CLASSIC VARIETIES RED

Cabernet Sauvignon ( The offspring of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc )
Merlot ( The little blackbird, aka Bigney, Crabutet, Médoc Noir, Merlau and Merle)
Pinot Noir ( The Black Pine )
Syrah ( aka Shiraz to the rest of the world )

MAJOR VARIETIES
Cabernet Franc ( Chinon in the Loire, aka Bordo, Bouchet, Brenton, Carmenet, and Trouchet Noir. )
Grenache ( Garnacha in Rioja in Spain )
Nebbiolo ( means to grow among the clouds, or fog ( marine layer ). )
Sangiovese ( The Blood of Jupiter )
Zinfandel (Black St. Peter) should it be renamed to San Pedro Noir and San Pedro Blanc? Or maybe even sanpietro nero and sanpietro bianco.
Mourvedre ( The Spanish town of Murviedro, near Valencia. Aka Mataro, Balzac or Esparte.)

CLASSIC VARIETIES WHITE

Chardonnay ( from the word concannon and means "to live amongst thistles" )
Riesling
Sémillon ( Aka Chevrier, Green Grape, and Wyndruif. )
Sauvignon Blanc ( Aka Blanc Fumé, Sauvignon Jaune, and Sauvignon Musqué. )
Chenin Blanc ( Aka Gros Pineau de Vouvray and Pineau de Savennières. )
Pinot Gris ( The Grey Pine, aka Pinot Grigio, Auxerrois Gris, Petit Gris, Pinot Beurot, Pinot Buot, Rülander, and Szükerbarát. )
Pinot Blanc ( The White Pine, aka Blauer Klevner, Blauer Spätburgunder, Burgundac Crni, Nagyburgundi, Pineau, and Savagnin Noir.)
Gewürztraminer ( Means the spicy white grape, aka Traminer Musqué, Traminer Parfumé, Traminer Aromatique (or Aromatico), and Rotor Traminer. Gewürztraminer is also called Edeltraube, Rousselet, Savagnin Rosé, Tramini, and Traminac. )
Viognier ( Aka Vionnier, Viogné and Petit Vionnier. )
Trebianno ( Ugni Blanc )
Malvasia
Muscat
Palomino


MINOR GRAPE VARIETIES
Roussanne ( possibly gets its name from the light-brownish russet cast of its ripe berries. )
Marsanne ( Aka Ermitage, Hermitage Blanc, and Grosse Roussette. )

Rhônes

The 22 Rhône Varieties and Their Characteristics.

Other Grapes

If you are looking for ideas to give your new releases new names, or your old vines a new lease of life, here's an interesting list of what else can be allowed and what might be allowed in the future. The official list from ATF . It won't be long before we see a ventura or a Louise Swenson alongside the pinot gris and primitivo as some kind of exotics that must be had. They could be as good as Whitcraft's Lagrein or Kalyra's '97 Nebbiolo. I hear that the norton is one to look out for.