Grape Guide
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Common Red Wine Grapes
BARBERA – one of our favourite wine grapes, grown predominately in Piedmont in northern Italy. It has naturally very high acidity which some winemakers choose to tame by softening in oak barrels for a number of months/years. Try Barbera d’Asti, and pair it with tomato-based cuisine which beautifully matches the wines acidity.
CABERNET FRANC – a much lighter cousin of Cabernet Sauvignon. In France it is grown mainly in the Loire and Bordeaux. It has an utterly different character when grown in the New World – much fuller, riper, and softer whereas in the Loire it produces delicious crunchy red wine with a mouth-watering acidity and a beguiling perfume. If you like a lighter style – try Chinon, Bourgeuil, or Saumur-Champigny from the Loire. In Bordeaux it is a major blending component of a lot of right-bank reds – try Cotes du Castillon for a great value alternative to St Emilion. If you prefer a fuller fruit-driven style try Australian or Chilean Cabernet Franc.
CABERNET SAUVIGNON – probably the most famous red grape in the world. It is grown in almost every wine-making country that has a climate warm enough to ripen it properly! Famous for the long-lived tannic reds from Bordeaux, it is now made in a wide variety of styles in a huge range of countries. In France it tends to be quite high in tannin when young – so perfect for drinking with roast beef or roast lamb with rosemary & garlic. In the New World it is usually jammier, fruitier, generally with some oak-aged character. The tannins tend to be more noticeable in a cooler-climate wine so this is where food comes into the equation. Good new world examples come from Australia, California, South Africa, Chile, Argentina & many other countries.
GAMAY – the grape of Beaujolais in southern Burgundy in France. At its lightest it is simple fruity strawberry-flavoured glugging wine as in Beaujolais Nouveau, and lower-priced Beaujolais-Villages, but can attain serious wine qualities in the 10 single cru villages of Beaujolais such as Fleurie, Moulin a Vent etc.
GRENACHE – lovely soft warm spicy wine made from grapes with normally high levels of sugar and thin skins (this means low tannins). It needs warm, dry climates to ripen properly and is truly at home in southern France (think Gigondas, Vacqueryas, Chateaneuf du Pape where it is normally blended with Syrah) and Northern Spain (key ingredient with Tempranillo in a lot of Riojas)
MALBEC – originally from Bordeaux (where it is undergoing a renaissance) it has successfully migrated to the hotter, dryer climate of Argentina. This is the red wine grape of Argentina where it makes anything from relatively light, easy-drinking reds to serious age-worthy wines from old-vines. It has to be some of the best-value red around and is always worth looking out for on an otherwise highly-priced restaurant wine list.
MERLOT – The second most famous grape of Bordeaux, it is also grown widely around the world, generally liking warmer climates. It has lovely soft velvety tannins and is commonly used for blending with the more austere tannic Cabernet Sauvignon – making a deliciously successful combination. Nearly every warm-climate region in the winemaking world makes its own take on the wines of Bordeaux and some of the best come from New Zealand, Australia, South America, California, South Africa to name a few!
MOURVEDRE – can be a bit of an animal! It is usually a small part (typically 5-10% max) of a blend with Syrah and Grenache. This triumvirate is usually known by the acronym GSM and is grown widely in hot climates across the wine-making world. The most famous GSM is probably Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the southern Rhone, but good examples also come from Australia, California (try Bonny Doon Cigare Volonte for something a bit special!), South Africa etc
NEBBIOLO – one of the Italian noble grapes from Piedmont in northern Italy, where it produces the famous (& expensive) Barolo & Barbaresco. These wines can be quite tannic in their youth and may require 5-10 years cellaring before performing at their best. If you want to try a lighter more reasonably priced wine look out for Langhe Nebbiolo or Nebbiolo d’Alba.
PINOT NOIR – the great grape of Burgundy in central France, Pinot Noir can be one of the worlds most sensuous and beguiling wines. Light to medium-bodied it normally has a luscious perfume of raspberries, cherries, or strawberries & in Burgundy an earthy, fungal aroma that can be addictive! It is normally quite low in tannin and high in acidity which makes it very easy to drink young and is a great food match with all kind of food from game to strongly-flavoured fish dishes. It is a difficult grape to grow well and favours the cooler climates of Chile, Australia, New Zealand, California, Washington, Oregon, and of course Burgundy.
PINOTAGE - a uniquely South African grape, a cross-breed of Pinot Noir & Cinsault resulting in some delicious earthy and jammy wines. Can be made in a variety of styles with differing amounts of oak and extraction and hence tannins. For a great value example try Beyerskloof Pinotage - widely available (even in supermarkets!).
SANGIOVESE - the Chianti grape that is normally quite high in tannin and acidity, and like most Italian red wines comes alive when drunk with food - preferably Good Italian food! Makes n incredible range of Italian wines from light glugging cheap plonk to some exquisite long-lived Riserva wines. It is also the main grape in the incredibly concentrated Brunello di Montalcino, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
SYRAH/SHIRAZ - now grown all over the world - some of the best examples come from the Rhone & southern France(where it is often blended with Grenache), and all over Australia from a wide variety of climates. It can vary from a spicy, peppery wine with relatively high acidity in cool climates to a luxurious, sweetly ripe, jammy wine with overtones of licorice & chocolate in hotter climates.
TEMPRANILLO - the main grape in Rioja and can be quite high in acidity, tannin, & colour. There are a lot of different names for Tempranillo in Spain depending on which region it is grown in - it is capable of producing some great value wine in the region of Valdepenas in La Mancha, and some very high quality, long-lived wine in Ribera del Duero.
ZINFANDEL - produces some very concentrated, high alcohol wines in California. Prefers the warmer inland zones rather than the cooler coastal vineyards where it struggles to ripen properly. It produces very fruity, jammy wines that can be tannic but are always overflowing with flavour. Can overpower a lot of foods so pair with something strongly flavoured!
Common White Wine Grapes
COMING SOON – white grapes !
White
ALBARINO
CHARDONNAY
CHENIN BLANC
GEWURZTRAMINER
GRUNER VELTLINER
MARSANNE
MULLER-THURGAU
MUSCAT
PINOT BLANC
PINOT GRIS
RIESLING
ROUSSANNE
SAUVIGNON BLANC
SEMILLON
VIOGNIER
NEAREST WINE SCHOOL
