The Five Most Cultivated Grapes in the World

You already know that Italian wine is made using grapes. Furthermore, you likely already know that there are literally hundreds of grape varieties, each of which can lend a bottle of wine different qualities. The differences between these grapes are so important that certification bodies like the DOC regulate the types of grapes used to make certain types of wine.

Take Chianti as an example.

That wine is made using the Sangiovese grape. That means you can’t use Nebbiolo or Pinot Nero to make Chianti. It’s Sangiovese or nothing because only that grape can be used to give Chianti the classic taste that so many people love.

The same applies to practically any Italian wine you drink. Producers can’t throw any old grapes into the mix and get results. They have to cultivate specific grapes for specific wines.

Knowing that, we can draw an obvious conclusion:

Some grapes must be more popular than others.

After all, if every type of grape offers something different, there must be some that suit consumers’ tastes more than others.

That is the case.

The more popular the wines made using a particular grape are, the more likely it is that producers will focus on that grape. After all, they’re in the wine business to make money. With that in mind, we’ve decided to use this article to look at the five most cultivated grapes in the world. That will tell us which grapes (and by extension which wines) are the most beloved.

Grape No. 1 – Cabernet Sauvignon

Coming in at the top position, we have the world’s most popular red wine grape. Cabernet Sauvignon attained its popularity due to its use in Bordeaux wines. The grape quickly spread through France, Spain, and Italy, becoming one of the most grown in Europe. But the key to its enduring popularity lies in the Napa Valley.

California’s main winemaking region took to Cabernet Sauvignon like no other. The location offers the perfect growing conditions for the grape. When combined with the enduring popularity of wines like Bordeaux and Merlot, in which the grape is often used for blending, in the United States, that means the demand for Cabernet Sauvignon is immense.

The grape leads the pack by a large distance, with 340,000 hectares planted across the world. Combining great blending potential with the ability to make interesting wines when used as the main grape in the drink, Cabernet Sauvignon looks set to maintain its position as the most cultivated grape for years to come.

Grape No. 2 – Merlot

We touched on the popularity of Merlot in the United States when speaking about Cabernet Sauvignon. That popularity is such that Merlot lands in the second position in this list of the most cultivated grapes in the world.

Another grape with French origins, Merlot is also used in Bordeaux wines. However, its versatility means that it is blended with many other grapes. This explains its popularity as Merlot on its own is amazing, and Merlot with other grapes is often even better. Even the Sideways effect, which led to a temporary decline in popularity for the grape, couldn’t slow it down for long. We guess Paul Giamatti’s opinion of Merlot doesn’t hold permanent sway with wine lovers.

Currently, Merlot accounts for about 266,000 hectares of vineyards, with the United States and France being its main producers.

Grape No. 3 – Tempranillo

Now we’re getting into some grapes that are surprising additions to this list. Tempranillo isn’t a particularly well-known grape for French or Italian wine lovers, But in Spain and Portugal, it’s one of the most popular red wine grapes of all time!

The key to the grape’s popularity lies in its neutrality. This makes it an excellent choice for blending, which is why it’s grown all over Spain and Portugal. It’s also used as a blending variety in American jug wines, though American wines rarely use the grape on its own due to unideal growing conditions in the country.

Tempranillo is only a few steps behind Merlot, accounting for 231,000 hectares.

Grape No. 4 – Airén

Another grape that may not be familiar to Italian wine lovers, Airén is nevertheless the fourth most cultivated grape in the world. Again, we can thank Spain for this popularity, as the grape has been grown extensively in that country since the 15^th century.

Airén is an interesting case because it’s likely not a top-five grape in terms of its yield. The vines are planted in low volumes across large space, meaning that a hectare of Airén produces less than a hectare of any other grape on this list. Some may argue that this means Airén is not the fourth most cultivated grape in the world. And when it comes to the volume produced, they’d be right.

However, we judging based on hectares. And in the case of Airén, the grape has 218,000 hectares dedicated to it across the world.

Grape No. 5 – Chardonnay

Bringing up the rear of this top five list is the world’s most popular white wine grape. The fact that Chardonnay is able to break the stranglehold of red wine grapes shouldn’t come as a surprise given how common it is in French, Italian, and New World wines. Chardonnay is also the grape used to make Champagne, which is one of the world’s most popular sparkling wines.

We can see evidence of Chardonnay’s enduring popularity in almost any restaurant or bar. You can practically guarantee that a Chardonnay, or a wine made using the grape, will be on the menu.

Chardonnay is currently grown on over 211,000 hectares throughout the world.

The Final Word

Perhaps unsurprisingly, red wine grapes are more cultivated than white wine grapes. But what is surprising is that several lesser-known red grapes made the top five list. Our research indicates that grapes that offer the versatility to blend with others tend to be more planted, hence the popularity of Airén and Tempranillo.

Now, you may want to try a few wines made using these grapes yourself.

Xtrawine can deliver as we offer wines made using all of them in our collection.