Australia's Top 100 Grape Varieties

Australia grows and vinifies an extraordinary diversity of grape varieties, ranging from traditional European classics to emerging Mediterranean and Iberian cultivars.

Below is a comprehensive list of the 100 most significant white and red wine grape varieties currently grown, made into wine, and consumed in Australia.

Top White Wine Grape Varieties in Australia (50)
No. White Variety
1    Chardonnay
2    Sauvignon Blanc
3    Riesling
4    Pinot Gris / Pinot Grigio
5    Semillon
6    Moscato
7    Gewürztraminer
8    Verdelho
9    Viognier
10    Chenin Blanc
11    Fiano
12    Arneis
13    Prosecco (Glera)
14    Marsanne
15    Roussanne
16    Pinot Blanc
17    Grüner Veltliner
18    Sangiovese Bianco
19    Albariño
20    Garganega
21    Trebbiano
22    Vermentino
23    Savagnin
24    Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains
25    Frontignac
26    Sauvignon Gris
27    Clairette Blanche
28    Petit Manseng
29    Ugni Blanc
30    Colombard
31    Palomino
32    Kerner
33    Sylvaner
34    Hárslevelű
35    Sémillon Doré
36    Assyrtiko
37    Falanghina
38    Greco
39    Pecorino
40    Verdicchio
41    Ribolla Gialla
42    Aligoté
43    Piquepoul Blanc
44    Macabeo
45    Xarel-lo
46    Parellada
47    Muscadelle
48    Pedro Ximénez
49    Loureiro
50    Malvasia

Top Red Wine Grape Varieties in Australia (50)
No. Red Variety
1    Shiraz (Syrah)
2    Cabernet Sauvignon
3    Pinot Noir
4    Merlot
5    Grenache
6    Cabernet Franc
7    Sangiovese
8    Tempranillo
9    Mourvèdre (Mataro/Monastrell)
10    Malbec
11    Durif
12    Nero d'Avola
13    Nebbiolo
14    Barbera
15    Petit Verdot
16    Touriga Nacional
17    Zinfandel (Primitivo)
18    Montepulciano
19    Dolcetto
20    Gamay
21    Tannat
22    Lagrein
23    Aglianico
24    Carignan
25    Cinsault
26    Alicante Bouschet
27    Graciano
28    Touriga Franca
29    Ruby Cabernet
30    Corvina
31    Rondinella
32    Saperavi
33    Petit Sirah
34    Counoise
35    Chambourcin
36    Pinot Meunier
37    Souzão
38    Mencía
39    Primitivo
40    Black Muscat
41    Bastardo (Trousseau)
42    Refosco
43    Shiraz Viognier (co-fermentation style)
44    Fer Servadou
45    Blaufränkisch
46    Cabernet Mitos
47    Schioppettino
48    Bonarda
49    St Laurent
50    Sagrantino

Australia's Ten Most Widely Planted Varieties
Chardonnay
Shiraz
Cabernet Sauvignon
Sauvignon Blanc
Merlot
Pinot Noir
Riesling
Semillon
Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio
Grenache

Fastest Growing Alternative Varieties in Australia
Fiano
Vermentino
Nero d'Avola
Tempranillo
Grüner Veltliner
Albariño
Montepulciano
Sangiovese
Touriga Nacional
Assyrtiko
Aglianico
Mencía
Falanghina
Verduzzo
Pecorino

Emerging varieties are increasingly important because many are naturally adapted to Australia's warmer and drier climate conditions.

For wine lovers exploring Australian boutique wines, discovering these alternative varieties can be one of the most exciting aspects of the country's modern wine landscape. Many family-owned producers are now crafting outstanding examples that sit comfortably alongside Australia's traditional strengths of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Pinot Noir.