What is a single-varietal wine?

A single-varietal wine is all about one grape taking centre stage. Instead of blending several varieties to create complexity (the Bordeaux approach), you let one grape express everything it's got — its fruit character, its acidity profile, its texture.

EU rules say you can label a wine as a single variety if at least 85% comes from that grape. Some regions go further: Burgundy demands 100% Pinot Noir for its reds and 100% Chardonnay for its whites. No exceptions.

Alsace is perhaps the world's greatest showcase for single-varietal wines. Each bottle tells you exactly what's inside: Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat, or Pinot Noir. This transparency makes it wonderfully easy to learn what each grape tastes like — and to discover which ones you love.

The New World has embraced single-varietal labelling as its primary marketing strategy. When you pick up a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, an Argentine Malbec from Mendoza, or an Australian Shiraz from the Barossa Valley, you know exactly what you're getting. This clarity has been a huge factor in making wine accessible to new drinkers.

So which is better — single-varietal or blended? Neither, really. A great Burgundy Pinot Noir and a great Bordeaux blend (Cabernet-Merlot-Cabernet Franc) are both magnificent, just different. Single-varietal wines are brilliant for learning grape character; blends are brilliant for complexity. The best wine is the one you enjoy most.