Grapes are great when eaten as fresh fruits or juice, dried and made into raisins, or made into wine. However, there is no denying that the popularity of grapes is because of their wide use in the winery. One of the factors that determine the origin, quality, and taste of wines is the grape from which it is made. When grapes are farmed for the purpose of winemaking, it is called viticulture. Winemakers care a lot about how grapes are grown and which variety is grown because things like these greatly affect the taste. Most importantly, winemakers try to choose a variety that will suit the soil condition and weather in their region.

Grapes for wine production have two main types: red and white. The most familiar red grape varieties are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Tempranillo while the most familiar white varieties are Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Gewurztraminer.

Let’s take a look at some of these important types.

Red Grape Types

Cabernet Franc 

Cabernet Franc is a variety of red grapes regularly found in Bordeaux, France. Cabernet Franc is a popular variety with winemakers around the world. Well-known wines that are sourced from this grape are the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It might have a peppery taste with tobacco, raspberry, or coffee depending on the district where it is made. The 100 percent Cabernet Franc variety of wine is produced in a couple of areas of the world. The most ancient is the Loire Valley in France, and as of late in Washington, California, and Carolina in the United States. 

Cabernet Sauvignon 

Cabernet Sauvignon grape was originally started in Bordeaux, France. It is a blended kind from two parental hybrids of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. Since it was first made known several hundred years back, it has been embraced in numerous winemaking regions in the world. Wines produced from this variety of grapes have exceptional taste and fragrance. The development of this grape has stretched out from Europe to other winemaking areas around the world. Cabernet Sauvignon is presently a significant sort developed and utilized as a mix in California, the state where over 90 percent of the US wine is produced. 

Merlot 

Merlot known for its intense and rich fruity red color is one of the significant red grape types with its source originating from the Bordeaux in France. The taste is like Cabernet with the fragrances of blackberry, cassis berries, chocolate, and coffee. Merlot is like Cabernet yet with less tannin content that gives it the fine flavor and taste. Merlot grapes are developed as a noteworthy sort in Chile, Italy, and the United States. 

Syrah 

Syrah grape is a red sort that took its starting point from the Rhône wine district in Northern France. The grape has been embraced as the primary sort for winemakers in nations like Australia and South Africa. Hermitage and Cote Rotie vintage wines produced using Syrah grapes energized a few people from Australia on a visit to France to discover progressively about the grape. They took the Syrah grape along to Australia where it is locally called Shiraz. The wines produced using Syrah come in various styles. Ideal and delightful wines with ready plums and blackberry natural products express the diverse qualities of the locale they originate from, for example, flavors and pepper from cold atmospheres, for example, the Yarra Valley and Adelaide Hills of Australia.

Pinot Noir 

The Pinot Noir grape type is indigenous to the Burgundy region in France, which offers probably the best quality red wines to date. A few nations have imported Pinot Noir into their wine-production industry. This has made the grape gain its popularity after some time with top quality wines from California, Oregon, New Zealand, and numerous other new wine developing regions. 

Tempranillo 

While a lot of red grape types originated in France, Tempranillo is a red grape that took its origin from Spain and is widely used to create delectable Spanish red wines. Regardless of its origin in Spain, it has been developed by viticulturists in America, Australia, and South Africa. Tempranillo grows earlier than other grape types which improve its flavor, taste, and quality. Wines produced using Tempranillo have a decent flavor, for example, plum, tobacco, cedar, and vanilla. The Spanish Conquistadors took the grape seeds to different parts of Europe and America without any differences in the flavor and taste as those developed in Spain. 

White Grape Types 

Sauvignon Blanc 

Sauvignon Blanc is a white sort from Bordeaux, France. Sauvignon Blanc is coined from two French words “Sauvage” (wild) and “blanc” (white). Sauvignon blanc is planted in many wine-developing areas of the world and is known for its crisp, dry, and reviving flavor. Wines produced using Sauvignon offer a wide scope of flavors from homegrown to citrus and tropical shades which express the distinctive attributes of the locale from which they are made. Sauvignon blanc is a principal white sort that can be found in numerous locales of Europe, America, and Australia. 

Chardonnay 

Chardonnay is another significant white grape utilized in the creation of a few mixes of white wine and is found nearly in all areas of the world. The grape started in Burgundy, France. The wines produced using the Chardonnay grape has diverse taste and flavor depending on the region they belong to. Chardonnay grape type has been made known to a few different nations outside France, for example, England, New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. 

Gewürztraminer

Gewürztraminer is a white grape and it isn’t as common compared with Sauvignon blanc and Chardonnay. Its cultivation began as a mutant cross from the trainer also called Sauvignon blanc in northern Italy. Traminer is an old grape from Tramin a der Weinstraße, a German-speaking part of Italy. Gewürztraminer has distinctive characteristics and is easy to recognize from its floral to fruity aroma for many wine connoisseurs. It has an exceptional fragrance of flower petals, gardenia, honeysuckle, lychee, grapefruit, peach, and mango. Gewürztraminer is mainly grown in Alsace, France but it has also been growing in New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. Wines made with Gewürztraminer grape offer loads of tasty flavors and health benefits.