35 famous wines, and the underdog grapes that answer them. Every grape links to its profile; every wine to the full guide.
Cabernet Sauvignon — a single variety.
- Alicante Bouschet the inky oneA teinturier with red flesh, not just red skin — among the darkest, most saturated reds there is.
- Touriga Nacional the structured onePortugal's noble grape: dense, floral, tannic and built to age, with a violet lift Cabernet can't match.
- Baga the age-worthy oneHigh tannin, high acid, savory — the Nebbiolo of Portugal, at a fraction of the price of the growths it outlasts.
100% Nebbiolo.
- Xinomavro the Greek BaroloTar and dried roses over fierce tannin and acid — the closest thing to Nebbiolo grown anywhere else.
- Baga the Portuguese BaroloFirm and savory young, profound with age — Portugal's long-game answer to Nebbiolo.
- Aglianico the Barolo of the SouthVolcanic southern-Italian red: black fruit, leather and tannin that rewards patience.
Nebbiolo — a single variety, also behind Barolo and Barbaresco.
- Xinomavro the closest thing there isTar, roses and grip — Nebbiolo's ghost, grown in northern Greece.
- Aglianico the structured Italian cousinDark, volcanic and age-worthy — southern Italy's serious, savory red.
- Sagrantino for the tannin chaserUmbria's most tannic grape — even more grip than Nebbiolo, and built to last.
- Baga the long-game bottleHigh acid, high tannin, savory — a cellar wine at an underdog price.
Pinot Noir — a single variety (red Burgundy).
- Mencía the fragrant oneRaspberry, pomegranate and graphite — mineral and perfumed, a Cru Beaujolais cousin.
- Schiava (Vernatsch) the feather-light onePale, low-tannin alpine red — strawberry and violet, best with a slight chill.
- Trousseau / Bastardo the cult oneJura's pale, savory, wild-edged red — cranberry and white pepper, quietly obsessed over.
- Nerello Mascalese the elegant oneHigh-altitude Etna red: red cherry, orange peel and ash — Burgundian poise from a volcano.
Merlot — a single variety.
- Agiorgitiko the Greek charmerSoft tannin, ripe red fruit, gentle spice — Greece's most-planted red and its friendliest.
- Mencía the fragrant oneRaspberry and graphite, medium-bodied and mineral — plush, but with a savory edge.
Malbec — a single variety (Côt in France).
- Alicante Bouschet the inky oneRed-fleshed teinturier — even darker and more saturated than Malbec, faintly savory underneath.
- Touriga Nacional the structured oneDense and floral with real grip — the same dark fruit, more backbone and a violet perfume.
- Teroldego the juicy oneAlpine Italian red: deep color, dark-berry fruit and low grip — the easy one to love.
Syrah — a single variety (Shiraz in Australia).
- Alicante Bouschet the inky oneMaximum color and depth — a black-fruited, full-bodied red with a savory undertow.
- Touriga Nacional the peppery, perfumed oneFloral and structured with a peppery lift that echoes northern-Rhône Syrah.
- Aglianico the savory, structured oneLeather, tobacco and firm tannin — dark, serious and volcanic.
- Sagrantino the brooding heavyweightThe most tannic grape Italy grows — inky, powerful and built for the long haul.
Zinfandel — a single variety, genetically identical to Italy's Primitivo.
- Alicante Bouschet the inky oneDeep, dark and saturated — the same bold fruit with a savory, structured core.
- Pinotage the smoky oneSouth Africa's own: brambly dark fruit with a woodsmoke-and-mocha edge.
- Touriga Nacional the structured oneThe same dark-fruited punch, dressed in floral perfume and firmer tannin.
Mostly Tempranillo, blended with Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo.
- Agiorgitiko the oak-friendly oneSoft tannin and ripe red fruit that take to oak the way Rioja does — Greece's most approachable red.
- Mencía the fragrant oneRaspberry, pomegranate and graphite — a mineral, perfumed red from Bierzo, next door in spirit.
- Touriga Nacional the structured oneDense, floral and ageworthy — the Iberian backbone Rioja lovers recognize, with a violet lift.
Mostly Sangiovese, often with a little Canaiolo or Colorino.
- Xinomavro the savory oneHigh acid, dried tomato, olive and herb — Sangiovese's Greek soulmate at the dinner table.
- Nerello Mascalese the elegant oneRed cherry and orange peel with Etna's mineral lift — bright, high-acid and food-friendly.
- Agiorgitiko the softer oneThe same red-cherry core, rounder and gentler — an easy step sideways from a weeknight Chianti.
A blend — Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, plus Petit Verdot and Malbec.
- Alicante Bouschet the inky oneRed-fleshed and saturated — dark, full-bodied and savory, for the depth a Left Bank blend gives.
- Touriga Nacional the structured oneDense, floral and tannic, built to age — the noble structure Bordeaux drinkers prize.
- Baga the ageworthy oneHigh tannin, high acid and savory — a cellar red at an underdog price.
Grenache, usually blended with Syrah and Mourvèdre — the Rhône's 'GSM'.
- Agiorgitiko the red-fruit oneRipe strawberry and plum with gentle spice — the warm, generous heart of a Rhône blend.
- Teroldego the juicy oneDeep-colored, dark-berried and low in grip — the easy, fruit-forward pour.
- Mencía the peppery oneRaspberry and graphite with a savory, peppery edge — medium-bodied and mineral.
100% Gamay.
- Schiava (Vernatsch) the feather-light onePale and low-tannin — strawberry and violet, best with a slight chill, just like cru Beaujolais.
- Trousseau / Bastardo the savory oneJura's pale, wild-edged red — cranberry and white pepper over featherweight tannin.
- Nerello Mascalese the elegant oneLight on its feet but serious — red cherry, orange peel and ash from Etna's slopes.
Cabernet Franc — a single variety (Chinon and Bourgueil in the Loire).
- Mencía the graphite oneRaspberry and pomegranate over a graphite, bay-leaf savor — the herbal edge Cabernet Franc lovers chase.
- Agiorgitiko the soft oneRipe red fruit and gentle spice, medium-bodied and smooth — the approachable side of Franc.
- Teroldego the fruit-forward oneDeep color and dark-berry fruit with low grip — juicier, but the same easy weight.
Petite Sirah — a single variety, also called Durif.
- Alicante Bouschet the inky oneA red-fleshed teinturier — as dark and saturated as wine gets, with a savory undertow.
- Sagrantino the tannic oneUmbria's most tannic grape: blackberry, tar and grip built for the long haul.
- Touriga Nacional the structured oneDense and floral with firm tannin — power dressed in violet perfume.
Barbera — a single variety (Piedmont).
- Mencía the fragrant oneRaspberry and graphite, medium-bodied and mineral, with the same juicy acidity.
- Agiorgitiko the easygoing oneSoft tannin and ripe red fruit — a friendly, food-loving pour.
- Nerello Mascalese the high-acid oneRed cherry and orange peel with real lift — bright and savory.
Montepulciano — a single variety (not the Tuscan town of the same name).
- Teroldego the juicy oneDeep color and dark-berry fruit with low grip — the easy one to love.
- Agiorgitiko the smooth oneRipe red fruit and gentle spice, soft and generous.
- Pinotage the smoky oneBrambly dark fruit with a woodsmoke edge — a touch more character.
Carménère — a single variety, a lost Bordeaux grape now at home in Chile.
- Mencía the herbal oneGraphite, bay leaf and red fruit — the savory, herbal streak Carménère is known for.
- Agiorgitiko the plush oneRipe, soft and gently spiced — the easygoing dark-fruit side.
- Touriga Nacional the structured oneMore backbone and floral lift, with the same dark-fruited depth.
Mourvèdre — a single variety (Monastrell in Spain, Mataró elsewhere).
- Alicante Bouschet the inky oneSaturated black fruit with a savory, meaty undertow — dark and dense.
- Aglianico the structured oneLeather, tobacco and firm tannin — volcanic and serious.
- Pinotage the smoky oneBrambly dark fruit with woodsmoke and mocha — rustic and warm.
Petit Verdot — usually a Bordeaux blending grape, bottled solo here.
- Alicante Bouschet the inky oneMaximum color and density — dark, full and savory.
- Touriga Nacional the perfumed oneFirm tannin under a violet-and-bergamot perfume — structure with lift.
- Sagrantino the tannic oneBlackberry and tar over massive tannin, built to age.
Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara — dried before pressing (appassimento).
- Aglianico the structured oneDark, brooding and ageworthy — depth without raisined sweetness. None of these are dried like Amarone, so expect savory, not sweet.
- Sagrantino the powerful oneUmbria's heavyweight: inky, tannic and long.
- Alicante Bouschet the dark oneSaturated black fruit and full body for the sheer richness.
Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara — the fresh, un-dried side of the Amarone blend.
- Schiava (Vernatsch) the feather-light onePale and low-tannin — strawberry and violet, lovely with a chill.
- Teroldego the juicy oneA little more color and fruit, still soft and easy.
- Nerello Mascalese the elegant oneRed cherry and orange peel with a mineral lift.
Nero d'Avola — a single variety (Sicily).
- Alicante Bouschet the inky oneDeeper and darker, saturated and savory.
- Teroldego the juicy oneDark-berry fruit, low grip, easy warmth.
- Pinotage the smoky oneBrambly fruit with a woodsmoke edge.
Dolcetto — a single variety (Piedmont).
- Schiava (Vernatsch) the light onePale, gentle and low-tannin — an easy sipper.
- Teroldego the dark-fruited oneDeeper color and berry fruit, still soft.
- Agiorgitiko the smooth oneRipe red fruit and gentle spice, friendly and round.
Carignan — a single variety (Cariñena/Mazuelo in Spain, Carignano in Italy).
- Mencía the mineral oneRaspberry and graphite with a savory, mineral edge.
- Agiorgitiko the ripe oneSofter and rounder, ripe red fruit and spice.
- Nerello Mascalese the high-acid oneRed cherry and lift, bright and food-friendly.
Cinsault — a single variety, and a common blending grape across southern France.
Tannat — a single variety (Madiran in France, the flagship red of Uruguay).
- Sagrantino the tannic oneEven Italy's most tannic grape meets its match here — blackberry, tar and grip.
- Baga the ageworthy oneHigh acid and firm tannin, savory and long.
- Alicante Bouschet the dark oneSaturated black fruit for sheer density.
Blaufränkisch — a single variety (Lemberger in Germany, Kékfrankos in Hungary).
- Mencía the peppery oneRaspberry and graphite with a savory, peppery snap.
- Nerello Mascalese the high-acid oneRed cherry and orange peel, bright and mineral.
- Xinomavro the savory oneDried tomato, olive and herb over firm acid — a step up in grip.
A fortified blend of Douro grapes — Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca and more.
- Touriga Nacional the source oneThe backbone of Port, made dry: dense, floral and structured.
- Baga the savory oneHigh tannin and acid, savory and ageworthy.
- Alicante Bouschet the inky oneSaturated black fruit and full body. Note: these are dry reds, not sweet fortified wine — the grapes, not the style.
Chardonnay — a single variety (white Burgundy, Chablis).
- Godello the white-Burgundy onePear, quince and wet stone with a textural weight that stands in for unoaked Chardonnay.
- Fiano the rich, ancient oneAn ancient southern-Italian white — honeyed, nutty and full, with real staying power.
- Albillo Mayor the rounder oneA textural Spanish white with orchard fruit and a savory, structured core.
Sauvignon Blanc — a single variety (Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé).
- Verdejo the herbal oneGrapefruit, lime and fennel with a bitter-almond twist — Spain's zesty answer to Sauvignon.
- Albillo Mayor the textured oneMore weight than a typical crisp white, with green apple, peach and fennel.
- Godello the mineral oneCitrus and wet stone — bright but textural, mineral rather than grassy.
Pinot Grigio — a single variety (Pinot Gris in France).
- Elbling the featherweight oneRome's forgotten German grape: green apple, chalk and saline — bone-dry and light as air.
- Verdejo the zesty oneMore aromatic than Pinot Grigio, with grapefruit and a herbal snap.
- Godello the one with bodyThe step up: the same easy drinkability, but with pear, quince and texture.
Riesling — a single variety.
- Elbling the bone-dry oneGreen apple, chalk and saline — Germany's forgotten grape, electric and bone-dry. It won't give you Riesling's floral sweetness, but the racy acid is all there.
- Godello the textural oneCitrus and wet stone with real weight — the mineral side of Riesling, drier and rounder.
- Verdejo the aromatic oneGrapefruit, lime and fennel with a herbal lift — the closest aromatic snap among Spanish whites.
Gewürztraminer — a single variety (Alsace, Alto Adige).
- Moschofilero the aromatic twinRose petal, orange blossom and citrus — the Gewürztraminer perfume, bone-dry and fresh. Easier to say, too.
- Fiano the textural oneHoneyed, nutty and full — for the weight of Gewürztraminer when you want body over florals.
Usually a blend, pressed pale — Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvèdre.
- Xinomavro the structured onePale, bone-dry Amyndeon rosé — red berry cut with tomato leaf and herb, with acidity built for the table.
- Moschofilero the aromatic oneA pink-skinned grape born for rosé — rose petal and orange blossom over dry citrus, pale and fresh.
- Baga the crisp onePortugal's Bairrada made pink long before Provence went global — high-acid, tart and often lightly sparkling.
