Noble grape varieties

Napa Valley · Bordeaux · Coonawarra

The world's most planted red grape variety. Cabernet Sauvignon produces structured, tannic wines with blackcurrant, cedar, and tobacco notes. Its thick skins and small berries contribute to its deep color and aging potential. Left Bank Bordeaux and Napa Valley are its spiritual homes.

Burgundy · Oregon · Central Otago

The heartbreak grape — difficult to grow but transcendent when it works. Pinot Noir produces some of the world's most complex, age-worthy, and food-friendly red wines. Its thin skins and finicky nature mean it only thrives in specific cool-climate terroirs, but the results are worth the effort.

Burgundy · Napa Valley · Champagne

The world's most recognized white grape and a winemaker's canvas. Neutral in flavor relative to aromatic grapes, Chardonnay takes on character from its terroir and the decisions made in the cellar. It can be lean and mineral (Chablis), rich and oaky (Napa), or precise and sparkling (Champagne blanc de blancs).

Mosel · Alsace · Clare Valley

Arguably the most versatile and age-worthy white grape in the world, yet chronically underrated due to confusion about sweetness. Riesling's electric acidity preserves it across decades; even off-dry styles remain refreshing because the residual sugar is balanced by tartness. Dry Riesling is one of wine's great food partners.

Chianti Classico · Brunello di Montalcino · Montepulciano

Italy's most planted red variety and the backbone of Tuscany's great wines. Sangiovese's high acidity and firm tannin make it a natural table wine — it practically demands food. As Brunello di Montalcino it reaches its apex: a wine of extraordinary complexity and longevity, built from 100% Sangiovese Grosso (Brunello clone).

Rioja · Ribera del Duero · Toro

Spain's most important red variety, the soul of Rioja and Ribera del Duero. Tempranillo produces wines that span from everyday quaffing reds to complex, age-worthy Reservas and Gran Reservas. Traditional Rioja styled in American oak is one of wine's most distinctive flavor profiles; newer expressions favor freshness over vanilla.

Barossa Valley · Côte-Rôtie · Hermitage

Same grape, two styles. As Syrah in the Northern Rhône it is savoury, peppery, and muscular; as Shiraz in Barossa it is rich, jammy, and opulent. Both share a characteristic black olive note and respond beautifully to age. Old-vine Barossa Shiraz with pre-phylloxera plant material is some of the world's most collectible wine.

Marlborough · Sancerre · Pouilly-Fumé

The world's most aromatic white grape and the defining wine of New Zealand. Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc launched a thousand wine careers with its pungent passion fruit and cut-grass character. Loire Valley expressions (Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé) are drier and more mineral-driven. Bordeaux Blanc blends it with Sémillon for rich, age-worthy whites.