Grape guide
Your no-nonsense guide to 25 common grapes, and the wines they make - with suggestions of great food matches.
Red wine
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Barbera
Can be cheap and cheerful or rich and complex - a good all rounder
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Cabernet Sauvignon
A global classic - perhaps the most noble of the noble great varieties
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Gamay
The grape behind Beaujolais - perfect summer drinking
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Grenache
The flavour of summer holidays
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Malbec
An increasingly popular grape after falling out of favour in recent years
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Merlot
Produces hugely popular, easy to drink wines - perfect for a Friday night in
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Nebbiolo
The James Dean of the Italian wine industry
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Negroamaro
A regional speciality that's gaining international fame
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Pinot Noir
A worldwide charmer, hard to grow but can produce wine of exceptional quality
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Pinotage
South Africa's unique grape, created in 1925
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Sangiovese
The basis of Tuscany's Chianti wine
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Syrah / Shiraz
One of the international celebrities on the grape scene
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Tempranillo
The most popular of Spanish red grapes
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Zinfandel
A grape with a long history that produces dark, plummy wines
White wine
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Albariño
Spain's seafood white - drink it young, fresh and cold
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Chardonnay
One of the few grape varieties that's become more famous than the wines made from it
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Chenin Blanc
Could easily be classified as one of the great 'noble' grapes - find out about this grape's range
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Colombard
An easy-to-grow stalwart of the supermarket bracket - the wine blender's favourite
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Gewürztraminer
The wine student's favourite - packed with exotic aromas
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Muscat
A grape with a long history - it actually tastes and smells of grapes
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Pinot Gris
A grape that produces delicately floral wines
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Riesling
The wine writer's favourite - this grape has capacity to produce great wines across the world
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Sauvignon Blanc
Produces mouthwatering and fresh wines in a global charm offensive
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Semillon
A chameleon grape and great mixer
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Viognier
One of the great success stories of recent times
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