From Bordeaux to Chianti, many famous wines throughout Europe are labeled by the region instead of the grape. While this helps familiarize consumers with each region’s specific style, drinkers might wonder what grapes are actually in their glass.
While some appellations like Vouvray, Sancerre, or Bourgogne Rouge indicate that the wine is made primarily from one grape (Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir, respectively, in that case), it can be a bit more complicated when it comes to regions known for their blends. Appellations like Champagne or even Provence are renowned for wines made with a blend of grapes. Each region typically has a set of varieties, whether it be three or 18, that are permitted to make up the blend. And some regions have minimum requirements for each grape. (Sangiovese, for example, must make up at least 70 percent of Chianti blends.)
If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about your favorite wine blends, read on to discover the main grapes featured in five of the most popular.
Red Bordeaux Blends
Bordeaux is one of France’s most prestigious regions, but because the wines here are typically blends rather than a single varietal, it’s not always clear what grapes are in each bottle. There are three major grape varieties that make up the majority of Bordeaux blends: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. Varieties like Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carménère are also permitted in Bordeaux blends, and often play supporting roles.
The best way to categorize the region’s many blends is by subregion. The larger Bordeaux area is divided by the Gironde Estuary, which splits into the Dordogne and Garonne rivers. The area to the north and east of the estuary is considered the Right Bank, and the land to the south and west is the Left Bank. This separation is more than just a geographical feature, though, as the style of wine also varies between the banks. The Right Bank is known for its medium-bodied and earthy Merlot-dominant blends. Cabernet Franc also plays a large part in Right Bank blends, with some famous producers like Cheval Blanc using around 45 percent Cabernet Franc in its red blends.
Meanwhile, on the Left Bank, the wines are primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented by the other grapes. These wines have a reputation of being fuller-bodied, with more bold fruit character.
In response to climate change, in 2019 the the Union of Bordeaux AOC and Bordeaux Supérieur winemakers also approved a list of six new grape varieties to be used in the region, including Portugal’s Touriga Nacional and Marselan, a hearty cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache. So while these grapes weren’t traditionally included in Bordeaux blends, there’s a chance the region might lean on them in the future.
White Bordeaux Blends
Similar to the reds of Bordeaux, the white wines from this region are also typically blends. There are two major grape varieties that make up the white wines here: Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Muscadelle is used in smaller quantities, and on rare occasions there might be some Sauvignon Gris, Colombard, or Ugni Blanc included in the blend as well.
Sauvignon Blanc brings bright aromatics, acidity, and green, grassy notes and the Sémillon brings a complex waxy texture and more rounded body. The percentage of each grape used in the wines can vary by producer. These wines can also be crisp and fresh, or full-bodied and heavily oaked, depending on winemaking style. The best examples of white Bordeaux can be found in the Entre-Deux-Mers, Graves, and Pessac-Léognan appellations.
In addition to the dry white wines of Bordeaux, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon are also used in the region’s prized sweet wines. While most wine drinkers are familiar with the most famous of these wines, Sauternes, there are actually 10 appellations the sweet wines of Bordeaux can be found under, including: Barsac, Cadillac, Cérons, and Loupiac, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, Graves Supérieurs, Côtes de Bordeaux-Saint-Macaire, Bordeaux Supérieur, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux, and, of course, Sauternes.
Champagne
Grape varieties might not be top of mind when popping a bottle of Champagne, but there are actually a few different types of blends to look for when picking out your next bottle. The three most commonly used grape varieties in Champagne are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Petit Meslier, and Arbane are also permitted in the region, though they are rare to come across. These seven grapes have historically been the basis for all Champagnes, but more recently another grape was added to the mix. Voltis, an experimental fungus-resistant variety, has been approved for use in making Champagne; it’s the region’s first hybrid grape.
Though the wines from this region are all made in the traditional method, the flavor profile of a specific Champagne can vary greatly depending on which grapes are included in the blend. If a wine is labeled Blanc de Blancs, that means that it’s made exclusively from white grapes, which in this case means Chardonnay. These wines tend to be steely with sharp acidity and crisp citrus notes. If a wine is labeled Blanc de Noirs, that means it’s made with the region’s red grapes, so either Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, or a blend of the two. Blanc de Noirs wines tend to have a slightly richer flavor profile, with some subtle red berry fruit notes.
Alternatively, Champagnes can also be made as a blend of all three grapes, which is common among the popular bottlings from the large houses, with some featuring other grapes as well.
Chianti
Most American consumers are familiar with this classic Italian wine, either from a visit to the rolling hills of Tuscany or, more likely, from encountering a straw basket of the wine at a local red sauce joint. But fans of Chianti might not be aware of all of the grapes that go into the iconic wine.
In the Chianti DOCG, it’s required that at least 70 percent of the blend is Sangiovese, the region’s local red grape. That figure rises to 80 percent for the Chianti Classico designation. Other local grape varieties are also permitted in the blend, including Canaiolo, Colorino, Ciliegiolo, and Mammolo. More recently, Bordeaux varieties were also welcomed into the Chianti blend, piggybacking off of the success of the bold Super Tuscan wines. Now Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot can be added to Chianti, but these grapes can only make up 15 percent of the total wine.
Provence Rosé
The preferred poolside sipper of the summer, Provence rosé is known for its crisp, quaffable style made from a combination of the area’s local grapes. The most commonly used red grapes include Grenache, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, Syrah, and Tibouren. Under the appellation laws, the proportion of these grapes must be at least 50 percent of the overall blend. The other 50 percent can include Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, rare local varieties, and white grapes, including Vermentino (known locally as Rolle), Clairette, Sémillon, and Ugni Blanc.
Cinsault is rarely the star in the red blends of southern France, but in Provence rosé, Cinsault is often the leading variety in the blend, adding tart red berry notes, floral aromatics, and bright acidity. Grenache is also an important component of rosé, also adding juicy red fruit notes. In the subregion of Bandol, which is known for its deeply colored, complex, and age-worthy rosés, the blends depend more on Mourvèdre, which provides depth and savory notes.
