grape variety

Grape is the most important base material for all sorts of wines and spirits. Depending on the climate and weather conditions, different grape varieties are planted in different parts of the world. Most of them originally come from Europe (France, Italy, Span and Germany), but there are also some new varieties grown in New World (America, Africa, Austra, etc.). There are two types of grapes by their colour, white grape and black grape. One common misunderstanding is white for white and black for red, which is actually not true. I will describe winemaking in Winemaking.

I compile a table below for popular grape varieties and the associated producer/brand and the taste properties of the wines made from them (sweetness, alcohol, acidity, tannin, body, length, complexity and flavour). There are actually hundreds more, but please pay special focus on the following 6 classical grape varieties (the first three are white and the last three are black):

• Chardonnay is not an aromatic grape variety. The delicacy of its fruit makes it suitable for expressing the oak and yeast-derived flavours. It can be grown in regions of varying climates, ranging from cool (Chablis) to moderate (Côte d’Or) to hot (California). Key word: flexible.

• Pinot Noir is very fussy about where it is grown. It is a very easy variety to drink, because many Pinot Noir wines have soft, light tannins and do not need time in the bottle to evolve attractive flavours. Key word: fussy.

• Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are often grown and blended together. Merlot is added to Cabernet Sauvignon to produce a wine that is more easily drinkable, as the Merlot supplies softness and body to an otherwise quite austere wine. Cabernet Sauvignon is often added to Merlot to give tannin, acidity and aromatic fruit. Key word: rich.

• Syrah and Grenache are often blended together. Adding Grenache to Syrah can result in a wine with more alcohol, lower levels of tannin and acidity, and red fruit and extra spice flavour. Adding Syrah to Grenache boosts the levels of colour, tannin and acidity, and adds a dark fruit character. Key word: rich.

• Sauvignon Blanc creates clear expectations (clean, crisp, refreshing, unoaked) and meet them. In contrast, Chardonnay is made in a very wide range of styles, while Riesling has failed to communicate its qualities to most wine consumers. Key word: predictable.

• Riesling has a pronounced fruity, varietal character, but different soil types and ripeness levels emphasise different aspects of this varietal character. Riesling has the ability, like Chardonnay, to express the nuances of individual vineyard sites and therefore it is common for producers to bottle their wines with the name of the vineyard on the label. Key word: flexible and soft.