Red Grape Varietals

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Syrah (Shiraz)

Terroir plays an important role in wine made from Syrah (or Shiraz, as it is called in Australia). From tart fruit, vegetal, pepper, and sav

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Sangiovese

Sangiovese is the ultimate wine to pair with food due to the variety’s ability to hold its acidity as it ripens and generous amounts of ri

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Petite Sirah: The little grape with big color

With small berries and a high grape skin-to-juice ratio, Petite Sirah makes a wine that is incredibly pigmented, rich in black fruit charact

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St. Croix

St. Croix is a red hybrid grape designed by a private grape breeder to withstand the bitter cold Wisconsin winters. Learn more about this th

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Kings of Zin

Lodi, California, is known for its production of Zinfandel wines that run the spectrum of wine styles. Three Lodi winemakers share their app

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Tempranillo: The Noble Grape of Spain

The dark-skinned Tempranillo grape is most associated with the red wines of Spain and being the most prominent grape in the famed Rioja blen

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Black Muscat

Black Muscat first gained popularity in France and is gaining steam in California due to its great aromatics and versatility. Whether turnin

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Sagrantino

Most readers are likely familiar with Amarone wines made from drying grapes to concentrate the flavors and sugars prior to fermentation, but

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Grenache Five Ways

A home winemaker sets out to explore just how versatile Grenache can be by making five different wines from it in a single vintage, includin

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Paths to Pinot Noir

It’s a legendary grape with a storied history and one of the most revered in the wine world. But it is also a cantankerous grape to grow a

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Graciano

A grape variety that has recently garnered a following thanks to its tannic structure and ability to retain acidity in warm climates, Gracia

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Merlot Around the World

Though its reputation may have been tarnished by a certain movie after the turn of the century, Merlot continues to be one of the most popul

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Aglianico

Hailing from the southern regions of Italy, Aglianico is revered as producing big and bold red varietal wines. It is finding its way across

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Notably Norton

A grape with a proud following regionally, Norton has roots that remain shrouded in a fog. Learn about its past, how to best tend to it in t

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Graceful Garnacha: A grape with many facets

With origins in Spain, Garnacha grapes may now be more commonly associated with the Rhône and Languedoc-Roussillon region of France where i

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Classic Catawba: America’s first true wine grape

Some people have called Zinfandel “America’s grape,” others say it should be Concord. Chik Brenneman is here to make the case for the

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Bonarda Argentine Or Douce Noir or Charbono . . .

Grape varietal names can be a confusing world, typically because one grape varietal may have over a dozen names based on location. But in th

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Blaufränkisch or Lemberger: International grape of mystery

As with many Old World grapes that are grown widely, Blaufränkisch goes by many names. And thanks to its versatility in the winery and cool

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Flexible Frontenac: Making a case for this hybrid

Scattered throughout the Upper Midwest and Rockies, Frontenac wines are making waves as winemakers learn to coax a lot of flavor from this r

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Colorful Carménère

Similar to a varietal like Malbec, Carménère has come to be identified with the wine growing regions of South America, but this grape actu

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Cinsault: The grape that could . . .

One of the mainstay grapes found in the heat-prone regions in the Rhône Valley of France is Cinsault. It often is utilized in blends to add

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Tempranillo Tips from the A-Team

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Primitivo: The early-ripening varietal

Anyone well versed in wine grape nomenclature knows that Primitivo and Zinfandel are genetically identical. Yet test trials have shown there

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Malbecs Around the Globe

The popularity of Malbec has grown tremendously over the past two decades, thanks in large part to the award-winning examples coming out of

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Baco Noir: The emigration of a French hybrid

Originally bred in southwestern France, Baco Noir is a French-American hybrid whose acreage has declined in its native country, but has sinc