2. White Grape Varieties Flashcards
Chardonnay FRANCE
France
Climate
Cool to moderate
Style
From dry, high acidity, medium body and no oak to full bodied, medium acidity and fermented in small oak barrels.
Flavours
Range from green apple, pear, lemon and lime to melon and peach with oak and vanilla spice.
The classic region for Chardonnay is Burgundy in France and the climate ranges from cool in Chablis to moderate in the Côte d’Or. The wines are priced up to premium. There is some inexpensive Chardonnay coming from the Pays d’Oc and Val de Loire which is sometimes blended with local grape varieties to produce higher volume wines.
Chardonnay CALIFORNIA
California
Climate
Moderate (influenced by the proximity to the ocean)
Style
Dry medium to full body and ranging from fruit-forward types to very much in the Burgundy style i.e. aged in oak.
Flavours
Stone fruit of ripe peach to tropical fruit of banana, pineapple and melon with some lemon and lime citrus notes and buttery toast.
California produces a range of styles from everyday drinking wine to the complex oak fermented blockbuster that can benefit from ageing. The premium wines come from Sonoma and Carneros. Chardonnay is also blended with Colombard to make a more marketable wine. The wines are priced from inexpensive to premium.
Chardonnay CHILE
Chile
Climate
Hot (influenced by the Andes and proximity to the ocean)
Style
Dry, medium-full bodied and can be oaked or unoaked.
Flavours
Yellow apple and grapefruit zest to more banana and ripe melon. Vanilla and toast in oaked wines.
Central Valley and Casablanca produce a range of Chardonnay from inexpensive up to premium and often represent good value for money.
Chardonnay ARGENTINA
Argentina
Climate
Hot (influenced by high altitude and cool night-time temperatures)
Style
Dry, full bodied and can be oaked or unoaked.
Flavours
Tropical fruit flavours of melon and pineapple supported by a lime zest.
Mendoza is a key region for high quality Chardonnay with very intense fruit flavours. The wines tend to be priced in the inexpensive up to premium price category.
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Chardonnay SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa
Climate Moderate to hot
Style Dry, full bodied and generally aged in oak partially or fully.
Flavours Stone fruit of apricot and peach and more tropical fruit flavours of melon; toast and vanilla notes balance out the fruit.
Techniques used in Burgundy such as fermenting in small oak barrels and ageing in contact with the yeast left over from fermentation contribute to the character of many premium examples from areas such as Walker Bay. Chardonnay is often blended with Colombard or Chenin Blanc to produce inexpensive wines. The wines tend to be priced in the inexpensive up to the premium price category.
Chardonnay AUSTRALIA
Australia
Climate
Moderate (can be hot at times but tempered by altitude and proximity to large bodies of water)
Style
The wines tend to be dry, medium to full body, unoaked or barrel fermented and/or oaked aged.
Flavours
Stone fruit of peach and apricot, lemon and lime and some tropical notes of melon, mango and pineapple. Vanilla and toast in oaked Chardonnay.
The quality and range of styles are diverse, reflecting different vineyard sites and winemaking techniques. Premium Chardonnay comes from Adelaide Hills, Yarra Valley and Margaret River regions and these wines are generally up to the premium price category. A classic Australian blend is Semillon with Chardonnay and these are generally inexpensive wines.
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Chardonnay NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand
Climate Cool to Moderate
Style From unoaked to oaked, dry, medium to full body with medium acidity
Flavours
Stone fruit of peach and apricot with citrus notes of lemon and lime in cooler climates to tropical fruit flavours of mango, melon and pineapple in moderate climates.
The wines from cool climates like Marlborough tend to have high fruit intensity of stone and citrus fruit with some complexity. Wines from moderate climates like Hawkes Bay have more tropical fruit, complexity and are medium to full- bodied, almost opulent with balanced acidity. The wines are priced up to the premium price category.
The key characteristics of Chardonnay are:
It is not an aromatic white grape variety
The flavours and aromas are often associated with winemaking techniques and/or the use of oak
It is not fussy about climate
Can be single varietal or blended with the name of the grapes appearing on the bottle
Ranges in price and quality from inexpensive to premium and acceptable to outstanding
Sauvignon Blanc CALIFORNIA
California
Climate
Moderate (influenced by the proximity to the ocean)
Style
Dry, medium to full body and can be fermented and/or aged in oak.
Flavour
Some of the herbaceous varietal character of asparagus and grass comes through the spicy, oaky flavours of toast. liquorice and vanilla.
California produces a range of styles from unoaked, lightly oaked to heavily oaked wines and are often labelled as Fumé Blanc. They range in price from inexpensive to premium. The premium wines are inspired by the Bordeaux style.
Sauvignon Blanc BORDEAUX
Bordeaux
Climate
Moderate
Style
Dry white wines with medium to high acidity, medium or full body, sometimes fermented and/or aged in oak.
Flavours Peach and apricot with hints of gooseberry; can develop into nutty aromas.
The wines are often blended with Sémillon to give body and allow complexity to develop in the bottle. Premium wines can frequently be fermented and aged in new oak. Price categories range up to premium.
Sauvignon Blanc LOIRE VALLEY
Loire Valley
Climate
Cool
Style
Dry white wines with high acidity, medium body, with moderate or pronounced aromas.
Flavours
Varietal green fruit of gooseberry and herbaceous notes of grass, blackcurrant leaf and nettle.
Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre produce the classic style of Sauvignon Blanc. The wines do not exhibit flavours of oak but may be fermented in old oak. The grape also produces easy drinking and straight forward wines from the greater Loire region. These wines tend to be priced from inexpensive to the premium price category.
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Sauvignon Blanc CHILE
Chile
Climate
Moderate (influenced by coastal mountains and the ocean)
Style
Dry, medium bodied but sometimes lees stirring and oak are used to add more body.
Flavours
Herbaceous character of asparagus and grass with more ripe fruit of peach and apricot.
The Casablanca region has gained a great reputation for producing high quality Sauvignon Blanc from inexpensive up to premium price range.
Sauvignon Blanc SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa
Climate Moderate
Style Dry, medium to full bodied with two distinct styles – one is pungent and fruit driven (New Zealand style) and the other uses oak (Bordeaux style).
Flavours Can be gooseberry, blackcurrant leaf and passion fruit in the fruit driven style or more herbaceous with asparagus and pea; nutty aromas develop with time.
South Africa is producing high quality Sauvignon Blanc and in two distinct styles – the New Zealand style being more for drinking straight away, the Bordeaux style is more complex and can age in bottle. Constantia and Elgin have a particular reputation for Sauvignon Blanc and the wines tend to be priced in the inexpensive to premium price category.
Sauvignon Blanc NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand
Climate Cool
Style Dry, medium body, high acidity, intense varietal aromas and some experimental oak contact.
Flavour Gooseberry, green pepper and blackcurrant leaf can develop vegetal notes of asparagus and pea.
Marlborough is established as the classic region for very expressive Sauvignon Blanc wines in the New World. However, increasingly producers are experimenting in an attempt to find a point of difference for their own wines, so some are more restrained, or show hints of oak or lees flavour, or some are more full-bodied. The price category ranges up to premium.
The key characteristics of Sauvignon Blanc are…
It is an aromatic grape variety
The wines are generally unoaked; oaked examples from California and Bordeaux
It grows in cool or moderate climate
Can be single varietal or blended with Semillon in Bordeaux and some new world countries
Ranges in price and quality from inexpensive to premium and good to outstanding quality
Riesling GERMANY
Germany
Climate: Cool
Style: Made in a range of styles from dry through to sweet, light to medium bodied with high acidity. New oak is almost never used.
Flavours: This is an aromatic variety and is fruity and floral rather than herbaceous. Flavours of green fruit – green apple and grape with floral notes of blossom and a hint of citrus – lemon and lime.
Riper fruit can have pronounced lime and white peach on the nose. Late harvest wines develop flavours of peach, apricot, pineapple, mango and melon. As the wine ages it can develop flavours of honey and toast and some petrol-like aromas can appear in old Riesling.
High acidity levels and intense fruit help many Riesling wines to age in bottle. Riesling has a great ability to express nuances of individual vineyard sites; it is common to bottle the wines with the name of the vineyard on the label. The key regions in Germany for top quality Riesling are the Mosel, Pfalz and Rheingau. The wines can fetch up to premium prices.
Riesling AUSTRIA
Austria
Climate Moderate
Style Dry/off dry, medium to full body with medium to high acidity.
Flavours Lemon and lime with ripe peach fruit character. Some wines can have a smoky mineral aroma.
Riesling is not widely planted in Austria but some of the wines produced are of outstanding quality. Many are bottled to reflect the characteristics of a single, named vineyard like Alsace and Germany. These wines can develop great complexity as they age and can fetch up to premium prices.
Riesling FRANCE
France
Climate Cool
Style Dry to off dry, medium to full bodied, with medium/high alcohol and high acidity.
Flavours Green apple, pear, lemon and lime with peach and apricot fruit notes and a pronounced flinty mineral character.
Alsace is the key region in France for Riesling; the characteristics of this variety can differ markedly from one site to another, even when the same winemaking techniques are used. Some of the best wines can benefit greatly from bottle age and can last for decades. These wines can fetch up to premium prices.
Riesling AUSTRALIA
Australia
Climate Moderate
Style Dry, medium body with high acidity. The wines are unoaked.
Flavours Pronounced citrus fruit of lime and lemon in youth. The wines age well developing notes of honey. Some wines develop smoky aromas that are similar to petrol.
Riesling now makes some of Australia’s finest white wines, particularly in the Clare Valley and Eden Valley in South Australia. The wines can fetch up to premium prices.
RIESLING IS…
Riesling is an aromatic white grape variety that has pronounced varietal character of green fruit (green apple; grape) flavours, floral notes and hints of citrus fruit (lemon; lime) in cool climates.
to more… green fruit to stone fruit (peach; apricot), melon and citrus fruit (lemon; lime) flavours in moderate climates.
The wines can range from dry to sweet but always have refreshing high acidity. The best Riesling wines can age in bottle and can develop complex flavours of honey and mineral notes of petrol.
This variety prefers cool and moderate climates.
The key characteristics of Riesling are:
It is an aromatic white grape variety
Styles range from dry to sweet
High acidity
It is almost always unoaked
It can grow in cool to moderate climate
Wines are generally single varietal
Price and quality ranges from mid-priced to premium and good to outstanding
Can age well
Albariño
Albariño is a white grape variety producing white wines in the Rias Baixas region of northwest Spain. Albariño produces dry, light to medium bodied wines with fruit aromas of apple, pear and grapefruit. These are typically unoaked with refreshing high acidity.
Recommended tasting for this wine is an Albariño from Rias Baixas in Spain.
If you like Albariño why not try Torrontés or Sauvignon Blanc.
Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc is a white grape variety and its classic home is the cool climate region of Tourraine in the Loire Valley. The main appellation for Chenin Blanc is Vouvray AC producing a range of styles which is indicated on the label with terms such as Sec (dry), Demi-sec (medium), Moelleux (sweet) or even Doux (very sweet). These wines have characteristic high acidity and are unoaked with fruit notes of lemon, apple and pineapple and some herbaceous notes of green leaf.
Like Riesling and Sémillon, Chenin Blanc is very susceptible to noble rot and can produce some of the greatest sweet wines from Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume in the Loire.
Chenin Blanc is widely grown in South Africa, mainly for large volume inexpensive white wines. Most are simple, fruity and off-dry with citrus and tropical fruit flavours, though there are some premium quality wines now being made, some of which have prominent oak flavours.
Chenin Blanc is also used in blends with other grape varieties to produce higher volume wines and add refreshing acidity and citrus fruit to the blend, for example Chenin Blanc/Chardonnay.
Recommended tastings for this variety are Vouvray Sec, Vouvray Demi-sec/Moelleux or Côteaux-du-Layon and/or a new world Chenin Blanc from South Africa.
If you like Chenin Blanc why not try Sémillon or Pinot Gris.
Cortese
Cortese is a light high-acid white grape variety planted mostly far to the west of Piedmonte in Italy. Its most highly regarded wine is Gavi DOCG were the wine displays high acidity with notes of green apple and citrus.
Recommended tastings for this variety are Gavi DOCG.
If you like Cortese why not try Chenin Blanc.
Garganega
Garganega is a vigorous, late ripening white grape variety with floral notes such as chamomile and fruit flavours of pear and red apple with hints of white pepper. Its most famous incarnation is Soave and Soave Classico DOC in Veneto, north east Italy. Most Soave is medium in body and unoaked.
Recommended tastings for this variety are Soave and Soave Classico.
If you like Garganega why not try Pinot Grigio and Melon Blanc.
Gewurztraminer
The classic home of Gewurztraminer is Alsace. Here this white grape variety produces intensely perfumed wines that can be dry, off-dry or medium in style, and full-bodied with high alcohol and low acidity.
Typical flavours include floral perfume such as rose and orange blossom with tropical and stone fruit including lychee, peach and grape and musky sweet spices like ginger. Most are best consumed while they are youthful and freshly fruity, but Gewurztraminer coming from Grand Cru vineyard sites is the best in the region, developing interesting honey and nut aromas with age.
Gewurztraminer is an Alsatian variety with an increasing reputation in New Zealand.
Recommended tastings for this variety are Alsace Gewurztraminer or any new world Gewurztraminer.
If you like Gewurztraminer why not try Torrontés or Pinot Gris.
Viognier
Viognier is a white grape variety that produces soft, full-bodied and aromatic wines. The best examples can be found in the Northern Rhône, producing wines that are low in acidity and high in alcohol, with delicate aromas of peach, pear, apricot and violet along with hints of spicy notes.
In the South of France with the increase in planting it has become a good source of reasonably priced Viognier. The appeal of Viognier is such that modest plantings are also found in Chile, Argentina, Australia and California.
In Australia, it has become fashionable to blend some Viognier with Shiraz in the traditional style of Côte Rôtie from the northern Rhône. Traditionally, a small amount of Viognier grapes are added to the Syrah grapes and the resulting red wine is less austere and has the added perfume of the Viognier, which gives an attractive note of violets on the nose.
Recommended tastings for this variety are Condrieu or any new world Viognier.
If you like Viognier why not try Gewurztraminer or Torrontés.
Melon Blanc
Melon Blanc is a white grape variety used in the production of Muscadet in the Loire Valley. The wines are dry and light, with almost neutral fruit and medium to high acidity. The main appellation is Muscadet AC while Muscadet Sèvre et Maine AC is a sub region that produces superior wines.
Some of the wines may have sur lie on the label and this indicates that the wine has been bottled from a vessel containing the dead yeast left over from fermentation. The resultant wines have added body and complexity.
Recommended tasting for this variety is Muscadet AC.
If you like Melon Blanc why not try Garganega or Verdicchio.
Pinot Grigio
Pinot Gris is the French name for this white grape variety and Pinot Grigio is the Italian name.
The classic region for Pinot Gris is Alsace in France. Here the style is full-bodied, ranging from dry to sweet with spicy tropical fruit flavours including ginger, banana and melon, sometimes with hints of honey. The best wines come from the Grand Cru vineyards.
New Zealand Pinot Gris is growing in popularity and is made in a variety of styles, ranging from dry to sweet in the Alsatian model.
Pinot Grigio is grown throughout Italy. Typical Pinot Grigio is dry, light or medium bodied with a refreshing acidity and neutral character. Better examples, from Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, show some of the ripe nuttiness and honeyed character for which this variety is prized in Alsace.
Outside Italy, Pinot Grigio is typically used to describe wine that is neutral and light to medium-bodied in style.
Recommended tastings for this variety are Italian Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris from Alsace.
If you like Pinot Grigio why not try Riesling or Trebbiano.
