image from Vins-Rhone


Alright, all you Dionysian degenerates (a group I am a very happy member of) here is an ancient variety that is thought to have originated from Greece. Bourboulenc is a little known grape outside of Southern France and one that is rarely made into a varietal wine.

It is a white, late-ripening, high-acid variety that is primarily used as a blending grape to lend acidity to both red and white wines, especially in Chateauneuf-du-Pape. It has a tendency to produce neutral w...

image from ITS Malta


The Barbera grape originates from Piedmont, in northern Italy and is a high acid grape that possesses some of the characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon, but overall, lacks the finesse of Cabernet. It produces wines of generally medium to full body, moderate tannins and a deep garnet colour and is commonly used as a blending grape to add acidity to wines that lack it.
 
Although globally cultivated, the Barbera gives its best in northern Italy, where it goes into the making o...