The Festival of Undiscovered Grapes
Be Bold. Drink Different. Taste Original.
Everyone knows Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir. But do you know Semillon, Cinsault, Teroldego, Nebbiolo, and Marsanne? With more than 110 unique wine varieties grown in California alone, The Festival of Undiscovered Grapes celebrates the unknown “underdog” grapes of California wine and showcases the winemakers from across the state who share and spread the Undiscovered Grapes love with every bottle they make.
Are you a winery interested in participating in The Festival of Undiscovered Grapes?
Email info@pleasethepalate.com for more information.
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What Are Undiscovered Grapes
Thousands of grape varieties exist around the world and more than 110 different varieties are planted in California. But of those 110+ varieties, nine varieties dominate. In fact, those nine varieties (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Grigio on the white grape side, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Syrah, and Petit Sirah among red grapes), make up 93% of the total wine grape plantings in California.
These are the undiscovered grapes
More than 100 different grape varieties make up 7% of the total planting in California. Here is a partial list of these grapes, many of which will be featured at The Festival of Undiscovered Grapes
White Grapes
Albariño
Arneis
Catarratto
Chenin Blanc
French Colombard
Gewurztraminer
Grenache Blanc
Gruner Veltliner
Malvasia Bianca
Marsanne
Moscato Giallo
Muscat Blanc
Muscat of Alexandria
Muscat Orange
Palomino
Picpoul Blanc
Pinot Blanc
Roussanne
Sauvignon Vert
Semillon
Tocai Friulano
Verdelho
Vermentino
Viognier
Riesling
And even more…
Red Grapes
Aglianico
Alicante Bouschet
Barbera
Cabernet Franc
Carignane
Carmenere
Carnelian
Charbono
Cinsaut
Counoise
Dolcetto
Dornfelder
Graciano
Grenache
Lagrein
Malbec
Meunier
Mission
Montepulciano
Mourvedre
Nebbiolo
Primitivo
Sangiovese
Souzao
Tannat
Tempranillo
Teroldego
Touriga Nacional
Valdiguie
And many, many more…
It's about discovery
What Makes The Festival of Undiscovered Grapes Unique?
You’ll taste something different.
With over 100 Undiscovered Grapes making up 7% of the total plantings in California, these wines can be hard-to-impossible-to-find at your wine shops and restaurants. The Festival of Undiscovered Grapes puts them all under one roof and allows you to meet and chat with the winemakers who are passionate about preserving and promoting these lesser-known gems of the wine world. Plus, you’ll get bragging rights among your friends that you have tasted wines they have never heard of and can’t find anywhere.
You’ll taste something historical.
Most of the grapes showcased at The Festival of Undiscovered Grapes were planted either during the initial settling of California, during the infancy of the wine industry in the state, or before the infamous “Judgment of Paris” in 1976, when Bordeaux varieties like Cabernet, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc, and Burgundian varieties like Pinot Noir and Chardonnay rose to prominence and started to dominate California’s grape plantings and wine markets. This is your chance to taste California’s long and extensive wine history, including some grapes now close to extinction or exceptionally rare because of their limited acreage.
You’ll taste something hand-crafted:
Many of the Undiscovered Grape winemakers attending this year’s Festival produce 1500 cases of wine annually or less, and some of their Undiscovered Grape wine lots can be as small as 25 cases. For these wineries, the majority of what they sell is direct-to-consumer and you can find them only if you visit their tasting room, are a club member, order from their website, or happen to know them personally. But at The Festival of Undiscovered Grapes, you will be able to try these exceptionally rare small lot wines for yourself and then have them delivered directly to you.
You can take it all home with you:
Unlike other wine festivals, The Festival of Undiscovered Grapes allows you to select the wines you taste and love and order them there and then at the event. No matter how many different wines and different wineries you order from, all the wines will be delivered to your door by our Undiscovered Grapes team for a single delivery fee lower than what you would pay in shipping. No exorbitant multiple shipping fees. No broken bottles. No heat-damaged or ruined wines. Just Undiscovered Grapes hand-delivered to you for a single, low fee.
THANK YOU TO OUR LOS ANGELES PARTNERS
2026 PARTICIPATING LOS ANGELES WINERIES
THANK YOU TO OUR SAN JOSE PARTNERS
2026 PARTICIPATING SAN JOSE WINERIES
