What is a wine varietal?
A varietal wine is one made mainly from a single grape variety and named after it on the label, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay or Merlot [1]. Strictly speaking, “variety” is the vine or grape and “varietal” is the wine made from it, although the two words are used interchangeably most of the time [1]. A wine that names two or more grapes on the label, such as a Chardonnay-Viognier, is a blend rather than a varietal [1].
Varietal labelling is normal in New World countries such as the US, Australia, New Zealand and Chile, and in German-speaking regions including Alsace and Austria. Much of traditional European wine is still labelled by place instead, so a red Burgundy is Pinot Noir and a white Sancerre is Sauvignon Blanc, but neither label has to say so [1].
There are around 10,000 known grapevine varieties, but only a small number matter in practice. According to the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), 13 varieties cover more than a third of the world’s vineyard area and 33 cover half of it [2]. De Long’s Wine Grape Varietal Table, shown above, covers 184 of the most widely drunk wine grapes [3].
How body and acidity tell varietals apart
The most useful way to compare grapes is by the style of wine they make, and the two things that shape that most are body and acidity. That is how De Long arranges its chart, like a periodic table, with the lightest wines at the top and the heaviest at the bottom, and acidity running across [3].
Body is how heavy or full a wine feels in your mouth. It mostly comes from alcohol, and in red wines from tannin and extract too. Riper grapes make more sugar, which ferments into more alcohol, so warm climates tend to give fuller-bodied wines.
Acidity is what makes a wine taste fresh and makes your mouth water. Grapes lose acidity as they ripen, so cool climates usually give higher acidity and lighter body, and hot climates the opposite. That is why the same grape can taste quite different from a cool region and a warm one. De Long’s chart carries a warning to that effect: the body and acidity it shows are averages, and real wines vary with the climate, the vintage and the winemaking.
The useful pattern is that white grapes cluster at the light end and red grapes at the full end. On De Long’s table there are no red grapes in the three lightest rows and no white grapes in the three heaviest.
The main white wine varietals
White varietals run from very light, crisp wines to rich, full ones. Using the body rows on De Long’s chart, from lightest to fullest:
| Grape | Body | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Riesling | Light (row A, the lightest) | High acidity, made dry to very sweet. Germany’s most planted grape [2]. |
| Albariño | Light (row C) | Crisp coastal white from Galicia in Spain and northern Portugal. |
| Sauvignon Blanc | Light to medium (row E) | High acidity. Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé and New Zealand’s Marlborough. |
| Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Blanc | Medium-light (row F) | Austria’s main white grape, and a softer relation of Pinot Gris. |
| Chenin Blanc | Medium (row G) | Loire Valley and South Africa, made dry, sweet or sparkling. |
| Chardonnay | Medium to full (row H) | The most international white grape, grown in 41 countries [2]. |
| Pinot Gris, Viognier, Marsanne | Medium to full (row H) | Rounder, lower-acid whites. |
| Gewürztraminer, Sémillon | Full (row I, the fullest whites) | Aromatic Alsace whites, and the main grape of Sauternes. |
Chardonnay is a good example of how much winemaking matters. The grape itself is fairly neutral, so oak, malolactic fermentation and climate decide whether you get a lean Chablis or a rich, buttery Californian wine.
The main red wine varietals
Reds start at light, fresh grapes and go up to the heaviest, most tannic wines. Again using De Long’s body rows:
| Grape | Body | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lambrusco, Schiava | Light (row D, the lightest reds) | Light northern Italian reds; Lambrusco is usually sparkling. |
| Gamay | Light (row E) | The grape of Beaujolais. |
| Pinot Noir | Medium-light (row F) | Red Burgundy, Champagne, Oregon and New Zealand. Traced back to 14th-century Burgundy [2]. |
| Cabernet Franc | Medium (row G) | Loire reds such as Chinon, and a Bordeaux blending grape. |
| Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Barbera | Medium (row H) | Rioja, Chianti and Piedmont. 88% of Tempranillo is grown in Spain [2]. |
| Malbec, Nebbiolo, Tannat | Medium to full (row J) | Argentina, Barolo and Barbaresco, and Madiran. |
| Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenère | Full (row K) | Bordeaux grapes now grown worldwide; Carmenère is Chile’s signature red. |
| Syrah/Shiraz, Grenache/Garnacha, Zinfandel, Mourvèdre | Fullest (row L) | Rhône, Australia, Spain and California. |
Sangiovese is a good example of a medium-bodied Italian red. De Long describes it as black cherries, spice, smoke, herbs and tomato. It is grown mainly in Italy, where it is also called Brunello and Prugnolo, and it is the grape behind Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and many Super Tuscans.
The most planted wine grape varieties
The OIV’s most recent study of grape varieties, using 2015 figures, ranked the world’s most widely planted grapes. Kyoho, a table grape grown mainly in China, came first, but the next largest was a wine grape [2]:
- Cabernet Sauvignon, 341,000 hectares
- Merlot, 266,000 hectares
- Tempranillo, 231,000 hectares
- Airén, 218,000 hectares (a Spanish white also used for brandy)
- Chardonnay, 210,000 hectares
- Syrah, 190,000 hectares
- Grenache, 163,000 hectares
- Sauvignon Blanc, 123,000 hectares
- Pinot Noir, 112,000 hectares
- Trebbiano Toscano/Ugni Blanc, 111,000 hectares
These are wine grapes only, leaving out table and drying grapes such as Sultanina. The figures are as of 2015 and plantings have shifted since, but the same handful of “international” grapes, led by Cabernet Sauvignon, still dominate. Six of the ten are red, and most of those make medium to full-bodied wines.
Varietal wines versus blends
A varietal label doesn’t mean the wine is 100% one grape. The rules set a minimum share, and the rest can be something else:
- European Union: at least 85% of the named variety [1].
- United States: at least 75% for Vitis vinifera grapes such as Merlot or Chardonnay, and 51% for native Vitis labrusca grapes such as Concord. Some states set higher limits; Oregon requires 95% for certain varieties [1].
Many of the world’s best-known wines are blends. Red Bordeaux mixes Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, and New World winemakers have widely copied that approach [2]. Southern Rhône reds such as Châteauneuf-du-Pape blend Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, and Champagne usually blends Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier. Blending lets a winemaker balance one grape’s weaknesses with another’s strengths, for example adding Merlot’s softness to Cabernet Sauvignon’s tannin.
Questions about wine varietals
What is a varietal wine?
A wine made mainly from one grape variety and named after it, such as Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc. In the EU at least 85% of the wine must come from that grape, and in the US at least 75% [1].
What is the difference between a variety and a varietal?
The variety is the grape or vine; the varietal is the wine made from it. In everyday use the two are mixed up all the time [1].
What are the most popular wine varietals?
By vineyard area, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo, Airén, Chardonnay and Syrah were the most planted wine grapes in the OIV’s 2015 figures [2]. Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Riesling and Pinot Gris are also among the most widely drunk.
Which red wine varietals are the lightest?
Lambrusco, Schiava, Gamay and Pinot Noir make some of the lightest red wines. On De Long’s table they sit in the upper red rows, well above Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.
Which wine varietals are the fullest bodied?
Among reds, Syrah/Shiraz, Grenache, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Mourvèdre, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Among whites, Gewürztraminer, Sémillon, Chardonnay and Viognier. Climate and winemaking can move any of them up or down.
Where can I get De Long’s wine grape varietal table?
De Long sells it as a printed poster, framed or unframed, from its own website [3]. It is not available as a free PDF.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Varietal.
- OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine), Distribution of the world’s grapevine varieties, Focus OIV 2017 (2015 data).
- De Long, Wine Grape Varietal Table.
Last reviewed 4 November 2026
