Wine Grape Variety List

As a gourmet cook, people will expect you to not only understand the intricacies of matching food and wine to the greatest advantage, but also to have a basic understanding of where the wines come from, the regions, vintners and varieties of grapes.

This is not to say you have to be an expert - heaven knows I'm not - but you have to educate yourself a bit, to know more than the average person. So, use my wine grape variety list to get started.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Red - This grape is usually blended with others to make some of the finest wines of Australia, California, Eastern Europe, South America, and Bordeaux, France (its place of origin). It is the variety that has built California's (Napa Valley) reputation for fine wines. It has great character and usually requires considerable aging. It is remarkable for its wide ranges of structure (from relatively "light-bodied" to the most "full-bodied" crafted) and ageworthiness. It produces a rich, herby and woody red wine.

Riedel glasses are wonderful! They are dishwasher safe and casual but elegant. The wine even has better flavor because of the way the glasses are designed for each type of wine. When I'm having a glass of wine while cooking, I don't have to worry about tipping it over with an elbow...

Chardonnay

White - The primary white wine grape in Chablis and white burgundy-type wine. It is also grown in California, and like the red Cabernet, has proven to produce wines exceptional in quality with wonderful flavor. It is a rich, full-bodied white with a very fruity aroma. It has been the world's most popular white wine for decades, often coveted for its "big" fruit and oak-influenced flavors.

Concord

Red - An American east coast, mild-flavored, dark blue grape used mostly for juice and jams and eaten fresh. It is also used to produce less expensive and kosher red wines.

Gamay Beaujolais

Red - A light to medium body red wine with a fruity flavor.

Gewurztraminer

White - A dry to sweet white with a very spicy and flowery aroma.

Grenache

Red - Used in producing rose wines, this grape is a native of southern France and is exported to most of the important wine producing regions of the world. Grenache Rose is a wine with a fruity fragrance.

Merlot

Red - Similar to Cabernet (also native to Bordeaux), yet does not require long aging for good flavor. It is often blended with Cabernets to lighten and soften the rich Cabernet flavor.

Muscat

White - Many varieties of a popularly grown pungent grape, used often in fortified wines.

Palomino

White - Fine sherries are made from this white wine grape.

Chenin Blanc

White - The most vibrant, sought-after Chenin Blanc bottlings in the world come from Vouvray in France's Loire Valley. Chenin Blanc also can be made into outstanding sweet wines.

Pinot Noir

Red - Considered the great red wine grape of Burgundy, France, Pinot Noir grapes produce a burgundy-type, full-bodied soft red wine. Of all the classic varieties, Pinot Noir is the most challenging for winemakers because of its sensitivity to climate changes. But in favorable vintages, Pinot Noir often ranks among the world's great wines.

Riesling

White - A white wine grape originally from Germany. It produces a light Rhine-type wine with a nice balance of sweet and dry. It is considered by vintners to be the most "noble" of white grape varieties, revered for its unique combination of delicacy, intense flavors and low alcohol content. Although it originated in Germany, some of the best come from the Alsace region of France and - surprise! - upstate New York.

Sauvignon Blanc

White - This grape produces wines with a range of character, from dry, grassy, smoky and austere to sweet, fruity and flowery. It is native to Bordeaux, France. It also contributes to a Sauterne-type white wine. Sauvignon Blanc draws its name from the French word sauvage, meaning "wild," and its vines must be carefully tended to prevent overly herbaceous flavors from emerging in the grapes.

Semillon

White -A slightly herby, fruity white Bordeaux variety. Sermillon is the white wine star of Australia, where it's made into outstanding dry wines, often with a dollup of Chardonnay added to the blend. In the United States, it's typically blended with Sauvignon Blanc to help round it out.

Syrah

Red - A full-bodied, fruity red wine wih a peppery quality. Australian Syrahs are called Shiraz.

Thompson Seedless

White - These California grapes are usually eaten fresh or as raisins, however, some are also used in jug white wines.

Trebbiano

White - In central Italy, this is the most important white wine grape. It is used in making Orvieto, Soave, Chianti, and Balsamic vinegar. Chianti is a dry, fruity/slightly tart Italian red wine.

Zinfandel

Red - A red wine grape that varies in character depending on the different climates of California. It produces a claret-type red wine with a light-bodied, tart flavor. It is very aromatic with a fruity bouquet.

Reading a Label

You can't judge a book by its cover, nor can you gauge a wine's quality by its front label. A pretty label does not necessarily mean you'll encounter a "pretty" wine. Be sure to read the label, not just look at it.

When assessing the quality of a bottle of wine, in a majority of cases, the most important consideration is the wine's place of origin - also known as its apellation. Examples range from the very broad ("California," as an example) to very specific ("Sonoma County's Dry Creek Valley," as an example).

Second in importance is the producer of the wine. Certain wineries develop reputations for quality, and can generally be counted on to craft an outstanding product.

Third in importance is the vintage. While weather certainly is important in the development of a quality wine grape, there have been very few years in which overall quality either shot up to unheard of heights or sunk to undrinkable depths. To put it simply, never purchase a bottle of wine exclusively because of its vintage.

Most wine labels will indicate where the wine was bottled. As a general rule, those bottled by the vintner at his/her estate will be a step up in quality than those bottled by a negotiant who has purchased the juice - but not always. Look for wording such as "Estate Bottled."

Look for special designations on the label - wording such as "Reserve" or "Vintner's Selection" or "Special Cuvee" - but be aware that such wording usually is not legally defined. Treat such language as an indicator of quality, not a guarantee.

There are certain categories and designations that are legally defined. On French wine labels, look for "Appellation d"Origine Controlee"; on Italian labels, look for "Denominazione di Origine Controllata"; on German labels, look for "Qualitatswein mit Pradikat"; and on Spanish labels, look for "Denominacion de Origen Calificada" when seeking out top-rung releases. Note: some labels use only the abbreviations for these designations: AOC, QmP or DOC.

A wine labeled as a varietal - "Cabernet Sauvignon" as opposed to "Claret," or "Chardonnay" as opposed to "Vin Blanc" - might not be made entirely of the listed variety. In fact, in the U.S., a varietal may consist of as little as 75% of the variety listed and as much as 25% of other varieties.

Don't forget to read the back label of a bottle, if it has one. You'll often find additional information about the wine or winery that could add to your knowledge and enjoyment.

Hopefully you now understand a bit more about the varieties of grapes that go into producing the wide variety of wines available today. This wine grape variety list, along with reading the label information, will eventually help you make better choices when matching food and wine, and thus help you navigate the road to becoming a skilled gourmet cook.

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