Wine Varietals

Albariño

Albariño (ahl-bah-REE-nyoh) is considered by many to be Spain's premier quality white wine and we are very excited to be able to bring the variety to the memb ...

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Barbera

Barbera is a special red grape varietal of the Old World. Native to Piedmont, Italy, Barbera is a hardy grape that grows well in the chalky soils of the area. ...

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Bordeaux Blanc

Despite the fact that Bordeaux is a region in France, it can also be a designation for the wines produced there. In many cases Old World wines are named after ...

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Bordeaux Rouge

Bordeaux Rouge, or red Bordeaux (bore-DOUGH), wines make up 89% of the wines produced in Bordeaux. Wines from this region are usually a blend of two or more of ...

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Brut Champagne

Champagne is a historic wine region in France. Only sparkling wines produced in this region may properly be called or marketed "Champagne". Wine from Champagne ...

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Cabernet Sauvignon

At The Judgment of Paris, in 1976, Napa Valley Cabernets scored ahead of some top Bordeaux Châteaux in a blind tasting. This is a perfect example of how this v ...

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Carménère

Carménère can translate to “crimson,” indicative of the wine’s beautiful, deep crimson color. Gaining popularity in Chile, the vines of Carménère flourished ...

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Champagne

Champagne is a historic wine region in France. Only sparkling wines produced in this region may properly be called or marketed "Champagne". Wine from Champagne ...

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Chardonnay

Chardonnay is by far the foremost white grape of Burgundy and has become ever-present in today’s wine world. Chardonnay is also the 5th most widely planted gra ...

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Châteauneuf-du-Pape

When a French wine has Châteauneuf-du-Pape on the label it’s not specific to a varietal, but a blend of grapes all grown in the famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine ...

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Chenin Blanc

A versatile grape, Chenin Blanc is a white grape commonly from the Loire Valley of France. Ranging from dry to sweet dessert wines, it easily adapts to differ ...

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Gigondas

Pronounced “jhee-gohn-dahs” Laws in France relating to wine are incredibly strict, which results in wine labels packed full of pertinent information. One of t ...

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Grenache

Grenache has been an extensively grown grape throughout the world, making it a great varietal we feature in our monthly Wine Clubs. We have featured single-var ...

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Grenache Blanc

As its name states, the Grenache Blanc is a close relative to Grenache - a popular red grape originating in Spain. The blanc, or white version of the va ...

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Grüner Veltliner

Grüner Veltliner (pronounced GREW-nuhr Felt-LEEN-ehr) is an ancient white grape varietal indigenous to Austria, literally meaning “green Veltliner” in German. ...

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Malbec

Malbec is a red grape variety long known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. Originally from southwestern France, Malbec has be ...

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Marsanne

Northern Rhône’s most popular white wine grape, Marsanne (Mahr-SAHN) is typically blended with Roussanne and Clairette. It finds popularity within California, ...

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Meritage

Meritage, pronounced like heritage, first appeared in the late 1980s after a group of American vintners in Napa Valley joined forces to create a name for New W ...

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Merlot

Merlot is a red wine variety with strong historic ties to Bordeaux and the southwest of France. This hearty red wine is similar to a Cabernet Sauvignon, but so ...

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Old Vine Zinfandel

You might see the term Old Vine Zinfandel on websites, labels or as part of a wine’s name. Naturally you might have asked yourself why the age of a vine matter ...

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Petite Sirah

This is a grape variety which produces an excellent very dark red wine that's often described as "peppery." Don't confuse Petite Sirah with Syrah. Although the ...

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Pinot Gris

Pinot Gris is a light in color, light-bodied white wine originally grown in France, has a bright finish, that’s perfect for the warm days of summer or to be en ...

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Pinot Noir

A seductive red grape is referred to as the "heart break grape" because it is costly to produce, unpredictable, relatively low-yielding and sensitive to grow i ...

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Red Blend

The difference between a “varietal” and a “blended wine” is that varietals by law must have minimums of 75%-85% of a single grape, while blended wines can have ...

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Riesling

Riesling is one of the world’s most popular white grape varietals. Its origins trace back to the Rhine region of Germany where it was first planted in the medi ...

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Rosé

Rosé has been on the rise in recent years, and for good reason. The stereotype of pink wine is that it’s sweet, fruity and lacking in depth. However, a better ...

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Roussanne

Roussanne is a finicky white wine grape that gets its name from the russet color of its ripe berries-roux in French. The varietal traces it’s heritage back to ...

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Sauvignon Blanc

Wine lovers looking for a crisp, refreshing and straight forward white wine often turn to their favorite bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. The green-skinned grapes tr ...

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Syrah

Syrah are thick skinned purple-black red wine grapes that are among the top ten most planted varietals in the world. It is the offspring of two ancient varieta ...

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Tempranillo

Tempranillo is an almost black grape widely grown in Spain to make full-bodied red. It is the main grape used in the Rioja wine region, and is often referred t ...

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Torrontes

Torrontés (Tor RON taze) has become one of Argentina’s iconic white wines and is grown in all the country’s winemaking regions. The grape produces wines that a ...

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Touriga Nacional

Touriga Nacional wines are considered by many to be Portugal’s premier red wine grape. The grapes are native to the Douro and Dâo regions of Portugal, where he ...

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Verdelho

The Verdelho grape (Ver-del-oh) is a relatively uncommon white wine varietal that originates from Portugal and has been most prominently planted on Portugal’s ...

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Viognier

Viognier is a thick-skinned, white-wine grape variety with a reputation for producing aromatic wines that tend to be dry instead of overly sweet. While the ori ...

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White Blend

The term White Blend is an umbrella category for white grape blends that are not based on a standard regional composition. Winemakers blend grapes for a variet ...

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Zinfandel

Introduced to California during the Gold Rush era, the Zinfandel grape (also known by the it’s Italian name Primitivo) traces its origins back to a pair of Cro ...

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