Grignolino, Piedmont speciality producing light-bodied, herbal-scented aperitif wines, also grown to a very limited extent in California's Napa Valley.

Grolleau, Groslot, middle Loire's basic, bland dark-skinned variety, used extensively, with Gamay, for less distinguished pinks such as Rosé d'Anjou.

Gropello, Lombardy red.

Harriague, Uruguayan name for Tannat.

Helfensteiner, German crossing and parent of the more exciting Dornfelder.

Heroldrebe, another Dornfelder parent, used for pink wine in Pfalz.

Isabella, widely planted American vine grown mainly in South America, New York state and the ex-Soviet Union.

Jaen, very basic central Spanish grape. Also the name of a Dão variety in Portugal.

João de Santarém, Castelão in parts of Ribatejo.

Kadarka, Hungary's own red grape (even if its origins are Albanian) being replaced by the less rot-prone, earlier-ripening Kékfrankos and Kékoporto. If yields are restrained it can make full, tannic wine such as supported the best Bull's Blood blends, but such wine is rare. It can be found in Austria's Burgenland, in Vojvodina, as Cadarca in Romania and as Gamza in Bulgaria.

Kékfrankos, Kékoporto, Hungarian names for Blaufränkisch and Portugieser respectively, Kék being Hungarian for blue.

Lagrein, Trentino-Alto Adige speciality making full-bodied reds and rosés with real bit and substance.

Lambrusco, very important and productive vine making often sweet, usually fizzy, usually red in Emilia-Romagna. About 60 subvarieties have been identified.

Lemberger, Limberger, see Blaufränkisch.

Limnio, ancient Greek variety making deep-flavoured wines with good acid.

Lladoner Pelut, Lledoner Pelut, downy-leaved, less rot-prone form of Grenache still grown in Languedoc-Roussillon and, as Garnacha Peluda, in north east Spain.

Magaratch Ruby, crossing of Cabernet Sauvignon and Saperavi.

Malvasia Nera, dark-skinned, presumed relative of light berried Malvasia, usually made as a sweet red, from Piedmont and Alto Adige to the islands of Sardinia, and Lipari off Sicily.

Malbec, black grape known as Côt in much of South West France and the Loire, Pressac in parts of Bordeaux where it is still grown mainly in Bourg and Blaye, Auxerrois in Cahors where it is the main grape variety and occasionally Malbeck in Argentina where it dominates red wine production.The vine is quite fragile in cooler climates where the wine can taste rather rustically gamey, but in the best Cahors vineyards and the finest Mendoza vineyards in Argentina, it can produce deep-coloured, velvety, intensely ripe and attractively gamey wines well worth ageing. Delicate winemaking can result in a delicate, almost burgundian finish to more elegant Malbecs, but it more often receives heavy oaking. The vine is also grown in Chile, Australia, California and north east Italy.

Mammolo, now rare, violet-scented ingredient in Chianti.

Mandelaria, grape of the Greek islands which yields dark, relatively light wines useful for blending.

Manto Negro, common Mallorcan variety.

Maréchal Foch, cold-hardy French hybrid grown in Canada, New York and the Loire at one time. The wines can show attractive strawberry fruit.

Marselan, late 20^th century crossing of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache designed specifically for the Languedoc.

Marzemino produces a few lively wines in northern Italy.

Mataro, old-fashioned name for fashionable Mourvèdre used mainly in Australia and California.

Mavro, is Greek for black and the name of the most common dark grape on Cyprus.

Mavrodaphne, Greek variety made into a rich, port-like varietal around Patras.

Mavrud, Balkan vine with real potential to produce intensely rich yet dry and tannic wine, a speciality of Assenovgrad near Plovdiv in Bulgaria.

Mazuelo, Carignan in Rioja.

Melnik, abbreviation for Bulgaria's Shiroka Melnishka Losa.

Mencía, grown widely in north west Spain, especially Bierzo, making light, relatively fragrant reds. Highly distinctive.

Merlot, Merlot Noir, with Cabernet Franc, famous as a blending partner for Cabernet Sauvignon, but much more widely planted in Bordeaux than either. Merlot conventionally makes lush, plummy, velvety wine that can soften Cabernet's more austere frame and, usefully, matures much faster. Very much a wine of our times, it enjoyed enormous popularity in the United States in the 1990s and early 2000s – until the hero of the movie Sideways denigrated it in favour of Pinot Noir.

Merlot's homeland is Bordeaux where it is the most important ingredient in most wines qualifying for the basic Bordeaux appellation. It makes its greatest wines on the right bank of the Gironde, in Pomerol (where it is generally blended with minimal proportions of Cabernet Franc) and St-Émilion (where Cabernet Franc and sometimes Cabernet Sauvignon play a more important part). Despite Merlot's reputation as the user-friendly, early maturing wine, the best of these wines can continue to develop in bottle for decades, and I have been lucky enough to taste a mid 19th century Ch Ausone at the chateau that was as lively as the chatelaine herself.

Merlot, like the Cabernets, is widely grown throughout South West France, notably in Bergerac and in Cahors where it is the common blending partner of Malbec. It is also very widely planted in the Languedoc where it can make juicy, plump Vins de Pays (generally more successful than Cabernet Sauvignon). Just like Merlot the wine, Merlot the vine ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon, but it is less resistant to rot and, if the weather is poor during flowering, can easily suffer from uneven fruit set. It is conventionally but by no means exclusively associated with damp, clay soils.

Although almost two-thirds of the world's Merlot vines grow in France, most of the rest until recently have been grown in north east Italy, particularly in Friuli where it can make plumper wines than the prevailing Cabernet. Quality varies from basic light red varietals to rich, dense barrique-aged wines, often blended with Cabernet and/or Sangiovese. (This observation is also true of the Merlots produced in Switzerland's Italian Ticino.) Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova also grown significant quantities of Merlot, which can be difficult to distinguish in terms of wine quality, from their Cabernet.

Merlot has been planted at a lick in both North and South America. It has a proven track record in Washington state where its charms are attractively balanced by crisp acidity and good colour. In California, its fruity charms are extremely popular when served up as a varietal wine and it is also a popular ingredient in Meritage blends but is more readily associated with everyday varietals.

Merlot is hugely important to Chile – or rather vines traditionally called Merlot have been. In the mid 1990s it was discovered that a significant proportion of them were in fact the old Bordeaux variety called Carmenère and since then there has been a drive to correctly identify what is planted in the vineyard, to label its produce truthfully, and to increase plantings of true Merlot. Chile has already found its own perfect spot for Merlot, Apalta in Colchagua, and the best-made examples combine California gloss with even more obvious fruit.

Although Merlot is grown as a blending partner for Cabernet in Australia and New Zealand, few varietal wines of real distinction have emerged, although surely they will. South Africa has already shown just how gorgeous an oak-aged Merlot ripened in a relatively warm climate can be.

Meunier, alternative name for Pinot Meunier.

Mission,the first vinifera variety identified in the Americas, probably the product of a grape pip imported by the Conquistadores. AlsoCalifornia's oldest but by no means most distinguished grape. Rough stuff related to the Pais of Chile, Criolla Chica of Argentina and Monica of Sardinia.

Modra Frankinja, Blaufränkisch in Slovenia.

Molinara makes a tart contribution to Valpolicella.

Monastrell, Spain's name for Mourvèdre, known also as Mataro.

Monica, undistinguished Sardinian vine which may be related to Mission.

Mondeuse, spicy, sappy wine made from one of Savoie's most inistent varieties. Many authorities think it is identical to Friuli's Refosco.

Montepulciano, Italian vine that will ripen only in the southern half of the country to produce good-value, full-bodied, juicy wines, especially in the Abruzzi.

Morellino, Sangiovese around Scansano in western Tuscany,

Moreto, undistinguished vine grown mainly in Portgual's Alentejo.

Moristel, speciality of Spain's Somontano. The vine is frail and the wine oxidizes easily and may be best in blends.

Morrastel, rare Languedoc variety thought to be Rioja's Graciano. In North Africa the name Morrastel is used for both Graciano and Mourvèdre.

Mortágua, Castelão in the west of Portugal.

Mourisco Tinto, lesser port grape.

Mourvèdre, fashionable grape variety most obvious in Bandol but, as Monastrell, grown so widely in south east Spain that it is Spain's second most important red grape variety, as well as more patchily throughout southern France. For years it was called Mataro and dismissed as basic blending material in California and Australia but now features in much more highly priced Rhône-like blends. It needs a very warm site or summer to ripen it fully and the wine produced is deep coloured, alcoholic and almost aggressively gamey in flavour. It may be best suited to blending, notably with the more structured Syrah, indeed GSM now means Grenache/Syrah/Mourvèdre. Worldwide plantings have been increasing. The rather animal-tasting wine, when young, has a tendency to reduction and may need careful aeration.

Mullerrebe, German for Pinot Meunier.

Muscat Hamburg, common table grape which can even be ripened in England and produces some light, grapey red throughout eastern Europe. It is also important to the developing wine industries of China and Japan. Also known as Black Muscat.

Nebbiolo, Italy's noblest vine, a speciality of Piedmont, but, like Pinot Noir, fussy about both soil and site and extremely expressive of it. It is grown, strictly in vineyards which stand a chance of ripening this late-ripening variety, all over Piedmont but reaches its apogee in the hills of Barolo and Barbaresco, shrouded in autumn by fog, or nebbia, which may have inspired Nebbiolo's name. It is also grown successfully, as Spanna, in the north of Piemonte to produce such wines as Gattinara and Ghemme and even, just over the border in Lombardy, in Valtellina, where it is known as Chiavennasca. In the alps of Valle d'Aosta and the far north west of Piedmont, called Picutener, it makes Carema. Wine made from Nebbiolo is markedly high in both acidity and, especially, tannin - which is why the grapes need to be properly ripe to have enough fruit to counterbalance all this astringency. Wines are not particularly deeply coloured (although they can brown quite easily) and have a haunting smell that reminds many of tar, roses and sometimes violets. These are extremely serious wines which demand long ageing and attention. (Dolcetto and Barbera are for glugging.) A little Nebbiolo is grown in California, Argentina.

Negramoll, see Tinta Negra Mole.

Négrette, speciality of Fronton near Toulouse producing supple, perfumed, wine for early to medium-term drinking.

Negroamaro, ('black and bitter' in Italian), widely planted in Italy's deep south, especially on the heel of Italy in Apulia where it can make seductively heady, ageworthy reds such as Salice Salentino, Squinzano and Copertino. Some good rosés too.

Nerello, Nerello Mascalese, important Sicilian vine, lighter than Nero d'Avola but can be expressive and fragrant. A speciality of the ancient vineyards on Mount Etna.

Nero d'Avola, one of Sicily's most serious and now popular red wine grapes, also known as Calabrese. Barrel maturation works well. Sweet cherry flavours.

Nielluccio, Corsica's answer to Sangiovese. Often blended with Sciacarello, which is more distinctive.

Noir, French for black and often a suffix of a red wine grape variety.

Norton, all-American variety that can make good quality wine with no ‘foxy’ flavour.

Ojo de Liebre, Tempranillo in Penedes.

Ormeasco, Ligurian name for Dolcetto.

Ottavianello, probably Cinsaut in southern Italy.

Pais, Chile's commonplace grape and identical to the Mission of California and Mexico. Grown in southern regions for very ordinary wine.

Pamid, Bulgaria's common or garden red.

Parraleta, lively Somontano speciality.

Pelaverga, light, strawberry-flavoured Piemontese speciality.

Periquita, Castelao in Arrábida, Palmela and parts of Ribatejo.

Petite Sirah name given to what has been shown to be a common California field blend made up variously of Syrah, the obscure Durif and two other varieties related to them. Makes robust, tannic, earthy wines.

Perricone, soft Sicilian.

Petit Verdot, late ripening ingredient in the classic bordeaux blend to which, in warm years, it can bring an agreeable peppery spice. Thrives in Australia’s irrigated interior and has been planted by some Californians for Meritage blends.

Piedirosso, Campanian speciality.

Pignolo, lively, dense Friuli vine with real potential.

Pineau d'Aunis, light, fruity middle Loire variety declining in favour of Cabernet Franc.

Pinenc, Fer in Madiran.

Pinotage, South Africa’s controversial grape speciality, a crossing of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut (called Hermitage in South Africa). Its vibrantly fruity wines can smell oddly paint-like but if carefully vinified Pinotage can be a serious wine.

Pinot Meunier, the most commonly planted grape in Champagne where its wine adds youthful fruit to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is called 'miller's' Pinot because its leaves are dusty white underneath. As Müllerrebe it is grown in Germany's Württemberg and some varietal still wines are made in Victoria, Australia.

Pinot Noir, the red burgundy grape capable of producing divinely scented, gorgeously fruity expressions of place but often unwilling or unable to do so. In Burgundy Pinot Noir is merely the medium through which tiny environmental differences (terroir) express themselves. Flavours found in young red burgundies include raspberries, strawberries, cherries and violets; with time these evolve into a bouquet often reminiscent of game, liquorice and autumnal undergrowth. (There is an argument that red burgundy has to be very good indeed to be worth ageing more than about five years...)

This ancient eastern French vine, parent with Gouais Blanc of a host of other varieties such as Chardonnay, Gamay and Melon, is very prone to mutation (hence Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc) and there is enormous variation in wine quality between different clones. Planting the wrong clone in the wrong place is one of many reasons for the wide variation in quality between different red burgundies and different varietal Pinot Noirs from elsewhere. Pinot Noir is also very sensitive to the size of crop it is expected to produce, and many vapid examples exemplify an over-demanding yield. It ripens relatively early (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are often harvested at the same time in Burgundy) so is not suitable for very warm regions where there would be no time to develop interesting flavours before acid levels plummet. On the other hand, many of the cooler regions in which it thrives suffer autumn rains which can rot Pinot's thin-skinned berries, resulting in pale, tainted wines. The Pinot Noir grower's lot is not an easy one.

For years the received wisdom was that it was almost impossible to make decent Pinot Noir outside Burgundy but by the early 1990s this had definitively been disproved - and if the new wave of New World Pinot Noir for the moment lacks any great expression of place, it in general provides considerably more pleasure per penny than the average bottle of burgundy.

Oregon in the American Pacific North West staked its wine reputation on Pinot Noir (presumably inspired by its distinctly Burgundian wet autumns) with considerable success. More unexpectedly, California has demonstrated that it too has no shortage of spots quite cool enough (thanks to Pacific fog) to keep Pinot grapes on the vine as they develop welcoming fruity flavours and some texture to boot. Notable among these are Carneros, the Russian River Valley and even cooler coastal sites in Sonoma, and Santa Maria and the Sta. Rita hills north of Santa Barbara, although the Santa Lucia Highlands, Chalone and Calera wineries have proved that isolated Pinot greatness can also be found in the mountains south of San Francisco too. Canada has made the odd hopeful Pinot and, at the other end of the Americas, Chile and even Argentina have demonstrated a recent facility with this vine, in cooler corners, giving hope to Pinot Noir strugglers everywhere.

Australians have identified Victoria (notably the Yarra Valley, Geelong and the Mornington Peninsula) and Tasmania as being cool enough for Pinot, but it is New Zealand which has shown a real affinity with the grape. Martinborough in the south of New Zealand's North Island was the first region to prove it but has been followed by virtually all South Island wine regions, notably Central Otago. Most of South Africa is too warm for Pinot Noir, but there are exceptions in Walker Bay and Elgin.

Within Europe, Pinot Noir travels under a number of aliases. In Germany, as Spätburgunder, it is now one of the most planted red wine grapes and, thanks to climate change, is now making some stunningly good examples, even if they are too revered at home to be great bargains outside Germany. Similarly, it is reaching new heights in eastern Switzerland as Blauburgunder and, sometimes called Blauer Spätburgunder, in Austria.

It is planted all over central Europe called variously Burgundac Crni in what was Yugoslavia and Nagyburgundi in Hungary.

The French grow increasing quantities of Pinot Noir outside Burgundy, however, notably in Champagne where it has proved itself the ideal dark-skinned grape for a top quality sparkling wine (for which purpose it is widely used in Italy, California, Australia – and England), in Alsace where reds really are red nowadays, all over eastern France such as in Sancerre, the Jura and Savoie, and even in the higher reaches of the Languedoc around Limoux.

In Italy it is known as Pinot Nero and concentrated in Lombardy, the north east and on the eastern coast where average quality has been increasing considerably. Most of Iberia is too hot for this finicky variety.

Plavac Mali, Croatian speciality making dense, heady, tannic wines such as Postup and Dingac. Zinfandel is a parent.

Portan, French crossing of Grenache and Portugais which ripens more reliably than Grenache. Sometimes found in Vins de Pays d'Oc.

Portugieser, Blauer Portugieser high yielding, early-ripening vine planted widely in Austria and Germany, producing rather ordinary, light wines with relatively low acid. Hungarians and Romanians know it as Kékoporto and Croatians as Portugizac Crni, or Portugaljka. A little is grown in France as Portugais.

Poulsard, Plousard, Jura rarity making perfumed, pale wine, usually blended with Pinot Noir.

Pressac, Malbec on Bordeaux's right bank.

Prieto Picudo, promising musky northern Spanish speciality.

Primitivo, most famous for being the Puglian version of California's Zinfandel on the heel of Italy. Wines labelled Primitivo tend to be very alcoholic and deep-coloured.

Prokupac, Serbian speciality reaching high grape sugar levels and often made into a dark rosé.

Prugnolo Gentile, Sangiovese in Montepulciano.

Raboso, tough, sometimes tart, Veneto variety which can be too lean to sustain these attributes.

Ramisco, the astringent Colares vine.

Refosco, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, historic, sometimes red-stemmed (Peduncolo Rosso) Friuli vine making dense, lively wines with bite. Known as Terrano or Teran in Slovenia and Croatia. Possibly the same as Mondeuse.

Rondinella, lesser Valpolicella grape (see also Corvina).

Rondo, German crossing that ripens so early it is popular in England.

Roriz, Tinta Roriz, common Portuguese name for Tempranillo.

Rossese, fine Ligurian vine, especially in Dolceacqua.

Rouchet, Ruchè, scented, relatively tough Piedmont red. Rare.

Royalty, California red-fleshed hybrid bred from Trousseau.

Rubin, successful Bulgarian crossing of Nebbiolo and Syrah.

Rubired, California red-fleshed hybrid, bred from Tinta Cão. Easier to grow and therefore more popular than Royalty. Used extensively in Australia and California to add colour to less expensive blends from overcropped vines.

Ruby Cabernet, once popular California crossing of Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon to combine Cabernet characteristics with Carignan productivity and tolerance of Central Valley heat. Also grown in South Africa and Australia.

Sagrantino, lively, often tough Umbrian red, a speciality of Montefalco.

Salvador, California red-fleshed hybrid.

Samtrot, Pinot Meunier in Austria.

Sangiovese, Italy's most planted red wine vine and the underpinning of the majority of central Italian reds (notably Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano as well as Rosso Conero and Rosso Piceno), known also as Brunello, Morellino and Prugnolo Gentile. There are many strains of varying quality, from the lacklustre, over-produced vines responsible for the lightest Sangiovese di Romagna to the dense, long-lived Brunello. Late-ripening Sangiovese makes well structured, often high-acid wines with a certain farmyardy characters, but a dense pruney character if fully ripe.

Sangiovese has so far shown itself to be a slightly happier traveller than Nebbiolo, turning out some sumptuous (and some overpriced) examples in California and Washington state, the odd Australian - and some generally less inspiring examples in Argentina.

Saperavi, Georgia’s native vine producing deep-coloured wines (thanks to the pink flesh of its grapes) with good acidity. Wines respond well to ageing. Saperavi Severny is a hybrid designed to withstand very cold winters by incorporating Mongolian genes.

Santarém, Castelao in parts of Ribatejo.

Savagnin Noir, Jura name for Pinot Noir.

Schiava, Italian name for Alto Adige's common or garden variety, also known as Vernatsch by the region's many German-speakers - and Trollinger in Württemberg.

Schioppettino, speciality of Friuli whose characterful wines hint at violets and pepper.

Sciacarello, Sciaccarello (pronounced 'Shackarello'), south western Corsican speciality which can make herb-scented reds and rosés but has been overtaken by Nielluccio.

Schwarzriesling, or 'black Riesling', German synonym for Pinot Meunier.

Ségalin, recent French crossing of Jurançon Noir and Portugais capable of producing well structured wines.

Seibel, common name for many of the French hybrids grown in the mid 20^th century, usually numbered to distinguish them.

Severny. Most vines with Severny in their name have been specially bred in Russia to withstand cold winters.

Shiraz, Australian and South African name for Syrah, so any wine labelled Shiraz tends to taste richer, riper and more full-bodied than France's typical Syrah-based wines. Australia has regained her pride in Shiraz, the country's most planted wine grape variety, which can taste of baked pencils in the Hunter Valley, cough syrup in the Barossa Valley (arguably its spiritual home), chocolate in McLaren Vale and black pepper in cooler parts of Victoria and New South Wales. The great majority of Australian wine producers produce a Shiraz of some sort, and many make several qualities of Shiraz, as well as a range of Shiraz-Cabernet and Cabernet-Shiraz blends. Penfolds are arguably the past masters of Shiraz production, their Grange being Australia's very first serious collectable. When it was first made, by the late Max Schubert after a trip to Bordeaux, it was dismissed as 'dry port tasting of crushed ants'. In very general terms Shiraz tends to taste slightly sweet and can reach high alcohol levels. South African examples, generally from much younger vines, can taste rather earthy and hot. Such was the success of Australian Shiraz in the early years of this century that the name Shiraz has been widely adopted for Syrah grown in many parts of the world.

Shiroka Melnishka Losa, means 'broad leaved vine of Melnik' in Bulgaria close to the Greek border. This variety, oak-aged, can produce spicy, powerful, ageworthy wine not unlike Châteauneuf-du-Pape which can sometimes smell of tobacco leaves. Usually sold as Melnik.

Sousão, Souzão, black grape which brings colour to port in the Douro valley and has been planted in California and Australia. It has its fans.

Spanna, Valtellina name for Nebbiolo.

St Laurent, Austrian variety that can make lush, flattering soft rather Pinot-Noir-like wines. It is often blended with more internationally famous varieties and, if yields are limited, can be worth oak and bottle ageing. In Slovakia it is known as Vavrinecke.

Syrah, the great grape of the North Rhône responsible for the dense, burly, deep-coloured, long-lived, savoury, peppery wines of Hermitage and, slightly more seductively perfumed (traditiionally thanks to some co-fermented Viognier in the blend) Côte-Rôtie. Unlike all varieties, it demonstrates a strict relationship between how severely it is pruned and how good the eventual wine is. It can also lose its aroma and acidity quickly if left past optimal ripening stage (both of which explain why so many (though by no means all) French varietal Syrah Vins de Pays are so wishy washy). Crozes-Hermitage is probably the best-value manifestation of Syrah, although good St-Joseph exists and Cornas is enjoying a revival. During the 1980s Syrah was enthusiastically planted throughout southern France where it is widely used as an ingredient in blends, notably to add structure and density to Grenache in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and the rest of the Southern Rhône, but also to spice up Cabernet Sauvignon in Provence. It is a much-valued ingredient in most Languedoc appellations, fast replacing Carignan even more decisively than Grenache, Mourvèdre and, to a lesser extent, Cinsaut. It can also make some fine wine in sunnier spots in Switzerland's Valais. There are also some notable Syrahs in both Italy and Iberia even if it remains a minority ingredient in the varietal make-up of vineyards there.

In California it was enthusiastically planted in the 1990s by the so-called Rhône Rangers, anxious to demonstrate that Syrah may be even better suited to California than Cabernet Sauvignon. Wine buyers have been less enthusiastic about it however. There have been some notable examples in Washington state as well as in South America, particularly Chile.

In South Africa and Australia, where it is extremely important, it is usually known as Shiraz although some of those who make the finest South African examples label them Syrah.

Tannat, distinctive, tough variety best known as the main ingredient in Madiran but grown in other regions of South West France and, as Harriague, in Uruguay where it was taken by Basque emigrés. Wine made from it is naturally very astringent because of the thickness of the berries' skins, but Madiran's best winemakers are learning how to tame this tannic monster. It is also being planted elsewhere.

Taminga, Australian crossing.

Tarrango, Australian Touriga Nacional x Sultana crossing which ripens very late and needs a hot climate. The ultra-fruity wine is relatively light bodied and markedly low in tannin.

Tempranillo, Spain's most widely planted and respected top quality grape variety whose name comes from temprano, or early, which is when it ripens (although 'early' can be well into October in Rioja). Spain's answer to Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo is similarly high in tannins and acidity but, unusually for Spain, is not necessarily very high in alcohol. Tempranillo-based wines are some of Spain's longest-lasting. It provides the spine for rioja (Garnacha providing the flesh) and is by far the main ingredient in Ribera del Duero where it is so common it is simply known as Tinto Fino. In Penedés it is important as Ull de Llebre, and in Valdepeñas, called Cencibel, it makes rather less concentrated wines (often lightened by blending in white grapes). It is also grown in La Mancha, Costers del Segre, Utiel-Requena and in Navarra and Somontano.It is grown, as (Tinta) Roriz in northern Portugal and is probably the same as the variety known as Valdepenas in California's Central Valley. A little Tempranillo is grown in southern Oregon and there are experimental plantings all over the wine world. Some Tempranilla is grown in Argentina.

Teran, Terrano, see Refosco.

Teroldego, Teroldego Rotaliano, lively, tooth-smacking varietal speciality of Trentino which responds well to careful vinification and oak ageing.

Tibouren, Provençal rarity making earthy rosés with a genuine scent of the garrigue.

Tinta, Tinto is Spanish for red.

Tinta Amarela, productive, rot-prone northern Portuguese vine.

Tinta Barroca, sturdy port grape also planted in South Africa where varietal table wines are made from it.

Tinta Cão, fine port grape enjoying a revival in the Douro valley.

Tinta Francisca, lightish port variety.

Tinta Miúda, Portuguese name for Graciano.

Tinta Negra Mole, the undistiguished but serviceable grape which steadilyusurped Madeira's fine varieties in the early and mid 20th century. Spain's Negramoll may be identical.

Tinta Pinheira, basic Dão grape.

Tinto Fino, Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero.

Touriga, Touriga Nacional in Australia but probably Touriga Francisca in California.

Touriga Franca, perfumed, good quality port variety.

Touriga Nacional, the most famous port variety , now grown to producer extremely concentrated, dark, tannic table wines both in the Douro Valley and else whr ein Portgual, notably Dão. It is also grown in Australia and is increasingly being planted elsewhere, notably but not exclusively in Spain.

Trincadeira Preta, alternative name for Castelão.

Trollinger, German for Schiava and its light, sweetish wines are a Württemberg speciality.

Trousseau, Jura vine making robust wine but overtaken by Pinot Noir.

Ull de Llebre, Catalan name for Tempranillo.

Uva di Troia, Puglian speciality.

Uva Rara, softener blended with Nebbiolo in northern Piedmont.

Vavrinecke, Czech for St Laurent.

Verdot, South American variety which may be related to Petit Verdot.