The Traditional Noble Grapes

Wines “ noble grapes ” are the six grapes that have traditionally made the highest quality wines. There are three white varieties – Sauvignon Blanc , Chardonnay, and Riesling, and three red varieties – Cabernet Sauvignon , Merlot, and Pinot Noir.To be qualified as a noble grape it has to be able to be made into a top quality wine by itself without blending and it has to be able to be grown in different areas in the world.

Since these grapes were classified as noble long ago you may notice that most originated in France. Because of this there some varietals that probably should have been classified as noble wines like zinfandel and nebbiolo were not included.

Recent advances in genetic testing have also thrown a twist into the mix taking down one of the strongest members of the group, Cabernet Sauvignon. Yes, it’s true one of the noble wine darlings is really a hybrid of Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc.

The term "noble grapes" is really no longer used in today’s wine community as you can see it is somewhat outdated, but it certainly has its use in learning the history of wine and it is also useful in knowing how wine has developed and grown into what it is today.

For our purposes here we will add zinfandel, nebbiolo, and cabernet franc to the mix and begin our wine knowledge from there. By learning the characteristics of these nine varietals you will gain the knowledge you need to get through most wine lists with ease.