You look down the wine aisles and see row after row of Chardonnay and Cabernet. You would think, logically, that one of these two grape varieties must be the most planted grape on the planet. Guess again!
While Chardonnay is the first or second most planted grape in the US, France, Australia and New Zealand, it is not the most planted grape in total area. This honor belongs to Airen. Yes, Airen, a grape you've probably never heard of! The second-most planated is Trebbiano, used in France and Italy.
Airen is planted extremely heavily in Spain, and in the 80s covered around 1.2 million acres of land. It is planted with a low number of vines per acre, and is used in the production of brandy as well as standard dry white table wines. The light-skinned grapes create wines that are typically inexpensive and not well known for their flavor.
Wine Types Main Listing
All content on the WineIntro website is personally written by author and wine enthusiast Lisa Shea. WineIntro explores the delicious variety and beautiful history which makes up our world of wine! Lisa loves supporting local wineries and encouraging people to drink whatever they like. We all have different taste buds, and that makes our world wonderful. Always drink responsibly.
While Chardonnay is the first or second most planted grape in the US, France, Australia and New Zealand, it is not the most planted grape in total area. This honor belongs to Airen. Yes, Airen, a grape you've probably never heard of! The second-most planated is Trebbiano, used in France and Italy.
Airen is planted extremely heavily in Spain, and in the 80s covered around 1.2 million acres of land. It is planted with a low number of vines per acre, and is used in the production of brandy as well as standard dry white table wines. The light-skinned grapes create wines that are typically inexpensive and not well known for their flavor.
Wine Types Main Listing
All content on the WineIntro website is personally written by author and wine enthusiast Lisa Shea. WineIntro explores the delicious variety and beautiful history which makes up our world of wine! Lisa loves supporting local wineries and encouraging people to drink whatever they like. We all have different taste buds, and that makes our world wonderful. Always drink responsibly.