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There are about 10,000
documented grape
varieties and
approximately only 180
are used to make
wine. Grapes
are classified to the subspecies vitis vinifera
and are commonly
known as Chardonnay,
Cabernet Sauvignon,
Merlot, etc. A
varietal is simply
the name of the
grape from which the
wine is made, such
as Cabernet
Sauvignon or
Chardonnay. In order
to list the varietal
on the label, the
wine must contain at
least 75% of that
grape. Many
varietals are
blended with others
(such as Merlot with
Cabernet) to round
out either the
aromatic or flavor
profile of the wine.
This is a winemaking
decision based on
the style that the
winery is trying to
achieve. Below are
some of the most
common varietals. |
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WHITE VARIETALS
Bordeaux White
Blends. Among the dry white
wines of Bordeaux, particularly
Graves, a blend (varying in
percentages) of Sauvignon Blanc and
Semillon is typical, with some 100%
Sauvignon Blanc wines produced.
Among sweet white wines, namely
Sauternes, a typical recipe is 80%
Semillon to 20% Sauvignon Blanc.
Cabernet Franc.
This grape is related to Cabernet
Sauvignon, with more fruit-basket
style fruit and less tannin. Less
long-lived than its cousin, Cabernet
Franc brings an herbal note ranging
from slightly tobacco-flavored to
pungently leafy. Used in Bordeaux,
especially in Pomerol, but important
in the Médoc as a blender. 100%
Cabernet Franc wines are offered
elsewhere in the world, notably in
the Loire Valley where Chinon is the
pinnacle.
Cabernet
Sauvignon. One of the most famed
and long-lived of grapes, it is
found nearly everywhere in the
world, but most famously grown in
Bordeaux. In that region, Cabernet
Sauvignon is usually blended with
Merlot and Cabernet Franc. In
Australia, it is often found with
Shiraz as the blender. Notes of
cherry, cedar and tobacco
predominate and the grape's tannins
sometimes make the wine tough to
drink in its youth.
Chardonnay
Lemon, lime, grapefruit, nectarine,
pear, apple, pineapple, guava,
melon, banana, smoke, steel, cream,
vanilla, butter, butterscotch,
toast, chalk, yeast, mint, coconut,
mineral. Chardonnay is one of the
most popular wines in the U.S. The
flavors of this popular white wine
can range from clean and crisp
examples to rich and complex
examples with pronounced oak flavor.
Chardonnay is typically classified
as a dry white wine, but it can
sometimes taste semi-sweet or even
sour. If you like the tropical
citrus flavors, the slight char of
buttered toast, you’ll get along
well with Chardonnay. Any oak you’ll
taste comes from fermenting in oak
barrels. In Burgundy, it is more
complex and long-lived, with less
tropical and more mineral and apple
flavors reflecting the cooler
climate.
Chenin Blanc Red apple,
peach, pineapple, guava, chalk,
lemon, vanilla, cream, apple
blossom, chamomile, melon. The wines are
powerful, pungent, great whether
sweet or dry, and amazingly
long-lived. Twenty years or more is
the norm for good vintages.
Corvina.
One of the principle varietals that
gives life to Valpolicella, Amorane
and other interesting Veronese reds.
Corvina is an intense ruby red with
good tannins and rich fruit.
Gewürztraminer
Apple,
pear, cloves, cinnamon, honeysuckle,
geranium, pepper, apple, orange,
earth, anise, smoke, sauerkraut,
pine, nutmeg, mace. One look at the
name Gewürztraminer and one can
guess that the nationality of this
white grape is German.
Gewürztraminer produces a
distinctive wine rich in spicy
aromas and full flavors, ranging
from dry to sweet. Its qualities
are very similar to Riesling. If you
like nutty flavors or floral herbal
teas (think rose hips) as well as
pepper, you should find
Gewürztraminer enjoyable to drink. A grape of the
Muscat family with rich, pungent
character and a nose like roses. It is good in
Germany, New Zealand and Italy; great in Alsace
where even when dry, it is so
pungent it seems best with dessert.
Muscat Apricot, lychee,
almond, earth, tangerine, golden
raisin, pepper, toffee, lemon,
orange, grape, spice. Brown Muscat
is very rich and full in Australia's Liquer Muscats. Muscat d'Alexandria
offers its best work as dessert on
the northern Sicialian islands of
Pantelleria, in southern France
(Muscat de Lunel, Rivesaltes) and
with Moscatel de Setubal in
Portugal. Muscat Ottonel is a
lighter, less-interesting subvariety.
Black Muscat also exists as a very
dark variety.
Riesling
Apricot, peach,
nectarine, green apple, honeysuckle,
geranium, rose, licorice, petrol,
asphalt, smoke, cream, earth, flint,
slate. Like its close relation,
Gewürztraminer, Riesling is a white
wine known for its distinctive
floral qualities. Rieslings can also
range from crisp and dry to
full-bodied and spicy to luscious
and sweet. Most examples are
primarily dry with a touch of
sweetness. Since sugar helps cut the
heat, Rieslings are a good choice
for spicy foods. If you enjoy the
sweetness of honey and melon, the
tartness of grapefruit and the
floral quality of some herbal teas,
Riesling should be on your table.
Pinot Grigio Pinot Grigio is also known by its
nickname, Pinot Gris. Pinot Grigio is a white
grape whose low acidity produces a
rich wine with a light perfume-like
quality to it. When you take a sip,
Pinot Grigio feels dry and light on
your tongue. You may also detect a
tinge of minerals. After you
swallow, you might taste a lemony
flavor. If you like the flavor of
peaches, grapefruit and melon you
should become good friends with
Pinot Grigio.
Sauvignon Blanc
Grapefruit,
lemon, lime, melon, apple, grass,
hay, straw, alfalfa, bell pepper,
asparagus, green olive, artichoke, stemmy, honey, smoke, apricot, mint,
menthol, wet wool, catty, mineral,
flint, gooseberry. While some
examples of Sauvignon Blanc tend
toward the sweet, it is primarily a
dry, crisp light white wine like
Chardonnay. In fact some wineries
have started aging it in oak barrels
like Chardonnay. If you like citrus
fruits and green tea, you should
chill a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc
and try a glass.
Sémillon
Peach, pear, melon,
fig, cream, honey, cinnamon,
lanolin, vanilla, apricot (in
sweeter styles), floral, beeswax.
Blended with Sauvignon Blanc for
most dry white Bordeaux and used in
larger proportions for the dessert
Bordeaux, Sauternes and Cerons.
White Zinfandel is one of
the newer wines on the shelf.
It’s produced in the same fashion as
other blush wines or Rosés. The
juice from red Zinfandel grapes is
allowed to linger with the grape
skins for a very short time to
produce a coral-pink wine that is
mildly sweet. It’s been a gateway
wine for many newcomers to the wine
world, yet it remains popular
because of its clean refreshing
flavor. If you are new to wine or
just enjoy flavors like orange,
vanilla, strawberry, raspberry and
cherry, pair a chilled glass of
White Zinfandel with a warm summer
day and prepare to be pleased.
RED VARIETALS
Barbera.
Italy's most common red grape is
also used in California in blends to bolster
acidity. The better versions are
deep purple, bone-dry, and mouthfilling, with red and black
fruit (blackberry, currant, prune)
flavors and aromas of nutmeg, black
pepper and smoke. Great, more
concentrated Barberas may be aged,
but most are medium-bodied with
moderate tannins and are drunk
fairly young. Barbera makes an ideal
partner to pasta and other dishes
featuring tomato sauce.
Bordeaux Red
Blends. Red Bordeaux, sometimes
called Claret, is a wine made from a
blend of different grape varieties.
Although it varies from Château to
Château, a typical red Bordeaux
recipe might be 70% Cabernet
Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 15% Cabernet
Franc, while a likely St. Émilion or
Pomerol blend might be 60% Merlot,
30% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet
Sauvignon.
Cabernet
Sauvignon Blackberry, black
raspberry, black currant (cassis),
bell pepper, eucalyptus, mint, black
olive, green olive, earth, mushroom,
chocolate, cocoa, molasses, smoke,
plum, cedar, tobacco, licorice,
graphite (pencil box). With its
hearty flavors and deep dark color,
Cabernet Sauvignon, or Cabernet, is
the top dog of the red wine
category. Naturally occurring high
levels of
tannins give Cabernet its
well-developed, full-bodied flavor
for which it is so prized. It’s also
desirable because of its ability to
age well. Those new to drinking wine
are often intimidated by a Cabernet
and think of it as a “strong” wine.
Somewhere along the line they only
got part of the story on this
full-bodied, intense wine. Truth be
told, Cabernets can be mellow and
mild or hearty and rich. If you like
the bite of black currant berries or
choke cherries and the rich flavor
of blackberries, you’ll like
Cabernet. Because Cabernet is
traditionally aged in oak barrels,
you might also taste oak and vanilla
flavors that come from the barrels.
Gamay
Raspberry, strawberry, cinnamon,
cloves, rose petal, jasmine,
violets, cranberry, mineral (in Cru
Beaujolais). Outside of the confines
of Beaujolais, France, where in the
top crus (Brouilly, Fleurie, et al)
it can be rich, succulent and
capable of aging ten years or more,
Gamay makes a pleasant, simple and
fruity wine.
Grenache
Grape, jam, berry, cinnamon, prune,
tea, soy, pepper, violets, rose
petal. This grape has many homes and
faces. In Rioja, Spain, it is the
grape second in importance to
Tempranillo, and can show excellent
character just north of Navarro. In
southern France and the southern
Rhône Valley, it reaches from
excellent rosé, to pleasant, fruity
drinker to imperial heights in
Châteauneuf-du-Pape and, sometimes,
Gigondas. Found in North Africa,
particularly in Morocco and Algeria.
Malbec. A
ripe, lush black grape variety, once
popular in Bordeaux as a component,
but gaining a modern stronghold in
Argentina and Chile.
Merlot Similar to Cabernet Sauvignon, but
"softer", rounder when very ripe,
focus on herbal and "green"
flavors.). Originally used as a main
component in red wine blends,
Merlot’s smooth, balanced and less
harsh qualities made it a popular
alternative to Cabernet Sauvignon.
Because it has fewer
tannins, Merlot is best enjoyed
right away, rather than aged. Those
who enjoy flavors like honey, mint,
plum, black cherry and orange will
find Merlot a very satisfying wine.
Often considered the "blending"
grape of Bordeaux, this grape does
offer softness on the Médoc. But it
is the heart and soul of many, if
not most, Pomerols and St. Émilions. This is a grape that has been
nearly as successful in its varied
and diverse plantings throughout the
world as Cabernet Sauvignon.
Pinot Noir
Cherry, raspberry,
strawberry, prune, plum,
pomegranate, coffee, spice,
coriander, ginger, cloves, cinnamon,
earth, smoke, mushroom, "barnyard",
caramel, allspice, violets,
lavender, jasmine, cocoa, sausage,
citrus. Typical Pinot
Noir flavors include vanilla, oak
and jams like raspberry, strawberry
and plum. Pinot Noir is a bit of a
chameleon. It’s a red grape but is
often used as a white component in
Champagne and fathered two white
grapes varietals: Pinot Blanc and
Pinot Grigio. Pinot Noir is a great
example of a delicate red wine
possessing the smooth
characteristics of a white and the
richness of a red. Pinot Noir ranges
in color from cherry red to purplish
red to brown as it ages. If you’re a
gardener who loves the smell of
earth or if you like the smell of
leather, you’ll be pleased with the
aroma of a Pinot Noir.
Sangiovese
Cherry,
raspberry, red plum, blackberry,
cinnamon, dried flowers, vanilla,
pepper, truffle, smoke, chamomile,
rose petal, tar, coffee, anise. The
primary grape of Chianti. Its sweet cherry
and leather tones when aged are pure
grace at their best and austere and charmless when made poorly.
Syrah/Shiraz
Blackberry, black currant
(cassis), black raspberry, black
plum, white pepper, black pepper,
cinnamon, anise, prune, oak, soy,
chocolate, smoke, sausage, toast,
violets. Syrah is also known as
Shiraz, particularly in Australia.
Those Aussies have a different word
for everything. Syrah is a red grape
and
is easy for winemakers to work with.
It’s very healthy, ripens early,
resists mildew and rot and adapts to
various winemaking styles. Syrah has
a long history in California, with
the best examples standing up to the
biggest California Cabernets. Like a
Cabernet, Syrah has a wealth of
tannins and complex flavor
combinations. You will enjoy
Syrah camp if you like spicy,
peppery, smoky flavors as well as
blackberries, plums and other
flavors. Keep working your tongue
and you might detect a touch of
licorice or baker’s chocolate. The
great grape of northern Rhône where
some of the world's greatest wines
are straight renditions of the
grape. Grown in other countries,
Australia has pushed it to similar
heights.
Syrah Rosé Let’s
deconstruct this one. Syrah is a red
wine grape. Rosé, also known as a
blush wine, is a light pink wine
made from a blend of several red
wine grapes. The pink or rose color
comes from minimizing the time the
juice spends in contact with the
grape skins. In contrast to their
full-blooded parents, Rosés tend to
be light with some sweetness. Dry
Rosés are popular in many regions of
the world because of their color,
pronounced fruit flavor and delicate
body. Syrah Rosé is a good choice
for those who enjoy raspberry and
strawberry flavors, lavender and
violet. Even though a Syrah Rosé is
not a dark red wine,
tannins are present, but light,
giving it plenty of crispness and
body.
Vignoles
Otherwise known as Ravat, this
hybrid is offered in dessert styles
that are pretty and crisp. Dry
Vignoles is gaining importance as a
variety in the eastern United
States.
Zinfandel
Blackberry, raspberry, jam, cherry,
port, plum, chocolate, olive, bell
pepper, cloves, black pepper, spice.
California is famous for sun, surf,
celebrity and, of course, Zinfandel.
This red grape originated in Italy
but, like so many others, found fame
and fortune in the Golden State. In
the glass, Zinfandel has a deep red
color that can almost appear black
with the right lighting. In the
mouth, Zinfandel is a very hearty
wine with flavors that range from
fruity to spicy, depending on age.
If you like spicy peppery flavors
and dark cherries, give Zinfandel a
whirl. This grape is found most
often in the pink (or "white" as
it's referred to) version. Thanks to the popularity of the
white version, Zinfandel is
California's most planted grape.
Grapey, and bursting with bright
raspberry fruit, it is food-friendly
and ages fairly well.
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