Chardonay is cultivated in the majority of Wine producer countries like Australia, United States, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Italia, Spain, etc. This type of grapes is largely cultivated along the world’s wine strip, giving to the tastes notes of fruits, apple, pear, citric, butter, honey, caramel, vanilla, minerals and flint.
Sauvignon Blanc.-When conditions are favorable, this type of grape produces wines with a strong personality, with a good taste and great scent. In the northwest of France, at Val de Loire, we can find one of the biggest manifestations with the Sancerre or Pouilly-Fume, while in the south it forms part of the mixture of the most famous white wines in Bordeaux. This grape is cultivated along the world’s wine strip, gives wines with herbal and fruity taste, with citric domination, sometimes mineral and flint.
Other White Varieties
Aligote – Variety of white grapes from Bordeaux; produces nice dry wines that are best if they are drink young.
Colombard – White variety very productive, cultivated in the Delfinado and Charente (where is also used for the production of Cognac) in California and South Africa.
Cortese – Variety of white grape cultivated in Italy, mainly in Piamonte.
Chasselas – Table grapes and white wine grapes, known with the name of Gutedel in Germany and Fendant in Switzerland. Produces light and pleasant wines, better if they are drink when they are young, like the Pouilly-sur-Loire and the Crepy from Savoie.
Folle Blanche – White varieties cultivated in the Valley of Loire, Valley of Nantes, where is called Gros Plant, produces a light and nervous wine, slightly sour with the same name. Also cultivated in the central part of France and California.
Marsanne – White variety used in La Roussanne to produce the Hermitage and the Saint-Joseph, wines that are among the best of whites Cote du Rhone.
Muller – Thurgau – White variety from Germany result of the mixture of two kinds Riesling and Sylvaner, it is more and more cultivated in Germany South Africa and Central Europe.
Muscadelle – White variety lightly used in the Graves and Sauternes
Muscadet – White variety transplanted from Bordeaux to Nantes, where the Muscadet is produced. In Bordeaux where is not produced as much as before, it used to be called Melon de Bordeaux.
Palomino – The most used white variety in Spain in the production of Cherry.
Pedro Ximenez – Spanish white variety used to produce liquors and also in the mixture to produce Cherry.
Pinot Blanc – Natural mutation of the Pinot Noire, in Germany is called Klevner or Weissburgunder, this variety is not widely cultivated in Bordeaux, but produces very good results in Italy and California.
Pinot Gris - Mutation of the Pinot Noire that produces good white wines in Alsace and Italy. In Germany is known as Rulander.
Sylvaner – White variety cultivated in Alsace, Germany, central Europe, South Africa, America.
Ugni Blanc – White variety that in Cognac is known as Saint Emilion, cultivated also in Italy where is known as Trebbiano.
Verdelho – White variety used in Portugal for the production of Oporto and in Madeira for the production of Madeira Verdelho.
Viognier – Noble white variety, cultivated only in the northern Cotes du Rhone. Is the only variety of Condrieu and Chaetau Grillet, it is associated with the Syrah in the composition of the Cote – Rotie.
Viura – White variety widely used in Rioja.
CLASSIC RED GRAPES VARIETIES
Cabernet Sauvignon. - Intense dark colored grape with thick skin that produces a tasty and intense wine, strong scent of Redcurrant berry, Cedar, Pepper, Mint, Chocolate and Tobacco, this type of wine have a great aging potential due to the tannins obtain from their skin, also it can get a better wine category if the aging process is done in oak barrels. In Bordeaux is widely used in the mixture of the majority of Red wines, some of the most famous wines had this type of grape in their mixtures, especially in the South part of Bordeaux, wines like Chateau Lafite, Chateau Margaux, Chateau Latour, among many, this wines have the characteristic seal of this flavor. For its kind adaptation to all environments this variety is one of the most cultivated and popular that exists.
Merlot. - Merlot is similar to Cabernet Sauvignon, but less tannic, produces softer wines, more juice and ages faster. The most famous wines produced with this grape are those from Bordeaux specifically from the regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol; Wines like Petrus, Cheval Blanc, Le Pin and some other great wines are a good sample of the potential of this Merlot variety when well cultivated in the perfect environment. Its flavor is similar to Cabernet but it has more prunes and roses, more spicy scent and less mint.
Pinot Noire. - Is the Red grape from the region of Bordeaux, somehow sour and middle tannin even that in some vineyards it reaches a great concentration, elegant character, fruity when young and more animal with the time. Pinot Noire is a grape hard to cultivate out of its environment, with some noticeable exceptions, like in California. Some of its most famous wines are Romanee Conti, La Tache, Vosne Romane, Chassagne Montrachet, Nuits Saint George.
Syrah (Shiraz). - This variety of very dark wines, with a lot of body, powerful and alcoholics, with a great potential for aging. Syrah grows in hotter climates and generally, it has a high potential for adaptation in colder climates it produces light wines with pepper scent, less fruit and more tannin. In spite of its strong tannins and high resistance usually it reaches the maturity process in a short time to be served soon. In Australia is known as Shiraz and it is there in its homeland where it reaches some of its best expressions, it produces great wines in Cote du Rhone, also it is cultivated in California, Argentina and south Africa, among others.
Nebbiolo. - Is a small grape of thick skin, it produces one of the darkest wines; with the characteristic of dry, big and resistant (is tannin and sour). Its best expression is found in Piamonte and surroundings, in the North of Italy. Its two more famous wines are Barolo and Barbaresco, it contains scent and flavors of fruits, violets, roses, chocolate and Tar.
Sangiovese. - Variety found in central Italy, but with his greatest presence in Toscana, especially in the wines Chianti, Brunello di Montalcina and wine Nobile de Montalcino. It is a variety of half-bodied, firm, dry and lightly spicy, with a good aging process. Its beginning to be cultivated in California, it offers a random of scents and flavors like cherry, herbs, tobacco and species.
Tempranillo. - Widely cultivated in all Spain under different names like Ink of the country, Ulle de liebre, Ink of the Bull, is well known for being the main column of the wines Rioja and Ribera del Duero, without barrel has a character of fruits and spices, but its better known as Robust wines, with character of Oak, Vanilla, Strawberry Species and Butter.
Barbera. - Italian Red Variety originally from Piamonte, now cultivated in all Italy and California.
Canaiolo. - Italian Red variety used in the combination for Chainti.
Dolcetto. - Italian Variety cultivated in Piamonte, it produces a light red wine that has its same name.
Gamay. - Red Variety from the region of Beaujolais, produces light an a bit sour wines.
Mazuelo. - Red variety from Spain that produces good and robust red wines. Its cultivated in Spain, in France is known as Carignan, in California is known as Carignane.
Mourvedre. - Red variety from hot and dry climates like the south and southwest part of France, the wines from Bandol contain at least 50% of this grape, is also used in the production of Chateauneuf du Pape and Palette.
Nebbiolo.- Is the noble variety of Piamonte, used in the production of Barolo, Gatinara and babaresco; in some regions of Piamonte is called Spanna like the wines that it produces.
Petit – Verdot. - Red variety tannic and sour, used in Medoc and also in Graves, giving to these wines a strong and sour zest.
Pinotage. Red variety from South Africa resulting from hybridizing Pinot Noire and Cinsault.
Ruby Cabernet. - Red variety of high yielding resulting from hybridizing Cabernet Sauvingnon and Mazuelo, also cultivated in California.
Sangiovese – Red Italian Variety used in the region of Toscana and as a main variety in the Chianti, with variety Sangiovese is produced the wine Brunello di Montalcino.
Touriga. - Portuguese red variety cultivated in the region of Dao, used in the composition of Oporto.
Zinfandel. - Red Variety probably from Italy, descendant of the Primitive type, is very much extended in California where it produces a whole variety of strong and fruit scented red wines. Also cultivated in Hungary and Yugoslavia under local names.
|
