A Guide
to the World's Leading Grapes
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All wine begins with the grape. Many wines are vinified from one grape
variety alone, and they reflect its distincitve character. Other wines are
made from a combination of grape varieties, each contributing its special quality, such as aroma, color, alcoholic strength (my favorite), acidity and body. It is the balance of these interrelating elements that produces the character of the wine.
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More than 3,000 varieties of the European Vitis vinifera grape are under cultivation throughout the world, but certain varieties yield the finest wines. We will cover the leading 14 varietals.
Many European grape varieties have been successfully transplanted to other parts of the world, but in a hotter climate a specific variety will produce perceptibly different results than when grown in a mild climate. And the nature of the soil - whether sandy, gravelly, chalky, or granitic, for instance - will also alter significantly the character of the wine produced by any grape variety
Among the noble varieties, the Cabernet Sauvignon is the most adaptable. It has been successfully transplanted from the Bordeaux region to other soils and climates, and lends its character to fine wines from California, South Africa and Australia. In contrast, the Pinot Noir from Burgundy adapts to other climates with more difficulty, and outside Burgundy its white mutation - Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris - often do better. There are of course exceptions to this such as the exceptional Pinot Noirs coming out of California, Washington and Oregon in the last decade.
Other grape varieties have thrived in new terrain - the Zinfandel, for example is grown in southern Italy, where it is known as the Primitivo, and used largely as a powerful blending wine. This grape flourishes in the cooler, northern parts of California, producing distinctively fruity, slightly herbal wines.
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White Wine Varietals
The Chardonnay
This grape produces the great wine Burgundies of the Cote de Beaune and Chablis, the white wines of the Cote Chalonnaise, and Pouilly Fuisse and other Macon wines. It is the white grape used in making Champagne. Chardonnay also produces California's finest white wines.
The Chenin Blanc
This is the leading white grape in the Touraine and Anjou districts of the Loire Valley. The wines of Anjou, Touraine, Saumur, Layon and Vouvray range from dry to sweet, some are made sparkling by the Champagne method. The Chenin Blanc is also grown in South America, California, Australia and South Africa, where it is called Steen.
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The Gewurztraminer
Taking its name from the German gewurtz , meaning spice, this grape produces the highly scented, spicy wines that bear its name in Alsace and Germany. in the French Jura, it is called savignin , and produces vin jaune - yellow wine. The grape is also grown in Austria, Italy, California, South Africa and Australia.
The Riesling
This is the noble variety grown in Germany, and it is cultivated in many other places - Alsace, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Yugoslavia and all wine growing regions outside Europe. The wines are generally fresh, crisp and dry or medium dry, but when affected by Botrytis the Riesling grape produces the most distinguished sweet German wines. |
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The Sauvignon Blanc
In the Bordeaux region, this variety is combined with the Semillon in the sweet wines of the Sauternes and Barsac, and in dry white Graves. In the Loire Valley, it is called blanc fume and yields the flinty wines of Sancerre and, in Pouilly sur-Loire, the crisp, fruity Pouilly Fume. It also grown in California and Australia.
The Semillon
When affected by Botrytis, this grape produces the sweet white wines of Bordeaux, such as Barsac, Sauternes and Loupiac; it is combined with lesser proportions of Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. The Semillon also grows in California, Australia and South Africa, where it is known as green grape. |
Red Wine Varietals
The Cabernet Franc
This grape is more productive and less tannic than Cabernet Sauvign on; in Bordeaux, the two are often combined. In the Loire Valley, this variety produces the wines of Chinon, Bourgueil, St. Nicolas de Bourgueil and Saumur Champigny. It also grows in South America and California.
The Cabernet Sauvignon
The most important red grape of Graves and Medoc, this variety is high in acid and tannin, and it produces the long-lived, slow-maturing wines of Bordeaux. Its strong fruit flavor is commonly likened to blackcurrants. This grape also produces high quality wines in California, Chile, Australia and South Africa.
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The Gamay
In the Beaujolais district of Burgundy, this variety produces supple red wines distinguished by their fresh, fruity bouquet. The Gamay grape is the origin both of the light Beaujolais wines and the more distinguished village appelations of the area.
The Grenache
A grape which flourishes in hot climates, the Grenache is grown in the South of France, Spain, North Africa and California. In the Rhone Valley it is an important component of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. It also produces the rose wines of Tavel and Lirac, and in the Roussillon area of south-west France, the sweet fortified wine, Banyuls.
The Merlot
In the Bordeaux region, the Merlot is dominant in Pomerol and St. Emilion, yielding robust, long-lived wines. In the stonier soils of the Medoc and Graves, it is combined with the Cabernet Sauvignon, to lend the wines softness and roundness. It is also grown in Italy, Switzerland, Yugoslavia, California, Australia and South Africa.
The Mourvedre
This grape thrives in warm, dry climates such as the south and south-west of France, and gives Bandol wines of Provence - which contain at least 50 percent Mourvedre - their depth of color and typical fruitiness, often associated with wild berries. The Mourvedre is also used in the making of the Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Palette.
The Pinot Noir
In the Cote d'Or, this grape yields the finest red Burgundies, which often have great potential for ageing. Blended with white Chardonnay grapes, the Pinot Noir contributes body, strength and long life to Champagne. It is cultivated in other mild climates - Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Hungary and California.
The Syrah
The foundation of many deeply colored, robust wines, the grape yields some of the finest wines of the Cotes du Rhone, such as Hermitage, St Joseph, Cornas and, when blended with other grapes, Chateauneuf-du-Pape. It grows well in other warm climates such as California, South Africa and Australia, where it is known as the Shiraz or Hermitage grape.
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