I just uploaded the FAO/EU wine grape database, the French INRA wine grape database, and the USDA wine grape databases, combining them all into a big super table, embedded below. More than 14,000 rows! More than 14,000 different vitis vinifera varietals!
Some fun things to do in the table:
* Type "bourgogne" into the box labeled "Search within this table". Notice 93 different grapes exist in Burgundy! In wine classes, they always say there are just a handful. They probably say that to us to make things sound simple. In reality, a French AOC is defined by what grows there, the terroir. So in reality, Burgundy terroir could contain up to 93 different varietals!
* Clear your last search filter. Type "kastelan" into the box labeled "Search within this table". Click on Croatia with "?" next to it > Explain. Notice the disagreement. The FAO (United Nations) and EU think it is Primitivo (aka Zinfandel). But UCDavis has identified it as Croatian. So, even the experts don't always agree!
* Clear your last search filter. Type "malbec" into the box labeled "Search within this table". Click on France with "?" next to it > Explain. Notice the disagreement. The FAO (United Nations) and EU think it is American, maybe they think Malbec arrived in Argentina via the US. But UCDavis has identified it as French. So, again, even the experts don't always agree!
* Clear your last search filter. Type "Georgia" into the box labeled "Search within this table". Amazing, almost 600 different varieties! Look through the list of strange names you've probably never heard of that come from the original genetic Birthplace of Wine Grapes.
Another fun use of the data is to check how many teinturier varieties exist (grapes with red juice). According to the table, there are 83 different teinturier varieties! Most other sources only cite a handful, maybe 5 exist. Again, it seems like folklore has glossed over reality.