Home Is Where You Hang Your Hat

• Posted on 13 January 2026
• Posted in argentina, Bonarda, Cabernet Franc, California, chardonnay, france, Italy
• 0

This begs the question: When, after you have invaded and then integrated your culture into, or maybe on top of another culture, can you then call that region your home? When does that happen? Not sure?

Perhaps overly simplified, there are Old World wine-producing countries with grapes that have been transplanted to New World wine regions and then thrived. Partially, this happened during the Age of Discovery, when many times French grapes were transplanted, or Italian grapes were taken abroad. That new land then produces beautiful wine and, iconically, calls it its own. But when does it become their own? Especially when it came from a sleepy little region back in the old country?

Truly, there are many incidents of this scenario. Over and over again, spectacular wines are being pushed onto the world stage. Perhaps you already know that Argentina’s Malbec was originally from France’s Bordeaux and Cahors regions. Or that South Africa’s Chenin Blanc originally came from France’s Loire Valley.

Take Bonarda, then, which originated from the Lombardy region of Italy. It was propagated as Bonarda, but then somehow developed a whole family of cultivars, clones, and cross-pollinations with other grapes along the way. It is now unknown whether the true Bonarda even still exists in Italy. That being said, UC Davis has determined that what we now consider true Bonarda mainly resides in Mendoza, Argentina, and in a smaller volume in Napa Valley, California, where it is called Charbono.

Perhaps Italy is more the culprit when it comes to lending grapes to other regions. Italy really does have thousands of varieties, but only about 377 have been genetically identified as distinct grapes currently produced in commercially viable amounts. This is according to Native Wine Grapes of Italy. The rest are produced largely for personal or local consumption. This number far exceeds France, Spain, and Greece combined, which means botanists will have lifetimes of work just trying to figure it all out. Italy’s ten most-planted varieties occupy only 38 percent of the country’s national vineyard area, and Sangiovese is the only grape to exceed 50,000 hectares.

Three categories developed out of answering the question of what is “home”: Native, traditional, and international. It seems funny, “hmmm” as you would think either you are from somewhere, or you are not. Where does this gray area of “not really” come in? Let’s break the definitions down a little.

To be native has the connotation of being born in the region. Say “the region” as opposed to “a region.” The vast majority of native-qualifying grapes have been created through cross-pollination. These grapes have been continually propagated for at least a thousand years. Vintners have collected generations of data and know how to deal with the berries in drought, extra rainfall, too much sun, or too little sun. Typically, the native region becomes the iconic representation of quality wine, the pinnacle of what that grape can produce.

Some varieties stay strictly in the area where they were born and never get propagated anywhere else in the world. Melnic is such a variety. It was born in the Struma Valley in Bulgaria. The terroir, the terrain, the mix of different soils, and the glacial activity that created the region in the first place simply can’t be replicated anywhere else in the world. Try to take Melnic elsewhere, and you risk creating a floppy wine. Nebbiolo is another grape that requires very specific geography, topography, and climate to exist happily, although it is a little less strict. There are some Nebbiolos in Virginia and Australia.

So why call out “native?” How will you know you are getting the best wine from that region? This is where appellations came into existence. An appellation delineates, and defines the characteristics the fruit must exhibit, from how it is grown in the field to production methods and aging in the winery. All of this plays into the quality level a winemaker is allowed to display on the label. In a sense, it gives confidence to the prospective buyer that this is the good stuff.

There are also situations where there are grapes that are propagated that have been come to be loved by tradition. Perhaps grapevine clippings or nursery plants have been propagated and taken elsewhere to either start up or define a wine region for itself. Take Friuli, for example. It has been growing vines for thousands of years, but Cabernet Franc has only been there for about three hundred years. That is enough time for newer generations to say, “Wasn’t it always here?” The requirement here is roughly 300 to 500 years to become culturally significant. These grapes can carry both historical weight and regional characteristics that only come about by being grown for that many generations.

There is documentation showing Cabernet Franc arriving in France by way of Cardinal Richelieu between 1585 and 1643. The Cardinal planted a clipping at the Abbey of Bourgueil, and from there, it spread throughout the Loire Valley, then moved south and was planted all over Bordeaux, particularly elegant in Pomerol when mixed with Merlot. How and when it was taken to Friuli is not fully clear. What is known is that Cabernet Franc has been in the Friuli for at least 300 years. Tradition!

The last category is the International varietals. Here’s a fun statistic: of the world’s 10,000 known grapevine varieties, just 13 cover more than one-third of the world’s vineyard area, and 33 varieties cover 50 percent. Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon (funny—hmmmm) are not considered traditional in Friuli. Strange, because why would you get a glass of Chardonnay there? Simply, if a varietal is listed plainly on a restaurant menu, it’s probably an international grape. If the grape is planted in several countries, there’s a good chance it’s an international variety.

Naming a few you all should recognize and likely have had multiple examples of from around the world: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Perhaps also included in this orbit, or one ring out from center, are Malbec, Syrah, and Chenin Blanc. You get the picture. The Bordeaux grapes, in particular, were the most traveled and widely propagated varieties around the world.

This always leads to other questions. Can a traditional wine grape grown outside of its native region be grown and produced into wine of higher quality than in the original region? In other words, can a traditional grape be elevated to traditional, or even native, status somewhere else? Another day, perhaps … 

For now, just walk through your front door and announce to your family that you’ve arrived. The day’s adventures have passed, and you are ready to focus on a slower pace, perhaps with your feet up on the coffee table and a glass of wine in hand. Home. It is a special place: RPRETTYelaxing, familiar, and where you can be fully your true self with whatever glass of wine you have!