# The world's great wine grape varieties

The grape varieties behind the world's great wines, roughly in order of vineyard area (OIV data via Sommy, Forbes and Decántalo), plus the noble grapes that punch above their acreage.

- 20 votes · 15 items
- Sep 12, 2026 · shreya_chennai
- https://even.best/en/l/881/the-world-s-great-wine-grape-varieties

## Top 15

1. **Cabernet Sauvignon** (4 · ▲4 ▼0) — The most planted wine grape: Bordeaux's Left Bank, Napa, Chile; blackcurrant and firm tannins.
2. **Merlot** (3 · ▲3 ▼0) — Soft, plummy red; France's most planted variety, star of Pomerol.
3. **Tempranillo** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — Spain's red: Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Toro.
4. **Chardonnay** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — The most planted white of note: Burgundy, Champagne and the New World.
5. **Syrah / Shiraz** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — Northern Rhône and Barossa, peppery and dark.
6. **Pinot Noir** (2 · ▲2 ▼0) — Burgundy's delicate red, also in Champagne and Oregon.
7. **Grenache / Garnacha** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Priorat and Spanish rosados.
8. **Riesling** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Germany's noble white, from bone dry to sweet.
9. **Sangiovese** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Italy's most planted red: Chianti and Brunello.
10. **Airén** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — Spanish white that long covered more vineyard area than any other.
11. **Nebbiolo** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Barolo and Barbaresco's tannic, rose-scented red.
12. **Malbec** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Argentina's flagship red, from Cahors originally.
13. **Pinot Grigio / Gris** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Light Italian whites and richer Alsace versions.
14. **Chenin Blanc** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Loire whites from Vouvray to Savennières, and South Africa's workhorse.
15. **Sauvignon Blanc** (-1 · ▲0 ▼1) — Zesty white of Sancerre and Marlborough.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.