What is a monovarietal?

A varietal wine is made from a single grape variety. While blends combine multiple grapes for balance and complexity, a varietal wine showcases the pure character of a single grape. This makes it easier to understand how a grape tastes, how it behaves in different regions, and why the winemaker chooses to highlight it. A common question is how a varietal wine differs from a blend. The answer is that a varietal wine more clearly reveals the unique profile of a single grape, allowing you to more quickly recognize which style suits your taste.

What is a monovarietal?
A varietal wine is made entirely or almost entirely from a single grape variety. It showcases the pure character of the grape, unaffected by other varietals.

Why do winemakers choose monovarietals?

Winemakers use varietal wines to showcase the expression of a single grape as clearly as possible. Because no other grapes are involved, aromas, structure, acidity, and texture are not masked. This helps accurately reflect terroir and climatic differences. In regions like Burgundy , Piedmont (specifically Barolo and Barbaresco ), or the Loire Valley, it's even the core of their identity: a single grape as the bearer of quality and recognizability.

Common varietal wines

Chardonnay , Pinot Noir , and Riesling are well-known examples of grapes often bottled as single varietals. Grapes like Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, and Cabernet Sauvignon are also frequently used for wines made entirely from a single varietal.

Cabernet Sauvignon deserves a brief explanation here. In the United States, you'll find a lot of Cabernet Sauvignons. A bottle of wine with only Cabernet Sauvignon on the label doesn't necessarily mean it's a single-varietal. It's quite common there to blend various other grapes into a small portion of the total. For example, a Napa Valley Cabernet might still contain a small percentage of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, etc. Nothing wrong with that, but it's good to be aware of it.

What does a single varietal say about quality?

Single-varietal wine doesn't automatically mean better quality, but it does make it more visible. Because the wine isn't supported by other grapes, you can immediately see whether the grape was harvested at peak ripeness, whether the balance is right, and whether the vinification was carried out with care. A single-varietal wine is therefore a clear reflection of the grape and the winemaker's expertise.

How do you rate a single varietal?

When tasting, pay attention to the color and clarity, which often reveal age and ripeness. The aroma will reveal primary aromas like fruit or flowers, and secondary notes like yeast or fermentation. When tasting, pay particular attention to acidity , tannin , alcohol, and body. Because only one grape forms the base, you can quickly determine whether this wine style suits you and where the differences come from between wine countries or vintages.

What should you pay attention to when buying monovarietals?

Many labels clearly indicate that a wine is made from a single grape, for example, with terms like "single varietal" or "100%." ​​In traditional regions, the grape variety is sometimes not listed on the label, but is still traditionally used. Therefore, always read the appellation and any additional information. Do you enjoy a single grape varietal? Then try that grape from different regions to discover the influence of terroir and climate.

This is what a pure Sauvignon Blanc from France tastes like, very different from one from New Zealand.

Advantages and disadvantages of single-varietal wines

A single varietal wine clarifies the grape's identity and is ideal for developing your tasting knowledge. You'll learn to more quickly recognize differences between regions, vintages, and winemaking styles. A disadvantage can be that the wine is less complex than a blend and more sensitive to disappointing harvest conditions, because everything relies on a single varietal.

Tasting evening tip

Want to better understand single varietals? Choose a single grape, like Pinot Noir, and taste four wines from different regions side by side. By comparing aromas, structure, and finish, you'll discover in a single evening how vast the differences can be while the grape remains the same.