Grape vines around the world crossbreed readily, which means the possibilities for new fruit are infinite. To date, more than 1,000 grape varieties have been documented.
While certain ones, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Riesling, are beloved household names, many historic examples exist in obscurity, known perhaps in only a specific region, climate, or blend. Others have been newly developed for traits such as increased disease resistance or unusual flavors, and are fighting for their place in the canon.
Even eternally popular grapes tend to be tied to place, the notion of terroir dictating what part of the world grows them until an iconoclast shows us another way.
We checked in with beverage professionals from around the country to find out what grape varieties they’re most excited about in the United States right now, whether due to shifting climate, tastes, or other factors. The results run the gamut, from cold-climate workhorses to juicy standbys getting a new fermented spin.
Concord
“So often we hear that hybrid and native grapes take effort to understand due to their unfamiliar expression; Concord really turns this idea on its head, and can make wine of place and complexity,” says Jahdé Marley, domestic portfolio manager of Zev Rovine Selections and founder of [ABV] Ferments.
For Marley, the ABV here stands for “Anything But Vinifera,” which reflects their goal of uplifting wine made with fruits beyond just the dominant Vinis vinifera from Europe.
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Created in Massachusetts in 1849, Concord is a hardy, widely planted hybrid of vinifera and North America’s native Vitis labrusca. It is typically associated with sweet jam and nonalcoholic grape juice from Welch’s, but has come to earn another reputation in the wine world of late.
Marley says that Wild Arc Farm in Pine Bush, New York, “really leans into the nostalgia of Concord with a deep purple, lightly sparkling canned expression. It is playful. It is joyous. It is delicious. It’s everything that people fear is missing from wine.”
Also in New York, Walton-based Dear Native Grapes makes a still wine from the variety. “The lighter expression allows the floral character of the grape to shine, and frames the mouth-puckering sour notes that counter the otherwise jammy qualities of the grape,” says Marley.
Credit: Courtesy of Addie Garner and Roo Mountain Vineyards
Petit Verdot
Petit Verdot is finally stepping out from the blend, going from backup to solo star.
“In regions like North Georgia, where we benefit from warm days and an extended growing season, Petit Verdot develops remarkable depth — intense color, structured tannins, and layered dark fruit with spice,” says Jennifer Ann Grimmer, director of operations at Roo Mountain Vineyards in Ellijay, Georgia. “It offers both power and balance, which is increasingly appealing to consumers seeking bold yet refined wines.”
Try it in Roo Mountain Vineyards’ 2022 Studio Estate Petit Verdot. It’s aged for 25 months in the barrel and boasts notes of dark cherry, plum, violet, and dried herbs followed by a hint of smoke on the finish.
Chenin Blanc
West Coast Chenin Blanc, according to Melaney Schmidt, cofounder and winemaker of Landmass Wines in Oregon, is “the ultimate underdog.” She says that the grape’s prolific nature made it a lucrative per-acre crop for California farmers, “but because it was processed and sold for mass-produced bargain wine [like Franzia], the varietal never received the respect and consideration given to grapes like Chardonnay or even Pinot Gris.”
Today, Schmidt asserts that a handful of Oregon growers are changing the narrative, focusing on quality over quantity.
Credit: Courtesy of Landmass Wines
“The aromatic bouquet, bright acidity, and palate of our Chenin — think honeydew melon, necatarine, sweet grass, and a saline quality reminiscent of saltwater taffy — is such a refreshing and often novel experience for consumers, who become instant fans of it.”
Landmass’s dry, fruit-forward 2022 Chenin Blanc evokes the Loire rather than South Africa. It placed in the top five of the recent 1976 Redo, which recreated the famous Judgment of Paris that catapulted U.S. wine to the world stage. The winner of the category, Las Jaras Wines’ 2022 Cuvée Esmé Anne Chenin Blanc from Sonoma, also echoes the Loire with its minerality and citrus notes.
Related: It’s Time to Swap Your Chardonnay for a Chenin Blanc
Malvasia Bianca
The Greek island of Crete is the likely home of this white variety that’s used throughout the Mediterranean and, now, the American Southwest.
“Hailing from one of the oldest grape lineages, Malvasia Bianca is currently experiencing a renaissance in Arizona,” says Lauren VonOsten, director of marketing at Arizona Wine Collective in Tucson. “In white wines, it offers an aromatic, floral bouquet with a crisp, medium-bodied profile, often showing notes of orange blossom, tangerine and pear,” she says, making it suitable for both dry and sweet expressions.
“A standout example is winemaker Brooke Lowry Ide’s The Proper from Vino Stache in Sonoita, made in the orange style,” says VonOsten. “True to form, it is dry, complex, and well-suited for Arizona summers. Its subtle tannic structure often intrigues even the most devoted red wine drinkers.”
Credit: Courtesy of Trattoria Stella
Blaufränkisch
Blaufränkisch feels newly relevant to the way many people want to drink now, says Amanda Danielson, owner of Trattoria Stella in Traverse City, Michigan. Presently, many consumers are looking for “fresh, energetic, food-friendly reds with moderate alcohol and a real sense of place,” says Danielson.
This classic Central European variety “brings acidity, spice, structure, and freshness without needing to become heavy,” she says. “That makes it one of the most promising red grapes for cooler and lesser-known U.S. regions,” which otherwise struggle to meet consumer expectations for styles that can’t be met in cool climates.
“In New Jersey, Beneduce Vineyards has made Blaufränkisch a real signature, showing its versatility in red, rosé, and pét-nat forms,” says Danielson. “In Michigan, Left Foot Charley and Shady Lane Cellars have been the clearest champions of the grape, proving how well it fits northern conditions.”
In particular, seek out Trattoria Stella neighbor Left Foot Charley’s 2022 Blaufränkisch Reserve Puncheon, Danielson’s favorite from a series that vinified the same juice in three different vessels: puncheon, amphora, and barrique. “It is a fascinating study of how the grape responds, and they are delicious.”
Petit Manseng
Petit Manseng represents promise in warm, humid places like Virginia where, according to Marley, it’s at the center of a progressive push toward sustainable farming.
“The grape’s thicker skins and later ripening times are well-suited for the state’s climatic and disease pressures, allowing growers to take a more hands-off approach without risking the health of the fruit,” she says.
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In Waynesboro, Lightwell Survey’s 2023 Hintermen is a white blend dominated by Petit Manseng that “leans into the grape’s southwestern French origins with an expression reminiscent of dry Jurançon: high acid framed by a lush, honeyed texture.”
Grimmer also believes Petit Manseng could become a signature varietal in northern Georgia, adding that it “naturally retains high acidity, even in heat, allowing for vibrant, expressive wines with beautiful balance. Whether crafted in a dry or slightly off-dry style, it offers intense aromatics and a freshness that is incredibly appealing.”
Taste its southern charm in Roo Mountain Vineyards’ 2024 Studio Estate Petit Manseng.
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