Merlot grapes and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are often grown together and then blended together when turned into wine.
Merlot is a black grape, which produces red wines with a lot of body and high levels of alcohol.
Merlot is most famously from Bordeaux, France but it’s grown all over the world. California, Australia, New Zealand, South America, and South Africa all successfully grow Merlot grapes.
Rosé can be made from just about any red wine grape variety there is. In Australia, the more common varietals used to make Rosé include Shiraz, Pinon Noir and Grenache, but also Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Rosé wine comes in many hues from the prettiest of pinks to deep gemstone red. The longer the juice is soaked in the grape skins, the deeper the colour of the Rose wine.
The Pinot Noir grape is knows for it’s fussy nature – it can be incredibly difficult to grow. However, Pinot Noir grapes make some of the most popular wines in the world.
While it is famed for the light-bodied red wine it produces, Pinot Noir grapes are also blended with Chardonnay grapes to make Champagne.
Pinot Noir wine is light on tannins and cinsidered an easy drinking wine.
Premium Pinot Noir regions include Burgundy in France, Pfalz in Germany, and Santa Barbara in the USA.
Like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon is grown all over the world in a wide range of climates.
The grape is deep black and produces wine that’s very high in tannins. Cabernet Sauvignon wine has distinct berry flavours, such as blackcurrants, but is also savoury with a slight peppery taste.
Shiraz also known overseas as (Syrah) are the same grape, they just have different names depending on where they are grown. In France, the best Syrah grapes come from Northern and Southern Rhone. Australian winermakers grow Shiraz in premium regions like the Hunter Valley and Barossa in Adelaide.
The grapes are small with thick skins and produce full-bodied, tannic wines. Syrah and Grenache are oftern blended toghether.
Petit Verdot is a full bodied red wine the originates in France. It is highly desirable as a blending grape due to it’s plentiful colour, deep tannins and floral aromas of violet.
Sauvignon Blanc is a highly aromatic grape. It produces wines which are highly acidic, with notes of goosberry, passionfruit, and elderflower.
Premium Sauvignon Blanc grapes are produced in the Loire Valley in France. Still many, medium climate wine regions produce high-quality Sauvignon Blanc, like Nappa Valley, Malrorough in New Zealand and Australia.
Also known as Pino Gris, the Pino Grigio grape grows in France, Italy, Australia and New Zealand.
Pino Grigio wines are considered easy drinking wines due to their medium body and acidiity. They have light, fruity flavours, including melon and bananna.
Chardonnay grapes are some of the most popular in the wine industry. Chardonnay is very adaptable to a wide variety of climates which means it can be grown all over the world.
The best Chardonnay comes from Burgundy and Champagne but Australia, New Zealand, USA and South America also have prominent Chardonnay growing regions.
Chardonnay benefits from oak ageing, which is rare for white wines. This gives the wine a slightly oaky and beautiful buttery finish.
Glera is a longstanding synonym of Northern Italy’s Prosecco grape. This green skinned variety has been know for hundreds of years in the Venito and Friuli, regions most famously for producing sparkling prosecco wines. Glera grapes are either a Frizzante (slightly sparkling) or Spumante (fully sparkling). Outisde of Italy, Glera grapes are also grown in Slovenia and Australia.
Colombard grapes are one of the worlds leading blending grapes. It is a French grape usually used in the production of Chenin Blanc and Gouais Blanc. In Australia Colombard is the fifth ranking white wine variety in terms of volume.
