Grape Varietals

Major White Grape Varietals

Albarino

Spain’s most distinct white grape varietal, Albarino is grown principally in Galacia in the northwest of Spain and is also popular in Portugal’s Vinho Verde region. Noted for its’ intense highly aromatic bouquet dominated by peaches, almonds, apricots and lychee nuts, it is often compared to Viognier. Albarino are typically delicate white wines with crisp acidity and a refreshing quality, which make them good food wines.

Chardonnay

Also know as Melon Blanc, the noble grape Chardonnay is one of the most widely planted varieties in the world. The grapes allure is its ability to adapt to a variety of soils and climates and its versatility. In France, where some of the world’s most noted and expensive Chardonnay are made namely in Burgundy, the wines are rich and full-bodied with incredible aging potential. Other areas of France such as Chablis tend to produce more delicate wines with a distinct mineral quality and crisp acidity. California has the distinction of making top quality Chardonnay most of which are oak aged producing intensely flavored, buttery, creamy wines. In Australia Chardonnay covers more ground than any other grape. In addition, Chardonnay is one of the main grapes used in Champagne and plays crucial role in the blend by providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.

Chenin Blanc

An important white grape variety planted in the Loire Valley, Chenin Blanc is the most widely planted varietal grape in South Africa where it is also known as Steen. This versatile grape can produce several styles of wine including dry, medium dry or sweet, and still or sparkling. Some of the best examples of Chenin Blanc are produced in France’s Loire Valley. General characteristics of the grape include aromas of apricots and honeysuckle, lively green apple flavors, good texture and incredibly crisp acidity.

Gewurztraminer

A quality white grape that is prized for its distinct spiciness both in the aroma and in the flavor, Gewurz literally means spice in German. This unique grape is the second most widely planted varietal in Alsace, France where it is most often vinified dry producing wines with a beautiful bouquet of lychee nuts, rose petals, peaches and spice. As it has a naturally high sugar level, Gewurztraminer is capable of making luscious late harvest dessert wines with great aging potential. Gewurztraminer is also planted in Germany, Italy and to a lesser extent in Australia, California and New Zealand.

Grner Veltliner

Indigenous to Austria, Gruner Veltliner constitutes 36% of all vineyard plantings making it Austria’s most famous grape variety. Also grown in Hungary, Gruner Veltliner is a late ripening variety that typically produces fresh fruity wines with aromas and flavors of pear, grapefruit, lime zest, peach and spice. Commonly consumed young, the wines typically possess a steely backbone of acidity, which enables the best bottles to age gracefully.

Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio

This first class white grape variety is successfully grown in Alsace, France where it is known as Tokay Pinot Gris, in Italy, where it is called Pinot Grigio and in Oregon where it is known as Pinot Gris. In Alsace it produces medium- to full-bodied, rich, slightly floral dry whites with a viscous texture as well as superb sweet late harvest wines. At its best it combines a highly perfumed bouquet of peaches, apricots and spice with brisk acidity. Pinot Grigio, the popular crisp white made in Italy is typically dry, light-bodied and delicate with subtle aromas and flavors of citrus fruit and anise and with crisp acidity. Oregon is producing complex and interesting Pinot Gris wines, which tend to be medium-bodied, crisp and plump with lively apple, pear and spice flavors, while German Pinot Gris are generally medium to full-bodied and well balanced with sweet fruit and good acidity.

Pinot Blanc

A white grape, which is grown in Alsace where it is sometimes referred to as Clevner or Klevner, Pinot Blanc is knows as Weisseburgunder in Germany and Austria. Sometimes confused with Chardonnay, at its best Pinot Blanc produces light to medium-bodied, dry white wines with hints of apples, honey and almonds and a refreshingly crisp with a clean finish.

Marsanne

The predominant white grape variety grown in the Northern Rhone where it is used to produce white St. Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage and Hermitage. In the Northern Rhone it tends to be blended with Roussanne and produces richly aromatic wines with flavors of nuts and pears, which have good aging potential. Increasingly it is being grown in the Southern Rhone where it is bottled as a single varietal or blended with Roussanne, Viognier and sometimes Chardonnay. It is also grown very successfully in Australia where some of the world’s oldest Marsanne vines can be found.

Riesling

In Germany, Riesling constitutes around 20% of total plantings, yet it is responsible for all its greatest wines. It produces delicate, racy and stylish wines that span the spectrum of flavors from minerally and bone dry with aromas and flavors of green apples, peaches and limestone to honeyed and nutty flavors of great dessert wines. Riesling produced in Alsace, where it is the country’s leading grape variety, is usually delicate, crisp and dry with brisk acidity. Rieslings of Australia and New Zealand are typically dry with bold citrus fruit flavors, a floral bouquet and an elegant finish. In Austria, Riesling is the second leading wine, behind Gruner Veltliner, and are most often thick and mouth-coating with a succulent aroma and along spicy finish.

Sauvignon Blanc

An important white grape in Bordeaux and the Loire Valley, Sauvignon Blanc has now found fame in New Zealand and Chile. In Bordeaux it is typically blended with Semillon where the wines tend to be fresh, dry and crisp with nuances of lemon zest, spice and anise. Sauvignon Blanc also fares well in the Loire Valley where it produces highly aromatic, bone dry wines with an herbal, smoky, limestone quality. New Zealand’s signature grape, Sauvignon Blanc wines made here exhibit bright, citrus fruit flavors and aromas with a distinctive herbal or grassy quality. Plantings in California (also labeled Fume Blanc), Australia, Chile, and South Africa are also extensive, and Sauvignon Blanc is steadily increasing in popularity particularly as a wine to serve with food. Since Sauvignon Blanc is highly susceptible to noble rot (allowing the grapes to over-ripen on the vine so them become highly extracted and sweet) it is the ideal grape, when blended with Semillon, to use in the production of ultra-concentrated, luscious dessert wines such as Sauternes.

Semillon

In Bordeaux Semillon is the most widely planted white grape variety and is blended with Sauvignon Blanc to produce the great age-worthy dry whites of Graves, as well as the famous sweet wines of Sauternes. Widely grown in Australia, particularly in the Hunter Valley, where the wines can vary in style from a simple blend with Chardonnay to a complex Sauternes-style dessert wine. Flavors and aromas range from delicate lemon and pear to intense butterscotch and honey. At one time, Semillon flourished in South Africa where it comprised over 90% of the vines and in Chile where over 75% of the vines were planted to the grape. Both countries continue to successfully grow and produce Semillon, but to a greatly reduced degree.

Verdicchio

Cultivated for over six hundred years, Verdicchio is one of the most widely planted white grape varieties in central Italy. Verdicchio’s name is derived from “verde,” meaning green, referring to the yellowish-green skin of the grape, which gives the wine a subtle, greenish hue. It produces crisp, dry wines of naturally high acidity and often with hints of citrus fruits and almonds. It is also well suited to the production of sparkling wine and Verdicchio was one of the first Italian spumantes back in the 18th century.

Viognier

A white grape variety originating in the Northern Rhone, Viognier is a poor-yielding grape that is notoriously fickle to grow, being susceptible to a whole gamut of pests and diseases. Viognier has been on the charge in the Southern Rhone and the Languedoc throughout the 1990s and is now a key component of many white Ctes du Rhne. In recent years, areas of Southern France and California have achieved success bottling Viognier as a single varietal producing highly fragrant, richly textured wines with scents and flavors of dried apricots and peaches.

Major Red Grape Varietals

Cabernet Franc

Widely planted in Bordeaux, Cabernet Franc is almost exclusively blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and is the most important black grape grown in the Loire Valley. Used as a blending grape in Bordeaux where it takes backseat to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Cabernet Franc typically adds herbal, lead pencil and peppery aromas and ripe fruit to the wine. Cheval Blanc, which consists of up to 65% Cabernet Franc is the varietals most famous wine in the world. The best examples come from Chinon and produce concentrated, structured wines with grip and longevity. Cabernet Franc is often used in California as part of their Meritage blends.

Cabernet Sauvignon

The most famous red wine grape in the world and one of the most widely planted, Cabernet Sauvignon is adaptable to a wide range of soils. This noble grape thrives in Bordeaux where it can produce bold, tannic wines with piercing blackcurrant fruits that develop complex cedar wood and cigar box nuances when fully mature. In California, Cabernet Sauvignon is capable of producing exceptional wines, which at their best are rich and concentrated with a distinct combination of blackcurrant, mint, eucalyptus and vanilla. Also planted with great success in Australia, Cabernet Sauvignon plays a vital role in Italy’s Super Tuscans either on its own or blended with Sangiovese. The particularly thick skin of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape results in wines that can be high in tannin, which provides both structure and longevity. Genetic studies in the 1990s indicate that Cabernet Sauvignon it is the result of a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.

Dolcetto

Relatively easy to cultivate, this black grape variety native to is Northern Italy grown almost exclusively in the Piedmont area. The wines generally are low in tannins and acidity and are usually fruity and fragrant, often with hints of almonds. Most Dolcettos should be drunk within a year or two of the vintage, but the wines from the best producers can last for 5 years and sometimes longer.

Gamay

Gamay is a French variety planted predominately in Beaujolais where it is the grape behind Beaujolais Nouveau as well as the more serious wines from the cru villages. Gamay wines are typically soft, fruit driven, easy drinking reds that are best when consumed young.

Grenache

After Arien this is the most widely planted black grape variety in the world. In the Southern Rhne it provides the backbone for most red blends and is the key component of Chteauneuf-du-Pape. In the Languedoc it plays a key role in many blends and is responsible for much of the Ros wine from Southern France. It is the most extensively grown grape in Spain where it is known as Garnacha Tinta. Grenache was once the most widely planted black grape in Australia, but much of it was dug up in the 70’s and early 80’s to make room for more fashionable grapes. However plantings have been on the increase since the early 1990’s and the best examples are found in the Barossa Valley from dry-farmed, bush-pruned, old Grenache vines.

Malbec

Known as Auxerrois in Cahors, Cot in the Loire and Malbeck in Argentina, Malbec has become more popular in the past decade mainly due to the grapes’ success in South America. Long known as one of the five grapes used in the blending of red Bordeaux, it is increasingly celebrated as an Argentine varietal wine where it can be found bottled on its own or as part of a Bordeaux style blend. Still popular in Southern France, this mellow, soft-natured grape produces fine wines in Cahors. Malbec wines are characterized by a deep color with substantial black fruit aromas and flavors, balanced acidity and smooth tannins. In Chile it is the third most widely planted grape after Pais and Cabernet Sauvignon and tends to produce firm, robust wines.

Merlot

The most widely planted grape in Bordeaux, Merlot is now grown in virtually all wine growing countries and is particularly successful in Australia, California, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and Northern Italy. The main grape in St. Emilion and Pomerol, it produces opulent wines with intense ripe spicy fruit aromas and flavors. One of the most famous and rare wines in the world, Chteau Ptrus is nearly all Merlot. Renowned for its soft, supple texture and fresh berry flavors, Merlot is an important blending grape in virtually all of Bordeaux and California where it helps to round out the sometimes harsh tannins of Cabernet Sauvignon based wines. Merlot based wines offer ripe fruit flavors dominated by currants, raspberries and cherry with hints of vanilla and a soft, pleasing texture.

Mourvedre

The Bandol region in Provence is considered one of Mourvedre’s most successful growing areas where it dominates the region. Called Monastrell in Spain, where it is the country’s second most important grape, it does especially well in the Jumilla region where it is used as a varietal or in blends with Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo or Merlot. Called Mataro in Australia and the United States, Mourvedre is typically at its best when blended with Syrah and Grenache and often imparts black fruit flavors of blueberry and currants with gamey or earthy nuances. Mourvedre is also one of the blending grapes used in Bordeaux.

Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo is the most important wine grape variety of Italy’s Piedmont region and the grape behind the regions famed Barolo and Barbaresco wines. These deeply colored wines can be massively tannic in youth with intriguing and highly aromatic scents of tar, chocolate, mint, truffles and roses. Both Borolo’s and Barbaresco’s age wonderfully often showing their best then years plus after bottling. It takes its name from “nebbia” which is Italian for fog, a frequent phenomenon in the region.

Petit Verdot

Grown in quantity only in the Medoc region of Bordeaux, Petit Verdot is used as a blending grape principally in conjunction with Cabernet Sauvignon in the Bordeaux region. The grapes’ main purpose is to add aroma, color, acidity and tannins in producing some of the best wines in Bordeaux. However, in recent years, other wine regions namely California, Chile, Australia and New Zealand have begun to cultivate Petit Verdot as the grapes’ blending attributes have become respected worldwide. Distinct flavors and scents of violets, leather and black fruits are it’s hallmarks and it has the ability to add a nice mid-palate richness to a wine.

Pinot Meunier

Pinot Meunier, also known as Schwarzriesling or Mllerrebe, is a black grape most often affiliated with the production of Champagne. A mutation of Pinot Noir, it is one of the three main grapes used in the production of Champagne (the other two are the Pinot Noir and the Chardonnay) whereby it is touted for adding body and richness to the final blend.

Pinot Noir

Pinot noir grapes are grown in numerous diverse locations around the world, but the grape is chiefly associated with the Burgundy region of France where it’s been cultivated for over 2000 years. It is widely considered to produce some of the finest wines in the world. The wines are often light and delicate, both in color and taste due to the thinness of the grapes’ skin. The best Pinot Noir, however, are incredibly complex, concentrated and highly aromatic. Pinot Noir wines offer a broad range of aromas, flavors and styles ranging from light-bodied with hints of violets and red currants to fuller bodied, deep, silky wines with earthy nuances. It is also planted in Germany, Switzerland, Australia, California, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand and Chile, with some of the best regarded coming from California’s Sonoma County and the Willamette Valley in Oregon. In South Africa, Pinot Noir has been crossed with the Cinsault grape to make a unique, indigenous variety called Pinotage. Pinot Noir also plays a vital role in Champagne as it is one of the key grapes in all blends and is often the main grape in Blanc de Noirs.

Pinotage

A cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, Pinotage was created in South Africa in 1925 when a professor at Stellenbosch University combined the best qualities of Pinot Noir, which can be difficult to grow but has exceptional wine-making qualities, with Cinsault, which is sturdy and grows easily. Although Pinotage is still best known in South Africa, it is also grown extensively in New Zealand and Zimbabwe, and increasingly in Brazil, California, Canada, Israel, and Virginia. The grape displays pronounced fruity flavors combined with some earthy, leathery and spicy notes. Soft and supple, it is enjoyable young, but can mature nicely.

Sangiovese

Originating in Italy where it is now recognized as a superior variety, Sangiovese is the main component of Chianti and the only grape permitted for use in the renowned Brunello di Montalcino. Sangiovese typically produces light colored wines with well-defined tannins and good acidity and a flavor profile that includes cherries, leather, mushrooms, plums and blackcurrants. The creation of Super Tuscan’s in the 1960’s propelled Sangiovese into the spotlight as bigger, bolder, richer wines made by blending Cabernet Sauvignon with Sangiovese and aging the blend in oak, the most famous Super Tuscan being Tignanello. Today, Sangiovese is becoming increasingly popular as a red wine grape in Australia.

Shiraz/Syrah

Australia’s most popular grape, Shiraz, known as Syrah in France and the United States, is responsible for producing some of the most famous, sought after wines in Australia and in the Northern Rhone. According to a DNA study in 1998, Syrah originated in the vicinity of the Northern Rhone Valley of France where it continues to be the main grape. This noble grape is grown extensively in the Southern Rhone Valley where it is blended with Mourvedre and Grenache to produce the famous wines of Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas among others. Intensely concentrated, both Shiraz and Syrah wines exhibit great depth of flavors including intense black fruits and a distinct spicy or peppery quality. However, some differences are evident with the Australian wines typically velvety and lush showing riper fruit flavors and hints of chocolate and oak, while their French counterparts exhibit more earthy, leathery, mushroom-like scents and flavors. Know as Shiraz in South Africa, producers here are now making solid examples that also constitute good values.

Tempranillo

Native to northern Spain, Tempranillo is widely grown in Northern and Central Spain as well as Argentina. This high quality red grape is also cultivated in Portugal where it is most often used in red table blends and Port. In recent years, Tempranillo has begun showing up in Australia as well. Most Spanish Tempranillo based wines are light to medium bodied and display vibrant red fruit flavors with a spicy, herbal element. The grape is at its’ best when it is aged in French or American oak creating a dense, concentrated, intensely flavored wine with great aging potential.

Zinfandel

Zinfandel, also known as Primitivo in Europe, is popular in California and Italy for its intense fruitiness, distinct spicy quality and lush texture. While it is regarded as California’s own black grape variety, it in fact originated in Europe. Zinfandel has been successfully grown and cultivated in California for over 100 years and during prohibition it was the most popular grape in the state. The creation of White Zinfandel in the 1970s further saved the vines by providing a larger market for the grape. Zinfandel has the ability to produce a variety of wines ranging in style from light-bodied, red fruit driven wines to sweet late harvest dessert wines. At its best, Zinfandel offers bold, concentrated, spice laden wines with incredible longevity. Studies have shown that the Primitivo grape from Italy has the same genetic make-up as Zinfandel and both grapes are believed to originate from Croatia.