7 Most Popular Red Wine Grapes You Need to Know - Unraveling Wine (2024)

This post is a back to basics, wine 101 post about the most popular red wine grapes everyone who is starting to learn about wine should get familiar with. If you have any questions about any of the red wine grapes I’ve listed, or need clarification, reach out to me! Or ask it in the Unraveling Wine Facebook Group.

One of the things sommeliers and wine writers are guilty of is forgetting what it was like to not know so much about wine. We throw out words, phrases, wine regions, and winemakers’ names as if everyone in the world knows what we’re talking about. It quickly becomes intimidating to talk about wine. I hope this list of red wine grapes is helpful in starting to understand what on earth we’re talking about.

The red wine grapes you need to know are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Malbec, Sangiovese, and Tempranillo. All of the red grape varieties are of the vitis vinefera species of grape. And to be honest, the grapes themselves are not red, they’re bluish purply black. The wine they make is red, though.

1. Cabernet Sauvignon

The first of the red wine grapes you need to know is Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s the most widely planted red grape variety in the world.

A few fast facts about Cabernet Sauvignon

• Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc are the parent grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon.
• It originated in Bordeaux, France.
• Also famous in California, Australia, and Chile.
• Cabernet Sauvignon is the most famous grape of the Napa Valley.
• Cabernet Sauvignon wines range from $3 to $3000.
• There are almost 1 million acres of Cabernet Sauvignon planted worldwide.

Tasting Notes for Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is a full-bodied, medium acid, high tannin, fruit dry red wine. Cabernet Sauvignon tastes and smells like blackberries, black currants, cherries, peppers, and violets. Vanilla, cedar, coconut, and chocolate smells can be found in Cabernet Sauvignon that has been aged in oak barrels.

Learn more about Cabernet Sauvignon in this post.

2. Merlot

The second of the red wine grapes you need to know is Merlot. It’s the second most widely planted red grape variety in the world after Cabernet Sauvignon.

A few fast facts about Merlot

• Merlot also originated in Bordeaux, France.
• Some of the best wines of Bordeaux are mostly Merlot.
• Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are ‘siblings;’ They share the parent grape Cabernet Franc.
• Merlot gets its name from merle which means little black bird in French.
• Some of the best value Merlots come from Chile.

Tasting Notes for Merlot

Merlot is a medium-bodied, medium acid, medium tannin, fruit dry red wine. Merlot tastes and smells like plums, blueberries, cherries, and red currants. Vanilla, cedar, coconut, and chocolate smells can be found in Merlot that has been aged in oak barrels.

Learn more about Merlot in this post.

3. Pinot Noir

Third on our list of the red wine grapes you need to know is Pinot Noir. While Pinot Noir barely breaks into the top 10 in terms of plantings, it is one of the most important red wine grapes in the world. Pinot Noir is the red wine of Burgundy and Champagne.

A few fast facts about Pinot Noir

• Pinot Noir is notoriously hard to grow and grows best in colder climates.
• Pinot Noir originated in Burgundy, France.
• Other notable wine regions are Germany; Sonoma, California; Central Otago, New Zealand; and Willamette Valley, Oregon.
• Pinot Noir is the main red wine grape of Champagne.
• One of the most expensive wines in the world, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, is made from Pinot Noir.
• Pinot Noir is related to Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc.

Tasting Notes for Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is a light-bodied, medium acid, low tannin, earthy dry red wine. Pinot Noir tastes and smells like strawberries, cherries, dried herbs, mushrooms, and spices. Vanilla and cinnamon smells can be found in Pinot Noir that has been aged in oak barrels.

Learn more about Pinot Noir in this post.

4. Syrah

Syrah, or Shiraz as its called in parts of the southern hemisphere, is another popular red wine grape that should be on your radar. Syrah makes fruity and spicy red wines. Syrah is a great value wine; wines from Syrah taste pretty darn good at lower price-levels.

A few fast facts about Syrah

• Syrah and Shiraz are the same grape variety.
• Syrah is thought to be a spontaneous crossing of two grape varieties in the Rhone Valley in France.
• There’s a lot of speculation about Shiraz getting its name from Persian city with the same name, however, this was found to be untrue. Still a great story though.
• Syrah is often blended with other red wine grapes, Grenache and Mourvedre.
• Notable regions for Syrah/Shiraz are Hermitage, Cornas, Saint Joseph all in the norther Rhone Valley, as well as Barossa Valley, Australia, and Paso Robles, California.

Tasting Notes for Syrah

Syrah is a full-bodied, medium acid, medium tannin, spicy dry red wine. Syrah tastes and smells like raspberries, olives, blackberries, and plums. Chocolate and espresso smells can be found in Syrah that has been aged in oak barrels.

Learn more about Syrah in this post.

5. Malbec

If I was making this list of red wine grapes 30 years ago, Malbec wouldn’t even break through to the top 20. It would have been a side note about grapes that are allowed to grow in Bordeaux. It wasn’t until Argentina started producing and exporting Malbec that it really stepped into the spotlight. In fact, if it weren’t for Argentina, Malbec could have disappeared altogether. Thankfully, now we enjoy Malbec from vineyards all over the world, but especially from Mendoza, Argentina.

A few fast facts about Malbec

• Malbec originated in Cahors, France.
• Malbec is one of the 5 main grapes of Bordeaux, however
• There’s a lot of speculation about Shiraz getting its name from Persian city with the same name, however, this was found to be untrue. Still a great story though.
• Although Malbec was first planted in Argentina in the 1800’s, it didn’t hit the global scene until the 1990’s.

Tasting Notes for Malbec

Syrah is a full-bodied, medium acid, medium tannin, fruity dry red wine. Malbec tastes and smells like blackberries, plums, leather, blueberries, and raspberries. Chocolate and coconut smells can be found in Malbec that has been aged in oak barrels.

Learn more about Malbec in this post.

6. Sangiovese

Sangiovese is the king of the Italian red wine grapes. It is by far the most planted red grape variety in Italy. It is the main grape variety in Chianti, Brunello, and most ‘rosso’ wines of Italy.

A few fast facts about Sangiovese

• Sangiovese spiritual home is Tuscany though it may have originated in southern Italy.
• The name Sangiovese is a translation of ‘blood of Jove’ or the Roman god, Jupiter.
• Notable wines of Sangiovese are Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino, Vino Noble di Montepulciano, and Super Tuscans.
• Beyond Italy, plantings of Sangiovese are low and are generally favored by winemakers of Italian descent.
• Sangiovese can make simple table wines to the extraordinary wines of the most famous Italian wine regions.

Tasting Notes for Sangiovese

Sangiovese is a medium-bodied, high acid, medium tannin, fruity dry red wine. Sangiovese tastes and smells like red cherries, black cherries, and more cherries. Sangiovese also smells and tastes like plums, sun-dried tomatoes, licorice, and dried herbs. Coffee and vanilla smells can be found in Sangiovese that has been aged in oak barrels.

Learn more about Italian wine here.

7. Tempranillo

Last, but certainly not least of the red wine grapes is Tempranillo. Tempranillo is the most important and most planted red wine grape of the Iberian peninsula, Spain and Portugal. Since it ripens very early, or temprano, it was given this name. It is often blended with other grapes depending on the wine region, but generally the red wine grapes of Grenache and Carinena.

A few fast facts about Tempranillo

• Tempranillo has dozens of alternative names across Spain and Portugal.
• Alternative names are Cencibel, Tinta Roriz, Tinta de Toro, Tinto Fino, and Aragonês in Portugal.
• Notable regions for Tempranillo are Rioja and Ribera del Duero in Spain.
• Tempranillo might be the oldest red wine grape on this list, dating back to the Phoenicians in 1100BCE.

Tasting Notes for Tempranillo

Syrah is a medium-bodied, medium acid, medium tannin, loveable dry red wine. Tempranillo tastes and smells like strawberries, cherries, figs. Coconut and dills smells can be found in Tempranillo that has been aged in American oak barrels.

Learn more about Syrah in this post.

Red Wine Grapes: Honorable Mentions

Here are a few more red wine grapes to look into: Grenache, Nebbiolo, Cabernet Franc, Mourvedre, Gamay, Barbera, Xinomavro, Zinfandel, and Zweigelt. I’ve done food and wine pairing guides for some of them. I’ll work on a lesser known red wine grape guide soon, too!