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Varieties of Grapes
Consider this reassuring fact: Most of the world's wines are produced from no more than a handful of different grape varieties. A little knowledge will give you instant expertise! Below are listed some of the most common types of wine. |
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 Red grapes:
Cabernet Sauvignon - Arguably the king of red grapes, it
has an intense blackcurrant flavour.
Gamay - The Beaujolais grape produces light-styled cherry and raspberry-flavoured wines.
Grenache - Produces velvety-ripe, fruity wines, especially rosés, famous as part of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape blend.
Merlot
- A fashionable grape with soft, black cherry and blackcurranty flavours, often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon.
Pinot Noir
- Good young Pinots are light, silky and fruity. Mature Pinots often have an intense aroma of game
and truffles. Occasionally, Pinots are unreliable and insipid.
Sangiovese
- The Chianti grape produces light, attractive, everyday wines with herby, fruity flavours.
Syrah/Shiraz
- A velvety grape that produces rich, full-bodied wines with fruity, spicy overtones.
Tempranillo
- Makes stylish wines with a characteristic strawberry flavour.
Zinfandel - Also known as Primitivo, California's speciality
grape is extremely adaptable and has a distinctive taste of ripe-berried fruits.
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White grapes:
Chardonnay - The perfect introduction to white wine.
Styles vary from light and fresh, to heavily-oaked, buttery, tropical-fruit-flavoured wines.
Chenin Blanc
- Used for a range of wines including dry and sharp, sparkling, medium and extra-sweet wines. Mature examples have a nutty, honeyed flavour.
Gewürztraminer - Dry or sweet, with an intensely aromatic spiciness. Alsace produces some quality Gewürztraminers.
Muscat
- The wine actually smells of the grape itself. Muscats vary from rich, sweet and fortified to light, floral and dry.
Riesling
- Rieslings range from dry, light and apple crisp to rich, sweet and honey flavoured. Beware cheaper, sweeter Rieslings.
Sauvignon Blanc - Also known as Fumé Blanc, it has a delightful fresh, tangy style with distinctive flavours of
gooseberries, elderflower and asparagus.
Sémillon - Ranges from dry, light lemon-flavoured to sweet
wines with aromas of barley sugar and peaches.
Viognier - Almost unheard of until recent years, Viognier is
becoming increasingly fashionable. It produces dry wines with a rich apricot aroma.
Want to learn more about grapes and wine? Visit: Wine Glossary.
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Wine Types
Armed with these general guidelines, you can quickly move on to debunking
. . .
Label Jargon
Learn how to extract relevant information from a wine label.
Grape Varieties
The simplest way to guess how a wine will taste is to know more
about the grape variety or varieties of the wine.
Ordering Wine
Learn how to negotiate confusing restaurant wine lists with confidence.
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