Top 5 Most Popular Wines in the World

296Roses May 10, 2021 | 00:41

You may drink wine every week, but have you tried the best wine ever produced? We have studied and compiled the list of top 5 most popular wines worldwide, which you will need to remember to try all!

Red wine

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Here are the list of 5 most popular wines in the world:

5. Cabernet Sauvignon

4. Merlot

3. Airén

2. Chardonnay

1. Pinot Noir

5. Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most widely recognized wines in the world. In the seventeenth century in southwestern France, an accident occurred between a red Cabernet Franc grape plant and a white Sauvignon Blanc grape plant.

The result for this was the birth of one of the most popular grape among American wine drinkers, Cabernet Sauvignon. The rich flavor and high tannin content in Cabernet Sauvignon make it a suplendid partner to rich grilled meats, peppery sauces, and dishes with high flavor, according to Winecellarsofyorkshire.

4. Merlot

Merlot Grapes

Merlot is one of the world’s most popular red wines, and America’s second favorite after Cabernet Sauvignon. Known for its soft, sensual texture and approachable style, it’s made from red-skinned grapes that can adapt to a variety of climates to produce food-friendly wines in many price points. Merlot can be velvety and plummy, or rich and oaky. There’s something for everyone, which is why Merlot is adored, according to WineEnthusiast.

Merlot is loved for it’s boisterous black cherry flavors, supple tannins, and chocolatey finish. On the high end, it’s often mistaken with Cabernet Sauvignon and commonly blended with it.

Merlot is the child of Cabernet Franc and the rare, Magdeleine Noire des Charentes. This makes Merlot a sibling of Cabernet Sauvignon!

Merlot is the most planted wine grape in Bordeaux, France. It grows in the same climates as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot

Merlot is a great wine to play with, as it matches with a wide variety of foods. Don’t be afraid to experiment!

For Tuesday night, easy drinking, entry-level Merlot: think pizza, bbq chicken or a penne boscaiola situation (think tomato sauce, creamy, bacony, mushroomy goodness). Keep it simple, easy meals work with easy wines.

For a Merlot-dominant blend (such as entry-level Bordeaux) that has earthy notes, as well as ripeness, think: roast turkey, beef short rib, or a rustic ratatouille! For braised meat pairings, try complementing Merlot’s boisterous fruit notes with chimichurri sauce.

Finally, for those full and lush new world styles, think rack of lamb, roast veal, or filet mignon with peppercorn red wine sauce, according to Winefolly.

3. Airén

Airen is a drought-resistant white wine grape planted throughout central Spain, occupying about twice as much land there as any other variety. In fact, as of 2010, there were more acres of Airen vines in the world than almost any other wine grape variety. It is used mostly as a workhorse grape, which is why it is not well-known, however – it is usually used as a base wine for brandy, or to make simple table wines for local consumption, according to Wine-Searcher.

Airen is planted most notably in Spain's inland La Mancha and Valdepenas wine regions, where its tolerance of hot, dry conditions and poor soils made it the obvious choice of grape variety. The vine's high yields and low maintenance requirements took precedence over the quality of the wine it made, so Airen has traditionally been used by Spain's brandy industry, and to produce oxidative, high-alcohol white wines. It was also blended with Cencibel (the local clone of Tempranillo) to produce lighter-bodied red wines. Recently however, with careful handling and improved vinification, Airen has been used to create simple, refreshing, dry white wines of reasonable quality.

Airén is usually blendid with other grapes, including Viura, Verdejo or Sauvignon Blanc to make a more balanced wine. It is almost unknown outside of Spain. Due to its high sugar levels and large yields, it is estimated that 30% of its production is dedicated to the production of local Brandy.

2. Chardonnay

Chardonnay is the most popular white wine on earth and, more recently, it has also become the most divisive. Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand.

Travel to any wine region in the world, and you’ll find at least one vineyard growing Chardonnay. It’s a wine that can be simple or regal, aged for many years or consumed immediately.

1. Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is the world’s most popular light-bodied red wine. It’s loved for its red fruit, flower, and spice aromas that are accentuated by a long, smooth finish.

Although Pinot Noir earns most of its fame from its still, red, varietal wines, the variety is also a vital ingredient in the production of sparkling white wines. For these, it can be used alone, but is most commonly blended with its cousin Chardonnay, and other members of the Pinot family.

Pinot Noir takes the top spot in our top 5 most popular wines in the world. Now you know our favourite and most popular wines in the world.