Knowledge
Wine regions and grapes of the world
What lies behind the questions: the wine regions and grapes of the world, from Switzerland to overseas, short and clear.
Wine regions
Switzerland
- Valais Valais is Switzerland’s largest wine region: about 4,600 hectares of vines in the sunny Rhône valley, Fendant, Dôle, Petite Arvine, Cornalin and Heida.
- Vaud Vaud is Chasselas country: about 3,750 hectares from La Côte through Lavaux, a UNESCO site, to the Chablais, with the Grands Crus Dézaley and Calamin.
- Geneva Geneva, Switzerland’s third-largest wine canton: about 1,300 hectares, Gamay and Chasselas, Satigny as the largest wine commune, the first Swiss AOC.
- Ticino Ticino is Switzerland’s Merlot country: about 1,100 hectares south of the Alps, given to Merlot since 1906, split between Sopraceneri and Sottoceneri.
- Three Lakes Neuchâtel, Lake Biel and the Vully: about 950 hectares of Pinot Noir and Chasselas on limestone below the Jura, the home of Œil-de-Perdrix and Non Filtré.
- German-speaking Switzerland German-speaking Switzerland: about 2,650 hectares of vines from Basel to Graubünden, home of Blauburgunder, Riesling-Silvaner, Räuschling and Completer.
- Zürich Zürich, the largest wine canton of German Switzerland: about 620 hectares on Lake Zürich and in the Weinland, Blauburgunder, Riesling-Silvaner, Räuschling.
- Schaffhausen Schaffhausen, the Blauburgunderland: about 470 hectares in the Klettgau and along the Rhine, with Hallau, the largest wine commune of German Switzerland.
- Graubünden Graubünden: about 420 hectares in the Rhine valley, the Bündner Herrschaft (Fläsch, Maienfeld, Jenins, Malans), Föhn, Pinot Noir and the rare Completer.
France
- Bordeaux Bordeaux: about 90,000 hectares near the Atlantic, Merlot and Cabernet, Médoc, Saint-Émilion, Pomerol, Sauternes and the 1855 classification.
- Burgundy Burgundy: about 28,700 hectares, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Climats as a UNESCO site and the ladder of regional, village, premier cru and grand cru.
- Champagne Champagne: about 34,200 hectares in north-eastern France, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier, chalk soils, second fermentation in the bottle.
- Beaujolais Beaujolais: about 13,500 hectares of Gamay north of Lyon, ten crus such as Fleurie and Morgon, granite soils and the young wine Beaujolais Nouveau.
- Alsace Alsace: about 15,500 hectares at the foot of the Vosges, Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris, 51 grands crus, dry wines, crémant and sweet wines.
- Rhône From Côte-Rôtie to Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Syrah in the north, Grenache in the south, over 60,000 hectares along the Rhône, which rises in Valais.
- Loire The garden of France: Muscadet, Sancerre, Vouvray and Chinon, Chenin, Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc on over 50,000 hectares along France’s longest river.
- Languedoc-Roussillon France’s largest wine region: about 200,000 hectares on the Mediterranean, from Corbières and Faugères to Picpoul de Pinet, Limoux and Banyuls.
- Provence Home of the pale rosé: over 27,000 hectares in three big AOCs, with Bandol and Cassis, sun, mistral and 2,600 years of wine-growing history.
Italy
- Piedmont Piedmont is home to Barolo and Barbaresco: Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto, Moscato and Gavi on about 44,000 hectares of hills.
- Tuscany Tuscany is Sangiovese country: Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile and the Bordeaux varieties of Bolgheri.
- Veneto Veneto makes over a fifth of Italy’s wine: Prosecco, Amarone, Valpolicella, Soave and Bardolino between Lake Garda and the Adriatic.
- South Tyrol South Tyrol, Italy’s northernmost wine region: Pinot Bianco, Gewürztraminer from Tramin, Vernatsch and Lagrein between 200 and 1,000 metres.
- Friuli Friuli, in north-east Italy, is white wine country: Collio, Colli Orientali, Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, Pinot Grigio and the pioneers of orange wine.
- Sicily Sicily unites volcanic wines from Etna, Nero d’Avola, Marsala and Grillo: about 100,000 hectares on Italy’s largest island.
- Puglia Puglia, the heel of Italy’s boot: Primitivo, Negroamaro and Uva di Troia, plenty of sun, bush vines and warm, powerful reds.
Spain
- Rioja Rioja is Spain’s best-known wine region: Tempranillo on the Ebro, the Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva tiers and a long tradition of oak ageing.
- Ribera del Duero Ribera del Duero: Tinto Fino at 720 to over 1,000 metres on the Duero, an extreme climate and dense, powerful reds aged in oak.
- Priorat Priorat in Catalonia: steep terraces on slate, old Garnacha and Cariñena vines, and dense, concentrated reds with real character.
- Rías Baixas Rías Baixas in Galicia: Atlantic Albariño, grown on granite and under pergolas, gives fresh, aromatic white wines with plenty of acidity.
- Jerez (Sherry) Jerez is the home of sherry: Palomino on white albariza, flor, solera and styles from fino and manzanilla to oloroso and Pedro Ximénez.
Portugal
- Douro The Douro valley in northern Portugal: terraced vines on schist, Port and powerful reds from Touriga Nacional, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2001.
- Alentejo Alentejo in southern Portugal: cork oaks, sun and warm, fruity reds from Aragonez and Trincadeira, plus talha wines made in clay vessels.
Germany
- Mosel The Mosel: steep slate slopes, about 8,300 hectares, Riesling on over 60 per cent of the vineyard, plus the side valleys of the Saar and Ruwer.
- Rheingau The Rheingau: about 3,100 hectares on south-facing slopes above the Rhine, Riesling on three quarters of the vines, Eberbach, Johannisberg, Assmannshausen.
- Pfalz The Pfalz: Germany’s warm south with about 23,600 hectares, Riesling, Dornfelder, Grauburgunder, Weissburgunder, Spätburgunder and the German Wine Route.
- Baden Baden: Germany’s southernmost wine region, over 15,000 hectares from Lake Constance to Basel, Spätburgunder, Grauburgunder, Gutedel and the Kaiserstuhl.
Austria
- Wachau The Wachau: about 1,350 hectares of terraces on the Danube between Melk and Krems, Grüner Veltliner and Riesling, Steinfeder, Federspiel, Smaragd.
- Burgenland Burgenland: about 11,500 hectares around Lake Neusiedl, Blaufränkisch, Zweigelt and St. Laurent, sweet wines from Rust and Illmitz, Leithaberg DAC.
Hungary
Greece
Georgia
United States
- Napa Valley Napa Valley in California: Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakville and Rutherford, the AVA system and the win at the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
- Oregon Oregon on the US west coast: Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris in the cool Willamette Valley, Burgundy as the model, stricter labelling rules than federal law.
Argentina
Chile
Australia
- Barossa Barossa, South Australia: Shiraz and Grenache from very old vines in the warm Barossa Valley, Riesling from cooler Eden Valley, a German settlers’ legacy.
- Margaret River Margaret River in south-western Australia: maritime climate between two oceans, with elegant Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Semillon-Sauvignon blends.
New Zealand
South Africa
Grape varieties
Red grapes
- Pinot Noir Pinot Noir, Blauburgunder in German-speaking Switzerland: the country’s most planted grape. Origin, styles from Graubünden to Neuchâtel, and pairings.
- Gamay Gamay in Switzerland: the Beaujolais grape in Geneva, Vaud and Valais, Pinot Noir’s partner in Dôle. Origin, parentage, aromas and what to eat with it.
- Merlot Merlot in Ticino: the grape of Italian-speaking Switzerland since 1906, also made as white Merlot. Bordeaux origin, parentage, character and pairings.
- Cornalin Cornalin, once Rouge du Pays: the oldest red grape of Valais, first recorded in 1313 and nearly lost. Parentage, character and what to drink it with.
- Humagne Rouge Humagne Rouge, Cornalin in the Aosta Valley: a child of Valais Cornalin, in Valais since the late 19th century. Origin, wild character, pairings.
- Syrah Syrah: the Rhône grape grown in Valais since 1921. Origin, pepper and spice in the glass, where it grows in Switzerland and what to eat with it.
- Gamaret Gamaret: the Swiss crossing of Gamay and Reichensteiner, bred at Changins in 1970. Spicy, deeply coloured and at home in Vaud, Geneva and Valais.
- Garanoir Garanoir: Gamaret’s softer sibling, bred at Changins in 1970 from Gamay and Reichensteiner. Fruity, deeply coloured and often found in blends.
- Diolinoir Diolinoir: the Valais crossing of Robin Noir and Pinot Noir, bred at Changins in 1970. Inky, tannic and the colour-giver in many blends.
- Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon: the cross of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc behind Médoc and Napa. Origin, style, where it grows and what to eat with it.
- Cabernet Franc Cabernet Franc: parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenère, the grape of Chinon and Cheval Blanc. Style, where it grows and what to eat with it.
- Pinot Meunier Pinot Meunier: the third Champagne grape and a mutation of Pinot Noir. Origin, name, style, where it grows and what to eat with it.
- Malbec Malbec: from Cahors, the “black wine”, to Mendoza. Origin, parentage, Argentina and France, style and what to eat with it.
- Carmenère Carmenère: Bordeaux’s forgotten grape, identified in Chile in 1994. Origin, parentage, style, Chile and Italy, and what to eat with it.
- Nebbiolo Nebbiolo, the grape of Barolo and Barbaresco: its Piedmont origin, Chiavennasca in Valtellina, character, regions and what to eat with it.
- Sangiovese Sangiovese, Italy’s most planted red grape: Chianti, Brunello and Vino Nobile, its parentage, character, regions and what to eat with it.
- Barbera Barbera, the high-acid red of Piedmont: its Monferrato origin, Barbera d’Asti and Nizza, character, regions and what to eat with it.
- Montepulciano Montepulciano, the grape of Abruzzo: its origin, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Rosso Conero, how it differs from Vino Nobile, character and food.
- Aglianico Aglianico, southern Italy’s great red grape: Taurasi, Aglianico del Vulture, its origin, character, regions and what to eat with it.
- Tempranillo Tempranillo, Spain’s leading red grape: its origin, names from Rioja to the Douro, taste, ageing and what to eat with it.
- Grenache Grenache, Garnacha in Spain, Cannonau in Sardinia: its origin, the Rhône, Priorat and Australia, taste and what to eat with it.
- Mourvèdre Mourvèdre, Monastrell in Spain, Mataro in Australia: its origin, Bandol and Jumilla, its powerful style and what to eat with it.
- Touriga Nacional Touriga Nacional, Portugal’s noblest red grape: its Dão origin, role in Port and the Douro, aromas and what to eat with it.
- Zinfandel Zinfandel, Primitivo in Puglia: a Californian icon with Adriatic roots, the DNA proof, its style, regions and what to eat with it.
- Corvina Corvina, the backbone of Valpolicella, Amarone and Bardolino near Verona: where it comes from, its blending partners, style and food pairings.
- Nero d’Avola Nero d’Avola, Sicily’s most important red grape, named after Avola: origin, styles from fruity to powerful, where it grows and what to eat with it.
- Blaufränkisch Blaufränkisch, the dark, spicy red of Burgenland, also called Lemberger and Kékfrankos: its origin, style, regions and what to eat with it.
- Zweigelt Zweigelt, Austria’s most planted red grape, bred around 1922 from St. Laurent and Blaufränkisch: its style, where it grows and what to eat with it.
- Pinotage Pinotage, South Africa’s signature red grape, a Pinot Noir and Cinsault cross from around 1925: its origin, style, regions and what to eat with it.
White grapes
- Chasselas Chasselas, called Fendant in Valais: Switzerland’s most planted white grape. Its Lake Geneva origin, character, regions and what to eat with it.
- Müller-Thurgau Müller-Thurgau, Riesling-Sylvaner in Switzerland: bred in 1882 by Hermann Müller from Thurgau. Parentage, where it grows and what to eat with it.
- Petite Arvine Petite Arvine: the great white grape of Valais, with Fully at its heart. Grapefruit, rhubarb and a salty finish, dry or as Flétri. Origin and pairings.
- Heida Heida, Païen in the Lower Valais: the Savagnin Blanc of Europe’s highest vineyards at Visperterminen. Origin, character, where it grows and pairings.
- Amigne Amigne, the grape of Vétroz: about 40 hectares, nearly all in one village. The bees on the label, aromas of mandarin and lime blossom, origin and pairings.
- Räuschling Räuschling: the old white grape of Lake Zürich, fresh and citrussy, nearly lost in the 20th century. Origin, character, where to find it and what to eat.
- Completer Completer: the ancient white of Malans, first recorded in 1321 and named after the monks’ night prayer. High acidity, oxidative style, very long-lived.
- Silvaner Silvaner, called Johannisberg in Valais: about 330 hectares, nearly all in the Rhône valley, Chamoson its stronghold. Origin, character and pairings.
- Pinot Gris Pinot Gris, called Malvoisie in Valais: the grey mutation of Pinot Noir, made dry or as a sweet flétri. Origin, where it grows, character and pairings.
- Chardonnay Chardonnay in Switzerland: about 400 hectares across all six regions, as a fresh white, in barrique and as sparkling wine. Origin, styles and pairings.
- Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc in Switzerland: about 220 hectares, gooseberry and elderflower in the glass, strongest in German-speaking Switzerland, Geneva and Valais.
- Riesling Riesling, the great white of cool climates: its origin, where it grows from the Mosel to Australia, styles from dry to sweet, and pairings.
- Grüner Veltliner Grüner Veltliner, Austria’s signature grape: its parentage, Weinviertel and Wachau, the peppery style from light to full, and what to eat with it.
- Gewürztraminer Gewürztraminer, the pink-skinned, perfumed form of Traminer: its name and origin, Alsace and South Tyrol, styles from dry to sweet, and pairings.
- Pinot Blanc Pinot Blanc, or Weissburgunder: a colour mutation in the Pinot family. Its origin, where it grows in Germany, South Tyrol and Alsace, style and pairings.
- Furmint Furmint, the grape of Tokaj: its origin, dry and sweet wines, aszú and szamorodni, cousins in Slovenia and Austria, and what to eat with it.
- Chenin Blanc Chenin Blanc: the Loire’s most versatile white grape, from Vouvray to Savennières, and South Africa’s most planted variety, known there as Steen.
- Semillon Semillon: the grape behind Sauternes and white Bordeaux, and in Australia’s Hunter Valley a lean, long-lived classic. Origin, styles, food.
- Viognier Viognier: the perfumed grape of the northern Rhône, known from Condrieu and as an addition to Côte-Rôtie. Origin, style, regions and what to eat.
- Marsanne Marsanne, called Ermitage in Valais: the white grape of Hermitage and Saint-Joseph. Origin, kinship with Roussanne, its Valais role, style and food.
- Melon de Bourgogne Melon de Bourgogne: the grape of Muscadet near Nantes. Its Burgundy origin, ageing sur lie, the crus communaux and what to eat with it.
- Albariño Albariño, called Alvarinho in Portugal: the white grape of Galicia and the Minho. Origin, Rías Baixas, style, vineyards and pairings.
- Verdejo Verdejo, the white grape of Rueda: origin, Castilla y León, fresh herbal wines with a bitter finish, appellation rules and what to eat with it.
- Palomino Palomino, the grape behind sherry: neutral and low in acid, grown on albariza at Jerez and made into fino, manzanilla and oloroso. Origin and styles.
- Torrontés Torrontés Riojano: Argentina’s aromatic white, a cross of Muscat of Alexandria and Criolla Chica. Origin, Salta and Cafayate, style and food.
- Assyrtiko Assyrtiko, Santorini’s white grape: volcanic soil, kouloura baskets, high acidity, saline freshness. Origin and spread across Greece and to Australia.
- Muscat Muscat, Moscato, Muskateller: the grape family behind Moscato d’Asti and Beaumes-de-Venise. Origin, styles, Valais and what to eat with it.
- Trebbiano (Ugni Blanc) Trebbiano Toscano, called Ugni Blanc in France: a hugely planted white grape and the base of Cognac and Armagnac. Family, style, food.
- Glera Glera, the grape behind Prosecco: origin, the Charmat method, DOC and DOCG Conegliano Valdobbiadene, styles and what to eat with it.
- Garganega Garganega, the grape of Soave: origin, volcanic soils, Gambellara, Recioto di Soave, style and what to eat with it.
- Vermentino Vermentino: the coastal white of Liguria, Sardinia, Corsica and Provence (as Rolle). Origin, style, Gallura and what to eat with it.