Bored of Sauvignon? Try these unsung autumn whites

Our wine expert spotlights some delicious lesser-known grape varieties

Lesser-known grape varieties to try this weekend

Aoife Carrigy

The world of wine is vast and varied, with many new-to-you corners worth uncovering. It is also ever-changing, with accepted thinking and practices being constantly challenged, whether out of necessity or curiosity.

Today’s column spotlights some new-to-me grape varieties that caught my attention of late, focusing on white wines for autumn drinking. These grapes are lesser-spotted for various reasons. Perhaps they are locally beloved but don’t (yet) make it outside of their region in great quantity, as in today’s delightful Roussette de Savoie, or were nearly lost to history, as in today’s wine of the week. Perhaps they are out-dazzled by better-known local heroes: Sylvaner is an Alsace grape that rarely gets varietal billing, and Sipp Mack’s expression an intriguing introduction.