Red wine grape · Vitis vinifera
Cabernet Sauvignon
A red wine grape associated with Bordeaux, described in both the French Plantgrape reference and UC Davis's history of the region's black grapes.
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GroundWorx · Botanical reference
Wine Grapes & Viticulture
The cultivars behind the vineyard. Origins, vine characteristics and regional research—with the evidence beside the facts.
Explore the grapesIllustrative vineyard artwork · Not a customer site
Cultivar reference · First collection
Wine-grape profiles
23 profiles
White wine grape · Vitis vinifera
Chardonnay
A white wine grape with Burgundian heritage and a documented history of introductions, selections and research in California.
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Pinot noir
An ancient red wine grape strongly associated with Burgundy. Its historical origin is not described with equal certainty by every source.
Read profileRed wine grape · Vitis vinifera
Merlot
A red wine grape associated with Bordeaux, with regional growing descriptions that need to remain tied to their original sources.
Read profileWhite wine grape · Vitis vinifera
Sauvignon blanc
A white wine grape whose geographic origin is described as either central or southwestern France, rather than one certain birthplace.
Read profileWhite wine grape · Vitis vinifera
Riesling
A white wine grape with a long history along the Rhine and its tributaries; its origin is described as probable rather than conclusively established.
Read profileRed wine grape · Vitis vinifera
Zinfandel
The cultivar known as Zinfandel in California is genetically linked to Italy's Primitivo and Croatia's Crljenak kaštelanski / Tribidrag.
Read profileRed wine grape · Vitis vinifera
Cabernet franc
A red wine grape probably from southwestern France, documented as one of Bordeaux's principal black grapes.
Read profileRed wine grape · Vitis vinifera
Grenache
A red wine grape originally from Spain and introduced to France in the Middle Ages, known under many official names across Europe.
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Tempranillo
A red wine grape originally from Spain's Rioja region, with published genetic analysis pointing to a specific parentage.
Read profileRed wine grape · Vitis vinifera
Malbec
A red wine grape originally from southwestern France, officially registered in France under the name Cot and widely known as Malbec.
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Syrah
A red wine grape native to France's northern Rhône area, known in Australia and elsewhere as Shiraz.
Read profileWhite wine grape · Vitis vinifera
Chenin blanc
A white wine grape from France's Loire Valley, likely Anjou, recorded under many historical names.
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Petit Verdot
A red wine grape from southwestern France, recognized under the same name in UC Davis's variety records.
Read profileWhite wine grape · Vitis vinifera
Viognier
A white wine grape native to the northern Côtes du Rhône, genetically close to Mondeuse blanche.
Read profileRed wine grape · Vitis vinifera
Sangiovese
A red wine grape from Tuscany, Italy, grown in Corsica under the name Nielluccio.
Read profileRed wine grape · Vitis vinifera
Mourvèdre
A late red wine grape from Spain, known there as Monastrell and in some regions as Mataro.
Read profileWhite wine grape · Vitis vinifera
Gewürztraminer
An aromatic white wine grape with pink berries, described as the pink mutation of Savagnin blanc.
Read profileWhite wine grape · Vitis vinifera
Pinot gris
A white wine grape with grey-pink berries, the grey mutation of Pinot noir, also sold as Pinot grigio.
Read profileRed wine grape · Vitis vinifera
Nebbiolo
A red wine grape from Piedmont in northern Italy.
Read profileRed wine grape · Vitis vinifera
Barbera
A vigorous red wine grape from Piedmont in northern Italy.
Read profileWhite wine grape · Vitis vinifera
Sémillon
A white wine grape from the Bordeaux vineyards whose yields vary strongly with terroir.
Read profileWhite wine grape · Vitis vinifera
Albariño
A white wine grape from the west coast of the Iberian Peninsula, called Alvarinho in Portugal.
Read profileCultivar, clone, rootstock, site
A cultivar name is only part of a vineyard's story. Regional extension observations are presented in their original setting, not as worldwide planting recommendations.
These profiles do not establish universal moisture targets, irrigation schedules, disease diagnoses or GroundWorx yield and wine-quality results.