One of the top grape varieties with powerful tannins giving longevity and complexity to the wines, The most common aromatic and flavour components found in Cabernet Sauvignon are plum, black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, warm spice, vanilla, black pepper, tobacco and sometimes leather aromas and or flavours.

The primary grape for Burgundy red wines. Also used in many New Zealand reds. Associated with cranberry, cherry and raspberry flavours, hints of vanilla are frequently found. A lighter wine that is highly prized.

Shiraz or as it also known Syrah produces dark red wines whose purest incarnation in the northern Rhône produces a wine with memorable aromas which can be smoky, floral, peppery, minty or spicy.

Merlot grapes produce a red wine with flavors and aromas of black cherry, berries, plum, chocolate, and some herbs. Merlot wine is popular with people trying to get accustomed to drier, more complex red wines because of its other characteristics, like low tannins which make it easier to drink than other reds wines.

This is a grape that has done well in new world wines but is also found in the southern and eastern Mediteranean region. It enables a peppery red with subtle raspberry highights. Some of you may be familiar with the White Zinfandel which produces a rose wine.

As the name suggests another grape of French origin but now found throughout the world and most notably in New Zealand where it forms the basis for many very good wines. Australia and Chile also produce many fine wines from this variety of grape. The grape can produce a cleanliness of flavour that suggests liveliness but can also range towards a fruity depth...

A very aromatic variety of grape that produces excellent dessert wines and of course many find dry white wines. It is most commonly associated with German wines but is also found and used elsewhere most notably Austria and Alsace. Often found with a significant depth of flavour that echoes orchards of blossoming apple and hives of honey. One critic famously noted...

For good reason Chardonnay may be the most widely planted variety of white grape and is found in good quantities world wide. Chardonnay is a wine aged in oak caskets. Un-oaked the grape produces some splendid Chablis wines. The grape forms the base for some formidable white wines in the form of Pouilly-Fuisse and Montrachet.