California Grape Varieties
Costa’s Wine Country helps you to make your perfect single grape varietal wine or a blend. Learn about our California grape varieties.
Our California winemaking juices are available in 20L pails, all year round and always kept in stock.
CALIFORNIA RED VARIETIES
Alicante
A vividly coloured varietal widely known for blending and lending its strong colouring to other wines
Amarone
Dry and full-bodied with flavours of cherries, raisins and elderberries.
A wine that only gets better with age
Barbera
Known for its deep colour, low tannins and high levels of acidity
With notes of cherries, raspberries and aromas of fresh fruits
Barolo
A full-bodied wine that is deep red in colour with a thick complex flavour
Cabernet Franc
A medium to full bodied, rich dark wine with slightly less tannins than its counterpart, Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
A full-bodied red wine with high tannins and rich fruit characteristics.
Flavours such as cherry, plum, blackberry, vanilla and warm spice
Carignan
Strong red fruit characteristics, deep violet and purple in colour, with high levels of tannins and alcohol content
Châteauneuf-du-Pape
A full-bodied red wine with intense aroma, deep colour and a warm bouquet of ripe berry fruit nicely rounded with oak
Chianti
A classic table wine with aromas of dried berry fruits, savoury herbs and a slight peppery edge
Gamay Noir
A refreshing, light and fruity wine with high acidity levels and low alcohol content
Lambrusco
With primary characteristics of lightness, fruit flavours and low alcohol content, as well as low acidity creating a clean finish
Malvoise
Its flavours are best characterized as rounded and plumy with good acidity and ripe tannins
Merlot
Known for flavours of plums, black cherries, violets and orange. Having less tannins than a Cabernet, it is mellow but still complex
Montepulciano
Dark and fruity flavours with fragrant hints of chocolate, caramel and pepper
Petit Sirah
A dark, well balanced wine with sturdy tannins and flavours of violets and rosemary
Pinot Noir
With colouring that can vary from a cherry red to a more purple red, including typical flavours of vanilla, raspberry, strawberry and plum
Ruby Cabernet
A cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan, it produces good colour with a pleasant cherry flavour
Sangiovese
A hefty red wine that is known as being fruity and fresh that only gets better with age
Shiraz
Flavours of spicy blackberry, plum and pepper with traditional notes of licorice, chocolate and mocha
Valpolicella
A medium bodied red wine with light cherry flavour and oak
Zinfandel
A deep red, spicy, peppery wine with a hint of fruity flavours of berries and dark cherries
Zinfandel Royal
A classic and bold zesty wine with complex flavours of blackberry fruits
CALIFORNIA WHITE VARIETIES
Chardonnay
A cold, dry, fruity and easy to drink wine making it one of the most popular wines in North America
Chenin Blanc
Ranging from dry to very sweet depending on the time of harvest, with flavours of apple, melon, lime and hints of vanilla and honey
Chardonnay
Mostly known for being leaner and crisper than those made in other countries, with light fruit flavours and mostly unoaked
Pairs well with lobster, crabmeat and cream sauces.
French Colombard
Typically used for blending, this wine produces a crisp, moderately dry and spicy wine that is best while still young
Gewurztraminer
With colour that can vary from being very pale to a rich golden colour and notes often described as floral or perfumed
House White
A brisk, fruity and dry wine with refreshing levels of acidity. With flavours of green apple and lemon and aromas of vanilla and lemon while young
Liebfraumilch
Pale golden in colour with a fine bouquet of mild and smooth taste
Moselle
A classy, lively and fresh varietal full of flavour and fragrance
Moscato
An easily recognizable grape that is often sweet and always fruity, with characteristics of grapefruit and musky aromas
Palomino
A thin-skinned grape with very low acid, neutral flavours and light in colour, with the tendency to oxidize quickly and easily
Pinot Blanc
A full-bodied, dry white wine with fruity aromas of apple, citrus fruit and floral characteristics
Pinot Grigio
A crisp, dry wine with an acidic bite and aromatic, fruity flavours that only improve with age
Riesling
Delicate aromas and subtle flavours, with a residual sweetness that makes it a popular easy daily drinking wine
Sauvignon Blanc
Light to medium-bodied, crisp and refreshing white wine with notable acidity and a wide range of flavours
Semillon
With a distinct berry-like flavour, Semillon is often blended with Sauvignon Blanc to produce a syrupy, full-bodied wine
Thompson Seedless
A light-bodied white wine with low acidity levels and mainly used for blending purposes
Trebbiano
Distinguished by its neutral flavour, relatively low alcohol and high acidity levels, making it light and crisp
CALIFORNIA BLUSH VARIETIES
Grenache
A spicy rose wine with berry flavours that are soft on the palate
White Merlot
Light, fruity fewer tannins and pale pink in colour
White Zinfandel
Sweet and pink coloured, made from the fruity flavoured Zinfandel