Grapes You Should Know
Ask most people to name their favourite grape variety and you'll get the usual suspects — Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay. And fine, no arguments there. But the world of wine is vastly bigger than that list suggests, and some of the most exciting bottles being made right now come from grapes that most drinkers have never even heard of.
That's the idea behind May's Curious Case. Six grapes, each one worth knowing — some you might have encountered before, some you almost certainly haven't, but all of them making wines that are genuinely brilliant and deeply individual. More than any theme we've explored so far this year, this is a case built around curiosity itself.
What's particularly interesting about these six varieties is that each one comes with its own remarkable backstory. Assyrtiko thrives in the stony soils just outside Athens, producing whites that rival anything the Mediterranean has to offer. Verdejo is the aromatic soul of Spain's Rueda — organic, fresh and criminally underrated. Pinotage is South Africa's very own invention, a grape that exists nowhere else in the world, and Delheim's rosé version holds the distinction of being the first of its kind ever made — back in 1976. Zweigelt was created in a laboratory in 1922 by crossing two existing Austrian varieties, and in Judith Beck's biodynamic hands it becomes something genuinely special. Carménère is a Bordeaux grape that effectively vanished from France and reinvented itself in Chile, where it found conditions better suited to its character than its homeland ever provided. And Nero d'Avola has been grown in Sicily since antiquity — ancient, sun-drenched, and as characterful as the island itself.
Six grapes, six stories, six reasons to pay attention.
Greece's crisp, mineral white. Assyrtiko might be best known from the volcanic island of Santorini, but it thrives on the mainland too — especially here, just outside Athens, where Domaine Papagiannakos grow it in poor, stony soils, harvesting early to retain the razor-sharp acidity the variety is famous for. Lemon peel, green apple, a hint of salinity and a clean linear structure. No oak, no fluff, just clarity and bite. A crisp, precise white that's hard to put down.
Spain's aromatic answer. Verdejo is the grape that made Rueda famous, and Bodegas Pisuerga are one of the region's oldest and most committed producers — farming entirely organically, harvesting in the cool of night to lock in freshness. Ripe lemon and delicate tropical fruit on the nose, bright zesty character on the palate and a characteristic herbal twist of fennel on the finish. Effortlessly drinkable and surprisingly versatile.
South Africa's very own creation. Pinotage is a grape that exists nowhere else — born in South Africa in 1925 from a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault — and Delheim's rosé was the very first of its kind, produced back in 1976. Pale pink, with a nose of juicy strawberries and cranberries, showing the more elegant, refined side of the variety. Dry, fresh and beautifully balanced — a lovely surprise for anyone who thinks they know what South African rosé tastes like.
Austria's biodynamic red. Zweigelt is Austria's most planted red grape — a crossing created in 1922 — and Judith Beck is one of its most exciting champions. The Beck Ink is biodynamic, farmed with minimal intervention on the shores of Lake Neusiedl. Dark ruby in colour, silky smooth on the palate, with soft dark juicy fruit balanced by subtle earthy and spicy notes. Medium weight but packed with character, it's the kind of wine that makes you wonder why you've never drunk more Austrian red.
Chile's comeback grape. Carménère was a minor Bordeaux variety that all but disappeared from France after phylloxera struck, only to be rediscovered decades later thriving in Chile, where it had been quietly masquerading as Merlot. Errázuriz's Aconcagua Alto is a proper showcase: smooth and velvety, bursting with ripe cherry, hints of fig and dates, with subtle whispers of coffee, clove and chocolate from 14 months in French oak. Complex, polished and deeply satisfying.
Sicily's ancient flagship. Nero d'Avola has been grown in Sicily since antiquity, and this unoaked example from Vigneti Zabu in Sambuca di Sicilia shows exactly why it endures. Fresh black fruits, violets and spice on the nose, soft supple tannins and a comfortingly warm finish whose bright berry flavours and wildflower hints linger long in the mouth. Unpretentious, generous and very easy to love.