Grape Varieties Red

Question 1

Brun Argente

Answer 1

Brun Agrente is believed to be indigenous to the Southern Rhone. It crafts a wine similar to Syrah in its pepper and tannin components.

Synonyms: (Rhone) Camarese, Vaccarese
Regions: Rhone

Question 2

Cabernet Franc

Answer 2

Recent genetic research has shifted Cabernet Franc’s place of origin to Spanish Basque Country; ancient Basque Grapes Morenoa and Hondarribi Beltza are its parents. It crafts wines of moderate tannin, pigment and acidity. Look for aromas and flavors of tea, tree bark, forest floor, moss, herb, cocoa, violet, strawberry, cranberry and mulberry.

Synonyms: (Loire) Breton; (SW) Bouchy; (SW - Irouleguy) Acheria

Regions: Bordeaux, L-R, Loire, Savoir, South-West

Question 3

Cabernet Sauvignon

Answer 3

Cabernet Sauvignon is a late-ripening variety that demands warm soils (such as gravel and sand) coupled with a long growing season. It produces high-acid, high-pigment, high-tannin, moderate alcohol reds. Look for flavors of black cherry, black or red currant, lilac, tobacco/cigar box, graphite, cedar, cocoa, tea, chocolate and herb. It is natural cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc… hence the name Cabernet Sauvignon. This occurred sometimes prior to the mid-18th century. The vine is native to Bordeaux.

Regions: Bordeaux, Corsice IGP, L-R, Loire, Provence, Savoir, South-West

Question 4

Carignan

Answer 4

Carignan is a vigorous, drought- and wind-resistany variety that produces an abundant crop. As a very late ripener, it thrives best in warm, sun-drenched locales, preferring low-vigor sites such as dry and rocky hillsides. It produces well-structured, aggressively tannic wines with good acidity and color. Carbonic maceration is commonly used to help tame the tannins. The vine is native to Spain.

Synonyms: (Spain) Carinena, Mazuelo

Regions: Corsica, L-R, Provence, Rhone

Question 5

Carmenere

Answer 5

Carmenere produces a rich, velvety red with an indescribable melange of Indian spice. It is native to the Gironde but fell out of favor in the late 1800s because of its susceptibility to couloure; it is more successful in warmer, drier climates. Global warming, however, has some producers experimenting with this variety yet again. Carmenere is a natural cross between Cabernet Franc and Gros Cabernet, a grape variety no longer grown in the Gironde. Gros Cabernet is a cross between 2 Spanish Basque Country grapes: Hondarribi Beltza and Fer Servadou.

Regions: Bordeaux, L-R IGP

Question 6

Cesar

Answer 6

This grape is a Pinot x Gansfusser cross and is native to the area between the Yonne and Rheinland-Pfalz. It crafts a rustic, tannic, spicy red with generous alcohol.

Regions: Bourgogne.

Question 7

Cinsaut (also spelled Cinsault)

Answer 7

Cinsaut is a productive variety that is drought- and wind-resistant. It produces a wine of moderate to low pigment, low acidity, light tannins and expressive red ruit aromas. It is native to Southern France.

Regions: Corsica, L-R, Provence, Rhone, South-West

Question 8

Cot (Malbec)

Answer 8

Cot is believed to have originated in the old French Province of Quercy in South-West France. Cahors was its capital city and lays claim to the grape. Cot is the result of a Prunelard x Magdeleine Noires des Charentes cross. It is known for its blackberry, plum, and prune fruit, low acid and supple yet ample tannins. The wine it crafts has been referred to as “black” since the 18th century… a testimony to its high levels of pigment.

Synonyms: (Bordeaux) Malbec, Noir de Pressac; (SW - Cahors) Auxerrois

Regions: Bordeaux, L-R, Loire, South-West

Question 9

Counoise

Answer 9

Counoise is not widely planted these days, even though it is a prolific producer. It contributes fruit, spice and acidity to a red blend but only moderate amounts of tannin and alcohol and little pigment. It is believed to have originated in the south of France.

Synonyms: (Rhone) Moustardier

Regions: Provence, Rhone

Question 10

Duras

Answer 10

Duras is an ancient grape hailing from the southern reaches of South-West France. It produces peppery reds of high acidity, pigment and alcohol.

Regions: South-West

Question 11

Fer Servadou

Answer 11

This grape is similar in taste and structure to Cabernet Franc. It is believed to have originated in the Spanish Basque Country as a domesticated wild grape. It is a hardy vine delivering well-structured wines of tannin, pigment and acidity.

Synonyms: (SW) Braucol, Mansoi/Mansois, Pinenc

Regions: L-R, South-West

Question 12

Gamay Noir a Jus Blanc

Answer 12

Black Gamay with White Juice, commonly referred to as Gamay, is a natural cross between Gouais Blanc and a member of the Pinot Family. It is native to Bourgogne. THis thin-skinned grape is characterized by low tannins and pigments and hig acidity. It possesses vibrant red berry fruits such as cranberry, raspberry and strawberry and pretty aromas of rose, iris and violet. It often crries a subtle hint of hard candy and crafts a wine that is light- to medium- bodied with bright purple pigments. It is most often vinified byb carbonic maceration.

Regions: Beaujolais, Bourgogne, L-R IGP, Loire, Rhone (Diois), Savoie, South-West

Question 13

Gouais Noir

Answer 13

A black-skinned variant of Gouais Blanc; one of three traditional varities grown in Champagne from the 9th-16th centuries. The grape completely disappeared in the 19th century.

Regions: Champagne

Question 14

Grenache Noir

Answer 14

Grenache Noir is a vigorous and productive variety that is wind- and drought-resistant. It produces a high-alcohol wine with moderate acidity, pigment and tannin. Unfortunately, it is prone to oxidation. Look for bright strawberry, wild cherry and prune fruit with a dash of licorice and spice. Grenache Blanc, Gris, and Noir share the same DNA fingerprint with different phenotypes or outward expressions of those genes. The variety is believed tobe native to Aragon, Spain.

Synonyms: (Spain) Garnache Tinta; (Italy - Sardinia) Cannonau

Regions: Corsica, L-R, Provevnce, Rhone

Question 15

Grolleau Noir

Answer 15

Grolleau is indigenous to the Loire and is an offspring of Gouais. It produces low-alcohol, high-acid wines.

Synonyms: (Loire) Groslot
Regons: Loire

Question 16

Lladoner Pelut

Answer 16

This is a hairy-leafed mutation of Frenache Noir that ripens with less sugar and higher acid. It is considered a seaprate variety in France but is technically a member of the Grenache family. It is spelled Lladoner Pelud in Ctalan, Lledoner Pelut in French and Lladoner Pelut in Roussillon; all spellings are acceptable.

Regions: L-R

Question 17

Malbec

Answer 17

see Cot

Question 18

Marselan

Answer 18

Marselan is a Cabernet Sauvignon x Grenache cross developed in Montpellier. This grape variety is characterized by small, thick-skinned berries and crafts wines rich in pigment, tannin and aroma.

Regions: Bordeaux, L-R IGP, Rhone

Question 19

Merlot

Answer 19

Merlot is a natural Magdeleine Noirde des Charantes x Cabernet Franc cross native to Bordeaux. It crafts moderately tannic, moderately pigmented, high-alcohol reds with moerate to low acidity. Look for blueberry, cherry and plum fruits with nuances of coffee, spice and cocoa. Merlot gets its name from the Frnech word for Blackbird, “merle.” Bird and grape are inseparable at harvest.

Regions: Bordeaux, Corsica IGP, L-R Loire, South-West

Question 20

Meunier

Answer 20

Unlike Pinot Blanc, Gris and Noir which share the same genotype but have different phenotypes or outward expressions of that DNA, “Pinot” Meunier is a chimeric mutation, i.e. it is part-Pinot and part-something else. Meunier has two different types of DNA: the Pinot genotype for its internal cells and a completely different genetype for its outer layer or epidermis. For this reason, many have opted to simply call the grape “Meunier.”

Meunier is native to France and produces a wine of good acidity and moderate alcohol with red fruit aromas and a subtle hint of pumpernickel or rye. Meunier translates “Miller,” a moniker it received because the underside of the leaf looks as if it has been dusted with flour.

Synonym: (Loire) Gris Meunier, Meunier Noir

Regions: Champagne, Loire

Question 21

Mondeuse Noire

Answer 21

Mondeuse Noire performs differently based on location and soil. On less fertile sites (slopes, rocky soils), yields are curtailed naturally and the fruit delivers a wine that is high in color, acidity, alcohol and extract with ample tannins. In more fertile locations (valley floor, sandy-loam soils), yields climb, the vine overproduces, grapes struggle to ripen and the wine produced is often astringent, thin and tart. Ample sunshine is required for the grapes to develop to their fullest potential.
The wines often express black cherry fruit, white pepper and spice. The vine is native to southeastern France and shares kinship with Mondeuse Blanche; the two are not color variants of one another.

Regions: L-R IGP, Savoie

Question 22

Mourvedre

Answer 22

Mourvedre requires significant warmth and light in order to mature its fruits. For these reasons (and its vulnerability to winter freezes), it thrives best near the Mediterranean coastline. The wine it crafts is densely pigmented with high levels of alcohol and tannin; its aromatic profile gains complexity and intensifies with age. In its youth, look for herbs, ripe plum and stawberry fruit with a subtle meaty undercurrent. With time in the cellar, aromas of leather and truffles appear. The wines tend to be reductive, which means at any point in their development they may pick up barnyard aromas. Mouredre is native to Spain.

Synonyms: (Spain) Mataro, Monastrell
Regions: Corsica, L-R Provence, Rhone

Question 23

Muscardin

Answer 23

Muscardin is believed to be indigenous to the Rhone Valley. It is used in red blends, where it contributes acidity and “lift” in the form of floral aromatics.

Regions: Rhone

Question 24

Muscat a Petits Grains Rouge

Answer 24

a red-skinned member of the Muscat family producing pigmented wine with an intensely grapey aroma.

Regions: L-R IGP, Rhone

Question 25

Negrette

Answer 25

Negrette produces supple, fragment, deeply pigmented wines with low to moderate tannin and acidity. On the palate, there are hints of blackcurrant and licorice. It is a grape long cultivated in South-West France, but its origin is unknown.

Synonyms: (SW) Petit Noir

Regions: L-R IGP, Loire, South-West

Question 26

Nielluccio

Answer 26

Perhaps better known by its Italian name, Sangiovese, this grape produces wines of high acidity, low extract and moderate alcohol. The tannin, although of moderate quantity, can be astringent in nature. The wines are prone to oxidation and are known for aromas of baked terra cotta and dried orange peel.

Synonyms: (Italy) Sangiovese; (Corsica) Niellucciu

Regions: Corsica, L-R IGP

Question 27

Persan

Answer 27

This traditional Savoyard grape variety is in decline due to the fact that is buds early and often succumbs to spring frost. As a result, yields are impacted on a regular basis. In addition, it is also quite susceptible to ildew. Although challenging to grow, Persan, when vinified, is known for its supple but ample tannins, dense raspberry fruit, tangy acidity and ethereal violet aroma.

Regions: Savoie

Question 28

Petit Verdot

Answer 28

Petit Verdot is tannic, highly pigmented, high in alcohol, aromatic and prized for its peppery spice notes. historically, it often failed to ripen and was very inconsistnet in yield. For these reasons, the grape fell out of favor until global warming enabled the vine to start ripening its fruit more consistently. This grape, long believed to be native to Gironde, is now thought to hail from South-West France, close to the Spanish border. Its shape and structure intimate that it is descended from wild vines… in French, lambrusques. This explains its synonym: Lambrusquet.

Synonyms: (Bordeaux) Lambrusquet
Regions: Bordeaux, L-R IGP, South-West

Question 29

Pineau d’Aunis

Answer 29

This grape is native to the Loire. Like Pinot, it takes its name from the French word “pin” meaning “pine”, which references the compact, pien cone-like shape of its clusters. Pineau d’Aunis, however, is not ammeber of the Pinot Family. It crafts pale red wines that are moderately tannic, tanalizingly acidic and distinctively spicy.

Regions: Loire

Question 30

Pinot Noir

Answer 30

This aromatic grape ripens with good acidity and moderate tannin levels; it is rather light red in color. Like Pieanu, the word “Pinot” is derived from the french word “pin” meaning “pine” and references the compact, pine cone-like shape of its clusters. Noir translates as “black.” Its primary fruit typically consists of cherry and strawberry with secondary tertiary aromas of earth, leather, violets, clove, cinnamon, sandalwood, smoke and truffles.

“Pinot”, like Gouais and Savagnin, was widely planted in the Middle Ages. It shares kinship with Savagnin and spontaneously crossed with Gouais to create many of the grape varieties cultivated today. Howevver, because Pinot Blanc, Gris and Noir share the same genetype, it is impossible to know which Pinot participated in all those crosses. Pinot’s place of origin is still undetermined, although current theory hints at Jura.

Synonyms: (Loire) Auvernat Noir
Regions: Alsace, Beaujolas, Bourgogne, Champagne, Corsica IGP, Jura, L-R Loire, Rhone(Diois), Savoie, South-West

Question 31

Piquepoul Noir

Answer 31

Piquepoul Noir (also spelled Picpoul) is an ancient grape native to the Rhone. It produces a lightly pigmented, aromatic wine with good alochol levels. Picpoul Gris (rarely seen) and Picoul Blanc (widely planted) are skin-color variants. All 3 share the same DNA fingerprint with different phenotypes or outward expression of those genes.

Regions: L-R, Rhone

Question 32

Poulsard

Answer 32

Poulsard is thin-skinned and produces a lightly pigmented red wine with delicate perfume. As a wine, it tends to oxidize and often picks up a salmon hue. For these reasons, it is often crafted into vin gris or a still blanc de noirs. Look for flavors and aromas of red currants, wild strawberries and smoke. It is native to the Franche-Comte area of France near the Swiss border.

Synonyms: (Jura) Ploussard

Regions: Jura

Question 33

Prunelard / Prunelart

Answer 33

This ancient grape is the father of Malbec (Cot). It is native to the Garonne/Tarn river vcallerys. It fell out of favor after phylloxera struck and was not replanted due to its low yields. As of 2008, it has undergone a resurgence and is valued for its color, structure and spice.

Regions: South-West

Question 34

Sciaccarello

Answer 34

This Tuscan grape found a home in Corsica, where it is known as Sciaccarello and Malvasia Montanaccio. The grape crafts lean, lightly pigmented reds and roses with bright acidity, generous alcohol and spicy, red fruit aromas and flavors.

Synonyms: (Italy) Mammolo (Corsica) Sciaccarellu

Regions: Corsica

Question 35

Syrah

Answer 35

Syrah produces densely pigmented, tannic wines with moderate alcohol and acidity. Look for cherry and plum fruits with distinctive accents of white pepper, black pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, herb, cocoa and fountain-pen ink. Wines can also display leathery, gmey, barnyard notes due to Syrah’s reductive nature; i.e. it does not bond with oxygen very easily. Syrah is a natural Mondeuse Blanche x Dureza cross and is native to the area of southeastern France bordering Switzerland and Italy.

Regions: Corsica, L-R, Provence, Rhone, South-West

Question 36

Tannat

Answer 36

Tannat is believed to be native to South-West France. It crafts deeply pigmented, acidic, tannic, full-bodied wines with raspberry fruit.

Regions: South-West

Question 37

Terret Noir

Answer 37

Terret noir is a productive vine believed to be native to the Languedoc. It crafts tart, pale red wines of moderate alcohol. Terret Noir, Gris and Blanc color mutations.

Regions: L-R, Provence, Rhone

Question 38

Tibouren

Answer 38

Tibouren is of unknown origin, although DNA research has confirmed this grape to be identical to Rossese di Dolceacqua in Liguriam, Italy. It crafts a pale, earthy, supple wine with mushroom and stone fruit aromatics.

Synonyms: (Italy) Rossese di Dolceacqua

Regions: Provence

Question 39

Trousseau

Answer 39

Trousseau is believed to be indigenous to the Franche-Comte area of France bordering Switzerland. This late ripening grape needs plnty of sun and requires fairly warm soils in order to produce deeply tannic, pigmented reds - characteristics seldom achieved in the Jura. In fact, the variety has had much more success these past 200 years in Spain and Portugal. Look for flavors and aromas of strawberry jam, raspberry and nutmet.

Synonyms: (Portugal, Spain) Bastardo and others

Regions: Jura