The grape archive
Meet the grape
behind the wine.
A growing independent guide to flavour, origin, wine styles, handling and pairings at the table.
Visual tasting guide
Colour already tells a story.
From pale straw to deep purple, look at the wine before tasting. This original HET ARCHIEF guide helps you recognise hue, ripeness and style.
Agiorgitiko
Nemea · Peloponnese · GreeceGreece’s most widely planted red grape can be bright and immediately fruity or structured enough to age. Its clearest reference point is Nemea, where altitude changes the expression from generous and ripe to fresher and firmer.
Open profile →02Aglianico
Campania · ItalyAglianico is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →03Airén
Castilla-La Mancha · SpainA drought-resistant Spanish white grape traditionally grown across the high, dry Meseta. Neutral to gently fruity in youth, it is used for fresh whites, blends and brandy distillation.
Open profile →04Albariño
Galicia · SpainAlbariño is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →05Aligoté
Burgundy · FranceA bright, high-acid Burgundy grape best known in fresh, mineral whites and the classic Kir aperitif.
Open profile →06Arneis
Piedmont · ItalyArneis is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →07Assyrtiko
Santorini · GreeceAssyrtiko is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →08Barbera
Piedmont · ItalyBarbera is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →09Blaufränkisch
Burgenland · AustriaBlaufränkisch is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →10Bobal
Utiel-Requena · SpainBobal is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →11Cabernet Franc
Loire Valley · FranceCabernet Franc is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →12Cabernet Sauvignon
Bordeaux · FranceThe world’s most recognisable structured red variety: black-fruited, tannic and highly responsive to site and oak ageing.
Open profile →13Carignan
Southern France · SpainCarignan is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →14Carménère
Bordeaux · France; now identified with ChileA late-ripening Bordeaux variety that found its modern identity in Chile. It combines dark fruit, spice and a characteristic herbal edge when fully ripe.
Open profile →15Catarratto
Sicily · ItalyCatarratto is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →16Chardonnay
Burgundy · FranceA relatively neutral grape that translates climate and winemaking with exceptional clarity, from lean Chablis to rich barrel-fermented styles and sparkling wine.
Open profile →17Chenin Blanc
Loire Valley · FranceHigh acidity and an unusual aptitude for dry, sweet, sparkling and long-lived wines make Chenin Blanc one of the most versatile white grapes.
Open profile →18Cinsault
Southern FranceCinsault is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →19Clairette
Rhône Valley · FranceClairette is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →20Colombard
South-west FranceColombard is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →21Corvina
Veneto · ItalyCorvina is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →22Dolcetto
Piedmont · ItalyDolcetto is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →23Fiano
Campania · ItalyFiano is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →24Furmint
Tokaj · HungaryFurmint is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →25Gamay
Beaujolais · FranceA thin-skinned red grape prized for bright fruit, perfume and supple tannin, especially on Beaujolais’ granite soils.
Open profile →26Garganega
Veneto · ItalyGarganega is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →27Gewürztraminer
Central Europe; strongly associated with AlsaceAn intensely aromatic pink-skinned grape producing broad, low-acid whites with rose, lychee and exotic spice.
Open profile →28Glera
Veneto · ItalyGlera is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →29Godello
Galicia · SpainGodello is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →30Grenache
Aragón · SpainA heat-loving Mediterranean grape with generous red fruit, alcohol and spice, used alone and in blends from Spain to the southern Rhône.
Open profile →31Grüner Veltliner
AustriaAustria’s signature white grape ranges from peppery, brisk everyday wine to concentrated, age-worthy dry whites.
Open profile →32Malbec
South-west France; now identified with ArgentinaDeeply coloured and dark-fruited, Malbec became Argentina’s emblem while retaining a firmer, earthier identity in Cahors.
Open profile →33Marsanne
Northern Rhône · FranceMarsanne is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →34Maturana Tinta
Rioja · SpainMaturana Tinta is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →35Mencía
North-west SpainMencía is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →36Merlot
Bordeaux · FrancePlush fruit, moderate tannin and an affinity with clay soils make Merlot both approachable young and capable of profound ageing.
Open profile →37Montepulciano
Abruzzo · ItalyMontepulciano is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →38Mourvèdre
Mediterranean FranceMourvèdre is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →39Muscat
Mediterranean EuropeMuscat is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →40Nebbiolo
Piedmont · ItalyPale in colour but formidable in tannin and acidity, Nebbiolo produces perfumed, transparent and exceptionally long-lived wines.
Open profile →41Nero d'Avola
Sicily · ItalyNero d'Avola is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →42País / Listán Prieto
Chile · Canary IslandsPaís / Listán Prieto is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →43Picpoul
Languedoc · FrancePicpoul is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →44Pinot Blanc
Burgundy mutation; important in Alsace and Central EuropeA subtle member of the Pinot family, typically offering apple, pear and almond with moderate acidity and a rounded texture.
Open profile →45Pinot Gris
Burgundy mutation; important in Alsace and north-east ItalyA grey-pink-skinned Pinot mutation spanning crisp Pinot Grigio and richer, spicier Alsace Pinot Gris styles.
Open profile →46Pinot Meunier
Champagne · FrancePinot Meunier is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →47Pinot Noir
Burgundy · FranceThin-skinned, early-ripening and site-sensitive, Pinot Noir can deliver haunting perfume, silky texture and transparent expressions of place.
Open profile →48Pinotage
South AfricaSouth Africa’s signature crossing of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut ranges from juicy red-fruited styles to dense, smoky and age-worthy wines.
Open profile →49Poulsard
Jura · FrancePoulsard is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →50Primitivo
Puglia · ItalyPrimitivo is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →51Riesling
Rhine region · GermanyA highly aromatic, high-acid grape capable of bone-dry, sweet, sparkling and exceptionally long-lived wines with precise site expression.
Open profile →52Rkatsiteli
Georgia · Eastern EuropeRkatsiteli is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →53Roussanne
Northern Rhône · FranceRoussanne is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →54Sangiovese
Central ItalyItaly’s most planted red grape is defined by sour cherry, lively acidity and savoury tannin, with styles ranging from juicy to monumental.
Open profile →55Saperavi
GeorgiaSaperavi is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →56Sauvignon Blanc
Loire Valley / Bordeaux · FranceA pungently aromatic grape combining citrus, green herbs and bright acidity, from restrained Loire styles to exuberant New Zealand wines.
Open profile →57Savatiano
GreeceSavatiano is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →58Sémillon
Bordeaux · FranceSémillon is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →59Syrah / Shiraz
Northern Rhône · FranceOne grape with two stylistic names: peppery, savoury Syrah in cooler settings and often richer, riper Shiraz in warmer regions.
Open profile →60Tannat
South-west FranceTannat is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →61Tempranillo
Iberian Peninsula · SpainSpain’s leading quality red grape combines red and dark fruit with savoury leather and tobacco notes, especially after oak ageing.
Open profile →62Torrontés
ArgentinaTorrontés is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →63Touriga Nacional
Douro · PortugalTouriga Nacional is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →64Trebbiano Toscano
ItalyA productive, high-acid Italian white grape—known as Ugni Blanc in France—important for fresh wines, blends and distillation.
Open profile →65Trousseau
Jura · FranceTrousseau is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →66Verdeca
Puglia · ItalyVerdeca is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →67Verdejo
Rueda · SpainA distinctive Spanish white grape combining citrus, herbs and texture, often finishing with a characteristic bitter-almond note.
Open profile →68Verdiso
Veneto · ItalyVerdiso is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →69Vermentino
Liguria / Sardinia · ItalyVermentino is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →70Viognier
Northern Rhône · FranceA low-acid, intensely perfumed white grape known for apricot, blossom and a broad, oily texture.
Open profile →71Viura
Rioja · SpainViura is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →72Xinomavro
Macedonia · GreeceXinomavro is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →73Zinfandel
Croatian origin; strongly identified with CaliforniaA genetically Croatian grape that became a Californian classic, producing everything from pale rosé to powerful, jammy old-vine reds.
Open profile →74Zweigelt
Lower AustriaZweigelt is a variety with a distinct regional identity.
Open profile →