White Grape Profiles

Question 1

Chardonnay

• Climate
• Appearance - Color and intensity
• How the nose, structure and palate vary with climate
  
  • Cool
  • Moderate
  • Hot
• Effect of winemaking techniques on style and flavor
  
  • Malolactic adds what?
  • Less contact adds what?
  • Oak ageing adds what?

Answer 1

• Climate: grown in a wide range of climates
• Appearance: pale to medium gold
• Structure, Nose, and Palate varies with climate:
  
  • Cool climate: high acidity, green fruit, citrus, vegetable
  • Moderate climate: citrus fruit, stone fruit, tropical fruit
  • Hot climate: tropical fruit (banana, pineapple, peach, mango, fig
• Effect of techniques on style and flavor:
  
  • Malolactic fermentation: dairy
  • Less contact: savory flavors (bread, yeast), creamy texture
  • Oak aging: wood (toast, vanilla, coconut)

Question 2

Sauvignon Blanc

• climate
• appearance - color and intensity
• nose and palate (from least ripe to most)
  
  • least
  • second least
  • second most
  • most
• structure
  
  • sweetness
  • acidity
  • body
• winemaking techniques
  
  • oak or no oak?
  • benefits from ageing?
  • suitable for sweet wines?

Answer 2

• Climate: cool (fully displays its herbaceous character) to moderate
• Appearance: pale gold
• Effect of ripeness on style and flavor from least ripe to most ripe:
  
  • hebaceous (grass), vegetable (green pepper and asparagus)
  • Floral (elderflower)
  • Citrus (lemon, lime), green fruit (gooseberry)
  • Stone fruit (peach), tropical fruit (passion fruit)
• Structure: usually dry, high acidity, and light to medium body
• Wine making techniques: little to no oak, no benefit from ageing, suitable for sweet wines

Question 3

Riesling

• climate
• appearance - intensity and color
• nose and palate (aromas by climate)
  
  • cool climate
  • moderate climate
• structure
  
  • acidity
  • sweetness level
  • body
• winemaking techniques
  
  • what comes through in an aged Riesling

Answer 3

• Climate: cool or moderate
• Appearance: pale lemon
• Nose and palate (aromatic varietal)
  
  • Clool climate: floral, (green apple, grape), citrus
  • Moderate climate: citrus, stone fruit (white peach, apricot), tropical fruit (pinnapple, mango)
• Structure: high acidity, from dry to sweet, light body
• Wine making techniques: a wide range of styles; aged Riesling shows notes of petrol, toast, honey, and smoke

Question 4

Albariño

• appearance - color and intensity level
• nose and palate - aromas
• structure
  
  • acidity
  • sweetness
  • body
• winemaking techniques
  
  • oak or no oak

Answer 4

• Appearance: pale lemon
• Nose and palate: green fruit (apple, pear), citrus (grapefruit), floral
• Structure: high acidity, dry, light to medium body
• Wine making styles: no oak

Question 5

Chenin Blanc

• climate
• appearance - color and intensity level
• nose and palate (by climate/region)
  
  • cool (region)
  • warm (region)
• structure (by region)
  
  • warm region: acidity and sweetness level
  • cool region: sweetness and body
• winemaking techniques (by region)
  
  • oak or no oak
  • blended with what grape/s
  • where do you find mostly bulk Chenin Blanc

Answer 5

• Climate: cool to hot
• Appearance: Pale to medium lemon
• Nose and palate:
  
  • Cool climate - Vouvray: citrus, apple, pineapple, herbaceous
  • Warm climate - South Africa: citrus, tropical fruit
• Structure:
  
  • S. Africa: medium to high acidity, dry/off dry
  • Vouvray: medium sweet, medium bodied
• Wine making styles: oak (S. Africa) or no oak (Vouvray), susceptible to botrytis, sometimes blended with Chardonnay (S. Africa), S. Africa produces mostly bulk Chenin Blanc

Question 6

Gewürztraminer

• regions of note
• appearance - color and intensity level
• nose and palate - aromas young and with age
• structure
  
  • acidity
  • alcohol
  • body
  • sweetness level
• winemaking techniques
  
  • best consumed when?

Answer 6

• Regions of note: Alsace France and some in New Zealand
• Appearance: pale to medium gold
• Nose and palate: aromatic (intensely perfumed), floral (rose, orange blossom), stone fruit (peach), tropical fruit (lychee), green grape, sweet spice (ginger); honey and nuts with age
• Structure: low acidity, high alcohol, full body, dry to medium sweet
• Wine making styles: best consumed young and fresh

Question 7

Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio

• primary regions
• appearance - color and intensity
• nose and palate (by region) - aromas
• structure (by region)
  
  • Region 1:
    
    • body
    • sweetness level
  • Region 2: style?
  • Region 3
    
    • acidity
    • body
    • character
• winemaking techniques - oak or no oak

Answer 7

• Primary regions: Alsace, Italy, and some in New Zealand
• Appearance: deep lemon to pale gold
• Nose and palate:
  
  • Alsace: tropical fruits (banana, mellon), ginger, and honey
  • Italy: green fruit and citrus
• Structure:
  
  • Alsace: full body, dry, off-dry, medium and sweet
  • New Zealand: variety of styles (dry to sweet)
  • Italy: dry, medium to high acidity, medium to light bodied, neutral character (green and citrus fruit)
• Wine making styles: no oak

Question 8

Semillon

• primary regions
• appearance - color and intensity
• nose and palate - aromas young and with age
• structure
  
  • sweetness
  • body
  • alcohol
  • acidity
• winemaking techniques
  
  • blended with what sometimes

Answer 8

• Primary regions: Bordeaux and Hunter Valley
• Appearance: from medium lemon to deep gold (Sauternes)
• Nose and palate: neutral with delicate citrus; toast, nuts, and honey with age
• Structure: dry to sweet; light bodied as a single varietal (Hunter Valley); low alcohol; high acidity
• Wine making styles: sometimes blended with Sauvignon Blanc to make dry and sweet wines (Sauternes)

Question 9

Torrontes

• primary regions
• appearance - color and intensity
• nose and palate - aromas
• structure
  
  • sweetness
  • acidity
  • alcohol
  • body
• winemaking techniques - oak or no oak

Answer 9

• Primary growing regions: Cafayate (Salta, Argentina)
• Appearance: deep lemon to pale gold
• Nose and palate: aromatic, pronounced floral (perfume), green fruit (grapes), stone fruit (peach)
• Structure: dry, medium acidity, high alcohol, medium body
• Wine making styles: no oak

Question 10

Trebbiano

• primary regions
• appearance
• nose and palate
• structure
  
  • sweetness
  • acidity
  • body
• winemaking techniques - mainly used for what?

Answer 10

• Primary growing regions: throughout Italy
• Appearance: varies widely depending on region
• Nose and palate: neutral
• Structure: dry, high acidity, light-bodied
• Wine making styles: mainly used for inexpensive neutral white wines

Question 11

Verdicchio

• primary regions
• appearance - color and intensity level
• nose and palate - aromas
• structure
  
  • sweetness
  • acidity
  • body

Answer 11

• Primary growing regions: marche (central east Italy)
• Appearance: pale lemon to deep lemon
• Nose and palate: citrus (lemon), herbal (fennel), bitter almond
• Structure: dry, high acidity, medium body

Question 12

Viognier

• primary regions
• appearance - color and intensity level
• nose and palate - aromas
• structure
  
  • body
  • acidity
  • alcohol
• winemaking techniques
  
  • oak or no oak
  • best consumed young or old

Answer 12

• Primary growing regions: Northern Rhone, and some in Southern France, California, Chile, Argentina, and Australia
• Appearance: medium gold
• Nose and palate: aromatic, delicate fruit and floral flavors (peach, pear, apricot, violet), spicy notes
• Structure: soft, full-body, low acidity, high alcohol
• Wine making styles: no oak, best consumed young