01 · Grape Beginner

Six grapes to try first

Six bottles. Three whites, three reds. Together they cover most of what you will encounter on a wine list. Try them roughly in the order listed — lightest and crispest first, fullest and most tannic last.

The six

Sauvignon Blanc White Crisp, dry, aromatic

Gooseberry, cut grass, grapefruit and a sharp, clean finish. Very little oak. High acidity.

Where: Loire Valley (Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé), Marlborough (New Zealand)

What to buy: A Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc for £10–14 is reliably expressive and easy to find.

Chardonnay White Versatile — lean or rich depending on origin and oak

Unoaked: apple, lemon, mineral. Oaked: butter, vanilla, toast. Full body, moderate acidity.

Where: Burgundy (Chablis, Meursault), Napa Valley, Margaret River (Australia)

What to buy: Chablis for a lean, mineral style; Burgundy village-level for something rounder.

Pinot Grigio / Pinot Gris White Light and dry (Italian) or rich and spicy (Alsace)

Italian style: pear, white peach, light body, crisp. Alsace style: honey, spice, fuller body.

Where: Friuli and Alto Adige (Italy), Alsace (France), Willamette Valley (Oregon)

What to buy: An Alto Adige Pinot Grigio for a clean, food-friendly everyday white.

Pinot Noir Red Light-bodied, silky, elegant

Red cherry, raspberry, dried rose petal. Low tannin. High acidity. Earthy in Burgundy.

Where: Burgundy (France), Willamette Valley (Oregon), Marlborough (New Zealand)

What to buy: A village-level Burgundy or an Oregon Pinot Noir for a genuine expression of the grape.

Merlot Red Soft, round, approachable

Plum, black cherry, chocolate, sometimes a hint of mocha. Soft tannin, medium body.

Where: Pomerol and St-Émilion (Bordeaux), Tuscany (Super Tuscans), Chile

What to buy: A St-Émilion satellite (Lussac, Montagne) for Bordeaux quality without the Pomerol price.

Cabernet Sauvignon Red Full-bodied, structured, age-worthy

Blackcurrant, cedar, dark plum, firm tannin. Grippy when young; complex with age.

Where: Médoc (Bordeaux), Napa Valley, Coonawarra (Australia), Maipo (Chile)

What to buy: A Napa Cabernet Sauvignon for power; a Médoc Cru Bourgeois for finesse and value.

How to taste them

Taste in the order above — whites before reds, lighter before fuller. Pour a small measure (around 50–75 ml), hold the glass to the light to see the colour, then smell before you sip. When you taste, hold the wine in your mouth for a few seconds to notice sweetness, acidity, tannin (the drying grip) and body (the weight). The How to taste wine guide gives a full method.

You do not need to open all six at once. Spread them over a few evenings and take notes — even a single word per wine helps your memory. What you are building is a personal flavour map: which profile you prefer, and why.

Next steps

→ Main grape varieties — a wider cast of grapes to explore → How to taste wine — look, smell, taste: a simple method → Style questionnaire — seven questions to a style recommendation

Sources: WSET (grape and tasting curricula); OIV (viticultural classifications); VIVC (Vitis International Variety Catalogue) — variety identification and distribution; Jancis Robinson MW — Oxford Companion to Wine. Last updated: 2026-10-15. Corrections via the contact form.

Questions

About starting with these six.

Why these six grapes specifically?

These six cover the main flavour profiles across white and red: crisp dry white (Sauvignon Blanc), versatile rich white (Chardonnay), light easy white (Pinot Grigio), delicate red (Pinot Noir), soft approachable red (Merlot), and structured tannic red (Cabernet Sauvignon). Once you know what you prefer among these, you have a compass for the whole wine world. The Main grape varieties guide covers a wider range once you are ready.

Should I try whites or reds first?

There is no rule, but many people find whites easier to start with because the absence of tannin means fewer components to process. Sauvignon Blanc is particularly forgiving — its fruit flavours are vivid and easy to recognise. That said, if you already know you prefer red wine, start with Pinot Noir: it is the lightest and most elegant of the reds and tends to be the most accessible for new tasters.

How much should I spend on these tasting bottles?

For a reliable first taste of each grape, £10–15 per bottle is usually sufficient. Below that, quality becomes inconsistent. Above £20 for these introductory grapes is unnecessary at this stage — save higher spend for when you have a specific wine you want to explore more deeply. Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, Chilean Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, and New Zealand Pinot Noir all deliver good quality at the lower end of that range.

What is the difference between Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris?

They are the same grape — Pinot Gris — but styled very differently depending on where they are grown. In Italy, it is called Pinot Grigio and is typically made light, dry and crisp. In Alsace, France, the same grape is called Pinot Gris and is made in a richer, more opulent style with more body and sometimes some residual sweetness. The name on the label tells you which style to expect. See the Cool and warm climate styles guide for how climate drives these differences.

After these six, what should I try next?

Two directions: deepen your knowledge of a grape you liked (try a different region for the same variety), or broaden to new grapes. Good next choices are Riesling (if you liked Sauvignon Blanc's acidity), Grenache or Syrah (if you liked the softness of Merlot but want more complexity), or Nebbiolo — the grape behind Barolo — if you want to understand the tannic, structured end of red wine. The Main grape varieties guide covers all of these.