Try These Alternative Varietals If You Love These Grapes

If You Love Cabernet Sauvignon, Try These Alternatives

Known for its full body, high tannins, and dark fruit flavors, Cabernet Sauvignon is a cornerstone of wine appreciation. But there are other exciting options to explore:

Cabernet Franc - A great alternative offering similar dark fruit flavors but with more emphasis on herbal and savory notes. It's a bit lighter in body and tannins but still retains the structure and complexity that Cabernet lovers appreciate.

Carménère - This Chilean variety provides similar dark fruit and herbal characteristics, with a distinctive green pepper note and smooth tannins that Cabernet enthusiasts will appreciate.

If You Love Merlot, Try These Alternatives

Celebrated for its smooth texture and plum-driven flavors, Merlot has some interesting alternatives:

Corvina - A great alternative for those who enjoy smooth, medium-bodied reds with fruity, bright acidity. Corvina offers flavors of red cherries and herbs with a hint of bitterness, making it a perfect pairing for Mediterranean cuisine.

Negroamaro - If you're looking for a more unexpected choice, Negroamaro from southern Italy delivers a rich, bold character with flavors of dark fruits, coffee, and chocolate. It has a similar smoothness to Merlot but with a more earthy, rustic edge.

If You Love Pinot Noir, Try These Alternatives

Prized for its elegance and red fruit characteristics, Pinot Noir has some worthy alternatives:

Gamay - If you love the light and aromatic qualities of Pinot Noir, Gamay provides a similar profile. Known for its vibrant red fruit notes, especially strawberry and cherry, Gamay is fresh, fruity, and low in tannins.

Schiava - This lesser-known Italian red shares Pinot Noir's light, fragrant style. With its delicate aromas of red berries, almonds, and herbs, it offers a refreshing alternative perfect for those seeking something off the beaten path.

If You Love Syrah/Shiraz, Try These Alternatives

Bold and peppery with intense dark fruit flavors, Syrah has some exciting alternatives:

Mencia - If you love the peppery spice and savory meat notes in Syrah, especially those from France's Rhône Valley, you'll want to explore Mencía. This Spanish red grape delivers similar stemmy aromatics and green herbal notes, yet remains unfairly overshadowed by Spain's more famous Tempranillo and Garnacha.

Petite Sirah - For those who love Syrah's intensity, Petite Sirah delivers deep color, rich tannins, and concentrated black fruit flavors with a similar peppery character.

If You Love Grenache/Garnacha, Try These Alternatives

Known for its red fruit and spice characteristics, Grenache has some interesting alternatives:

Zinfandel - Like Grenache, Zinfandel is a chameleon in the vineyard. From cooler sites or with careful winemaking, it can show elegant red fruit and spice notes reminiscent of Pinot Noir. But in warmer regions or with extended hang time, it transforms into a powerful wine loaded with jammy blackberry and brambly fruit, often reaching higher alcohol levels than Grenache.

Valpolicella - Don't let this Italian red blend's lighter color fool you. Made primarily from Corvina grapes in Italy's Veneto region, it delivers the same juicy red cherry notes and soft tannins that Grenache lovers seek. In its dried-grape Amarone form, it reaches new levels of concentration and complexity, offering dried fruit, chocolate, and spice notes that match Grenache's intensity while adding a distinctly Italian character.

If You Love Sangiovese, Try These Alternatives

Italy's famous grape known for cherry and earth notes has some compelling alternatives:

Nebbiolo - Like Sangiovese, offers aromatic profiles and high acidity. While Nebbiolo tends to be more tannic, it shares similar cherry flavors and savory qualities, with complex layers of herbs and earthiness.

Touriga Franca - From Portugal, it offers a bold, tannic structure and ripe fruit flavors similar to Sangiovese, but with a more floral and spice-driven profile.

If You Love Nebbiolo, Try These Alternatives

The noble grape of Piedmont with rose and tar notes has some worthy alternatives:

Aglianico - From southern Italy's volcanic soils, particularly in Basilicata and Campania, it provides similar tannic structure and acidity to Nebbiolo, but with a deeper, more earthy quality. Its dark fruit and savory herbal flavors make it a great option for complex red wine lovers. Look for aged examples where the fierce tannins have softened, revealing notes of dried flowers, leather, and black tea that rival Barolo's complexity at a fraction of the price.

Tannat - For those who appreciate Nebbiolo's structure, Tannat offers similarly powerful tannins with intense dark fruit and spice characteristics. Originally from France's Madiran region but now thriving in Uruguay, modern Tannat winemaking can tame its muscular tannins while preserving its distinctive blackberry, smoke, and cocoa notes. Like Nebbiolo, it rewards patience in the cellar.

Xinomavro - Greece's answer to Nebbiolo, particularly from the hills of Naoussa, shares an remarkably similar aromatic profile of roses, tar, and red fruits. Its name means "acid black," hinting at the grape's high acidity and deep color. While young Xinomavro can be austere, with bottle age it develops the same ethereal qualities that Nebbiolo lovers seek - dried flowers, forest floor, and sweet tobacco, all supported by firm but elegant tannins.

If You Love Tempranillo, Try These Alternatives

Spain's premier grape with leather and cherry notes has some interesting alternatives:

Agiorgitiko - From Greece's Nemea region, this versatile grape mirrors Tempranillo's balance of fruit and earth. In its traditional style, it delivers the same combination of red cherries and supple leather notes that Rioja lovers seek, while adding distinctive Mediterranean herbs and sweet spice. Like Tempranillo, it takes well to oak aging, developing complex tobacco and vanilla notes while maintaining fresh acidity.

Montepulciano - Not to be confused with the Tuscan town, this grape from central Italy's Abruzzo region offers Tempranillo's generous fruit profile with its own Italian twist. You'll find the same core of ripe cherries and plums, complemented by darker notes of blackberry and cocoa. While Tempranillo shows leather, Montepulciano leans into velvety tannins and sweet pipe tobacco, especially in the premium Riserva bottlings. Look for examples from the Teramo hills for the most complex expressions.

If You Love Malbec, Try These Alternatives

Known for its plum and black cherry character, Malbec has some exciting alternatives:

Monastrell - Also known as Mourvèdre and Mataro, this dark, full-bodied red wine offers blackberry, plum, and savory characteristics, much like Malbec. It's rich and spicy.

Nero d'Avola - A bold Sicilian red that shares Malbec's deep color and rich fruit-forward flavors, with a slightly spicier profile including dark cherry, plum, and black pepper notes.

If You Love Chardonnay, Try These Alternatives

The world's most popular white wine grape has some worthy alternatives:

Viognier - Offers similar full body and richness, with pronounced floral and stone fruit aromatics that appeal to Chardonnay lovers seeking something new.

Marsanne - Another full-bodied white with nutty and stone fruit characteristics that can mirror Chardonnay's richness and complexity.

If You Love Sauvignon Blanc, Try These Alternatives

Known for its crisp, herbaceous character, Sauvignon Blanc has some interesting alternatives:

Verdejo - Spain's aromatic white shares Sauvignon Blanc's zesty citrus core and herbaceous notes, particularly the fresh-cut grass character that New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc lovers seek. From Rueda's high-altitude vineyards, it brings its own distinctive fennel and almond notes, with a richer mouthfeel while maintaining that crisp finish.

Verdicchio - If you enjoy the mineral-driven style of Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc, this Italian variety from the Marche region offers similar complexity. It combines citrus and green apple freshness with a distinctive saline minerality and subtle herbal notes. Like aged Sancerre, quality Verdicchio can develop intriguing honey and almond notes while maintaining its structure.

If You Love Riesling, Try These Alternatives

Aromatic with distinctive petrol notes, Riesling has some compelling alternatives:

Furmint - Offers a dry, zesty character with high acidity and flavors of green apple, citrus, and a touch of honey. Shares Riesling's refreshing nature but with more pronounced minerality.

Silvaner - Provides a similar balance of fruit and acidity to Riesling, but with a more subtle floral profile. It's an understated, crisp white perfect for food pairing.

If You Love Pinot Gris/Grigio, Try These Alternatives

Light and crisp with subtle fruit flavors, Pinot Grigio has some exciting alternatives:

Albariño - Shares the same crisp, refreshing qualities of Pinot Grigio, with zesty acidity and bright citrus flavors, plus additional stone fruit and floral notes. From Spain's misty Rías Baixas region, it adds a distinctive saline minerality and touches of white peach that make it perfect for seafood, just like your favorite Pinot Grigio. Look for examples from the Condado do Tea subregion for slightly richer styles that mirror Alsatian Pinot Gris.

Garganega - Often found in Soave, offers a similar light and refreshing style but with a slightly richer mouthfeel and a hint of almond and spice. This native grape of Italy's Veneto region can range from simple and fresh to complex and age-worthy, especially in Soave Classico where it develops honey, chamomile, and marmalade notes while maintaining the clean, crisp finish that Pinot Grigio drinkers love. Try single-vineyard bottlings from top producers to discover its full potential.

If You Love Chenin Blanc, Try These Alternatives

Versatile grape with honey and apple notes has some worthy alternatives:

Ribolla Gialla - Like Chenin Blanc, this ancient variety from Friuli shows remarkable versatility, from fresh and mineral-driven to rich and textural with skin contact. It shares Chenin's signature acidity and apple notes, plus adds distinctive nutty and honeyed characteristics when aged. Look for both the crisp stainless steel versions that mirror dry Vouvray, and the orange wine styles that echo Chenin's oxidative expressions.

Godello - From Spain's Galicia region, particularly Valdeorras, this rediscovered variety mirrors Chenin's chameleonic nature. In its youth, it shows crisp apple, citrus and mineral notes like a Loire Chenin, but with age develops the same waxy, honeyed complexity. Like Chenin, it responds beautifully to lees aging and oak contact, producing wines of remarkable texture and depth. While traditionally made in a fresh style, ambitious producers are now creating age-worthy versions that rival the complexity of top Savennières, showing notes of quince, herbs, and wet stones.

If You Love Sémillon, Try These Alternatives

Full-bodied with lanolin and honey characteristics, Sémillon has some interesting alternatives:

Roussanne - Shares Sémillon's full body and waxy texture, offering similar honey notes with added complexity of herbs and stone fruits.

Ribolla Gialla - A textural white wine that provides similar weight and complexity to Sémillon, with distinctive nutty and floral characteristics.

If You Love Viognier, Try These Alternatives

Aromatic with peach and floral notes, Viognier has some compelling alternatives:

Grk - From Croatia's sunbaked island of Korčula, this rare variety captures Sémillon's textural complexity in its own unique way. Like Hunter Valley Sémillon, it starts life crisp and citrusy but develops remarkable complexity with age. Its naturally high dry extract gives it the same waxy, full-bodied mouthfeel that Sémillon lovers seek, while maintaining fresh acidity. With bottle age, it develops intriguing notes of Mediterranean herbs, almonds, and sea spray alongside the honeyed character that makes aged Sémillon so compelling.

Voski - This ancient Armenian variety shares Sémillon's affinity for expressing terroir and developing complexity. From high-altitude vineyards in Armenia's volcanic soils, it produces wines with Sémillon-like weight and texture, showing waxy, lanolin notes alongside distinctive mountain herbs and stone fruit. Modern producers are reviving traditional winemaking in clay amphorae (karas), which adds another layer of textural complexity while maintaining the grape's natural freshness. Like great Sémillon, it can be both powerful and precise.

If You Love Gewürztraminer, Try These Alternatives

Intensely aromatic with lychee and rose notes, Gewürztraminer has some exciting alternatives:

Muscat - Shares Gewürztraminer's aromatic intensity with similar floral and exotic fruit characteristics, though often with more pronounced grape flavors. The best examples, particularly from Alsace (Muscat d'Alsace) and Italy (Moscato Giallo), capture Gewürztraminer's perfumed complexity while adding their own distinctive orange blossom and sweet herb notes. Like Gewürztraminer, it excels in both dry and off-dry styles.

Torrontés - Another highly aromatic variety offering similar floral and spice notes, with a distinctive combination of perfume and freshness. From Argentina's high-altitude vineyards, particularly in Salta, it delivers the same exotic fruit and rose petal aromatics that Gewürztraminer lovers seek, but with a crisper, more citrus-driven palate. While Gewürztraminer tends toward richness, Torrontés brings an unexpected lightness that makes it especially food-friendly. Look for examples from the Cafayate Valley, where extreme diurnal temperature shifts create intense aromatics while maintaining bright acidity.

If You Love Muscat Blanc, Try These Alternatives

Distinctively grapey with floral aromatics, Muscat Blanc has some worthy alternatives:

Moschofilero - This pink-skinned Greek variety from Mantinia captures Muscat's intense aromatics but with its own mountain-fresh twist. It shares that unmistakable floral and grape-blossom perfume of Muscat, while adding distinctive rose petal and Turkish delight notes. Like dry Muscat from Alsace, it maintains a crisp, clean finish that belies its heady aromatics.

Tămâioasă Românească - This ancient Romanian variety (also known as Frankincense) captures Muscat's intense aromatics with its own Carpathian character. From the historic hills of Cotnari, it delivers the same heady floral perfume as Muscat, while adding distinctive acacia honey and wild herb notes. Like Muscat, it excels in both dry and sweet styles, particularly in late-harvest versions that concentrate its exotic lychee and orange blossom character.

Ended on a REALY ESOTERIC one :)