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 →02Airén
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 →03Aligoté
Burgundy · FranceA bright, high-acid Burgundy grape best known in fresh, mineral whites and the classic Kir aperitif.
Open profile →04Arneis
Piedmont · ItalyArneis is a familiar European variety with a clear regional identity and a style shaped by climate and tradition.
Open profile →05Assyrtiko
Santorini · GreeceAssyrtiko is a familiar European variety with a clear regional identity and a style shaped by climate and tradition.
Open profile →06Blaufränkisch
Burgenland · AustriaBlaufränkisch is a familiar European variety with a clear regional identity and a style shaped by climate and tradition.
Open profile →07Cabernet Sauvignon
Bordeaux · FranceThe world’s most recognisable structured red variety: black-fruited, tannic and highly responsive to site and oak ageing.
Open profile →08Carménère
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 →09Chardonnay
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 →10Chenin 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 →11Cinsault
Southern FranceCinsault is a familiar European variety with a clear regional identity and a style shaped by climate and tradition.
Open profile →12Corvina
Veneto · ItalyCorvina is a familiar European variety with a clear regional identity and a style shaped by climate and tradition.
Open profile →13Dolcetto
Piedmont · ItalyDolcetto is a familiar European variety with a clear regional identity and a style shaped by climate and tradition.
Open profile →14Fiano
Campania · ItalyFiano is a familiar European variety with a clear regional identity and a style shaped by climate and tradition.
Open profile →15Furmint
Tokaj · HungaryFurmint is a familiar European variety with a clear regional identity and a style shaped by climate and tradition.
Open profile →16Gamay
Beaujolais · FranceA thin-skinned red grape prized for bright fruit, perfume and supple tannin, especially on Beaujolais’ granite soils.
Open profile →17Gewürztraminer
Central Europe; strongly associated with AlsaceAn intensely aromatic pink-skinned grape producing broad, low-acid whites with rose, lychee and exotic spice.
Open profile →18Glera
Veneto · ItalyGlera is a familiar European variety with a clear regional identity and a style shaped by climate and tradition.
Open profile →19Godello
Galicia · SpainGodello is a familiar European variety with a clear regional identity and a style shaped by climate and tradition.
Open profile →20Grenache
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 →21Grüner Veltliner
AustriaAustria’s signature white grape ranges from peppery, brisk everyday wine to concentrated, age-worthy dry whites.
Open profile →22Malbec
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 →23Mencía
North-west SpainMencía is a familiar European variety with a clear regional identity and a style shaped by climate and tradition.
Open profile →24Merlot
Bordeaux · FrancePlush fruit, moderate tannin and an affinity with clay soils make Merlot both approachable young and capable of profound ageing.
Open profile →25Mourvèdre
Mediterranean FranceMourvèdre is a familiar European variety with a clear regional identity and a style shaped by climate and tradition.
Open profile →26Muscat
Mediterranean EuropeMuscat is a familiar European variety with a clear regional identity and a style shaped by climate and tradition.
Open profile →27Nebbiolo
Piedmont · ItalyPale in colour but formidable in tannin and acidity, Nebbiolo produces perfumed, transparent and exceptionally long-lived wines.
Open profile →28Pinot 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 →29Pinot 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 →30Pinot Noir
Burgundy · FranceThin-skinned, early-ripening and site-sensitive, Pinot Noir can deliver haunting perfume, silky texture and transparent expressions of place.
Open profile →31Pinotage
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 →32Primitivo
Puglia · ItalyPrimitivo is a familiar European variety with a clear regional identity and a style shaped by climate and tradition.
Open profile →33Riesling
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 →34Roussanne
Northern Rhône · FranceRoussanne is a familiar European variety with a clear regional identity and a style shaped by climate and tradition.
Open profile →35Sangiovese
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 →36Sauvignon 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 →37Syrah / 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 →38Tannat
South-west FranceTannat is a familiar European variety with a clear regional identity and a style shaped by climate and tradition.
Open profile →39Tempranillo
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 →40Touriga Nacional
Douro · PortugalTouriga Nacional is a familiar European variety with a clear regional identity and a style shaped by climate and tradition.
Open profile →41Trebbiano Toscano
ItalyA productive, high-acid Italian white grape—known as Ugni Blanc in France—important for fresh wines, blends and distillation.
Open profile →42Verdeca
Puglia · ItalyVerdeca is a familiar European variety with a clear regional identity and a style shaped by climate and tradition.
Open profile →43Verdejo
Rueda · SpainA distinctive Spanish white grape combining citrus, herbs and texture, often finishing with a characteristic bitter-almond note.
Open profile →44Vermentino
Liguria / Sardinia · ItalyVermentino is a familiar European variety with a clear regional identity and a style shaped by climate and tradition.
Open profile →45Viognier
Northern Rhône · FranceA low-acid, intensely perfumed white grape known for apricot, blossom and a broad, oily texture.
Open profile →46Xinomavro
Macedonia · GreeceXinomavro is a familiar European variety with a clear regional identity and a style shaped by climate and tradition.
Open profile →47Zinfandel
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 →48Zweigelt
Lower AustriaZweigelt is a familiar European variety with a clear regional identity and a style shaped by climate and tradition.
Open profile →