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10 Native Grape Varieties to Taste Today
With 10,000 grapes identified across the globe, there is no shortage of cultivars for wine lovers to explore. But with so many varieties, it can often be overwhelming finding where to start. There is no wrong answer, but if you’re looking to get out of a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Noir glut, here are ten unique grape varieties native to ten different countries worth exploring today.
1. Timorasso
While a critical darling in recent years delivering some of Italy’s most complex white wines, Timorasso nearly disappeared entirely in the late 20th century. Indeed by 2000, only six hectares remained in Piedmont’s Tortona, the area most famous for the variety. The small handful of producers crafting Timorasso today offer broad, fuller bodied wines redolent of something between a nutty Chenin Blanc and a creamy Chardonnay.
2. Godello
Likely first born along the banks of the Río Sil in Spain’s northwest, Godello is also grown across the border in Portugal, where it is known as Gouveio. Still, the grape is best associated with the Galician appellation Valdeorras, where the grape was resuscitated from near extinction in the 1980s. It is also cultivated in nearby Bierzo, where it offers riper, but complex and stony white wines.
3. Petite Arvine
Native to Switzerland’s Valais region, Petite Arvine counts among the finest indigenous Alpine grapes. Recognized for its focused acidity, citric flavors, and salty minerality, Petite Arvine’s freshness beautifully contrasts cheese-rich local delicacies, like fondue and raclette. The variety is hardly seen beyond Swiss borders, though small plantings can be found in France and Italy.
4. Hárslevelű
While most recognized as a blending partner to Furmint for the great Hungarian sweet wine Tokaj Aszú, Hárslevelű deserves consideration on its own merits. The same soft floral qualities Hárslevelű can contribute to a blend allow the variety to craft delicate, nuanced white wines on its own. It is an important component of Egri Csillag, the flagship white wine of Hungary’s Eger region to the northeast of Budapest.
5. Koshu
The mysterious Koshu is a surprising variety predominately of the Eurasian vine species Vitis vinifera that is native to Japan. Its exact origins remain a point of debate, though the variety likely enjoys several centuries of cultivation in East Asia. Like Pinot Grigio, Koshu is a beautifully hued pink-skinned grape. Accordingly, it can be made into both white and light rosé wines. Koshu wines are generally subtle, savory, and light, making them excellently matched to Japanese cuisine.
Must-Try White Wines
6. Vranec
Grown throughout the central Balkan Peninsula under a handful of different spellings, Vranec is the leading red grape variety of North Macedonia. DNA analysis has revealed that the grape shares a parent-offspring relationship with Zinfandel, the native Croatian variety that’s better associated with California. Vranec truly embodies its name, meaning “black stallion,” with its powerful black fruit flavors and muscular, persistent tannic structure that gives its wines the profound capacity to age.
7. Agiorgitiko
Autochthonous to Greece’s Peloponnese, Agiorgitiko still finds its home in Nemea, a place of legend where Hercules slayed the Nemean lion. Its name means “St. George’s grape,” deriving its title from a nearby chapel dedicated to the saint. Greece’s most cultivated red wine grape, Agiorgitiko also provides several of the country’s most treasured wines, lauded for their richness and longevity. The variety also blends well with Cabernet Sauvignon, and it is also crafted into dessert wines.
8. Saperavi
Saperavi is a rare teinturier variety, meaning that not only is its skin red, but so is its flesh and juice. As such, Sapervi wines count among the most deeply pigmented in the world. The signature red variety of the Republic of Georgia, Saperavi is celebrated for its rich dark fruit flavors and plush, inky tannic structure. Several are still crafted in traditional Georgian qvevri—giant amphorae that are buried beneath the earth.
9. Touriga Franca
Despite what its name might suggest, Touriga Franca is not French, but native to Portugal’s Douro Valley. There, it serves as a critical grape in the classic Port blend, alongside its parent, Touriga Nacional. More recently, Touriga Franca has garnered attention for its contributions to dry Douro red wines. Both monovarietally and in blends, the grapes is celebrated for its gentle violet aromas, soft spice and herbal qualities, and fresh plummy flavors.
10. Fetească Neagră
Fetească Neagră is likely native to the historic Moldavia region, comprised of the country Moldova and the adjacent Romanian region of the same name. Along with Fetească Albă and Fetească Regală (fetească translating to “maiden”), the red grape is one of Romania’s three premier native varieties. Fetească Neagră is enjoyed for its structured, darkly fruited wines and rank among the very finest in Romania and Eastern Europe.
Must-Try Red Wines
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