Varietal Wines, Grape by Grape - Wine and Wines

UNLESS LABELED OTHERWISE as “pear wine,” “blueberry wine,” or something else, it is safe to assume from the label on a bottle that “wine” is produced from grapes. There are many species of grapes, however, and grape varieties vary greatly in color and character, as well as in winemaking potential. Most of the world’s wines come from the Vitis vinifera species, the classic European grape family whose vines were first brought to America prior to the American Revolution. Due to the phylloxera vine pest, however, the vinifera vines didn’t produce much wine in the New World for more than a century. Instead, early American wine came from a variety of other grape species, including the East Coast’s native Vitis labrusca grapes; the Ohio River Valley’s Vitis riparia species; and the Vitis rotundifolia grape species. The Scuppernong grape of the American Southeast, thought to be the first native grape that American settlers tried to turn into wine, is a member of this last species.

Vitis labrusca’s most famous family member is the Concord 89 grape. Although presently it is not given much serious consideration by the wine world, decent wine can be coaxed from it, as long as enough sugar is added to mitigate Concord’s enamel-stripping acidity. Generally, these grapes are used to make grape juice and grape jelly rather than wine, although there is a century-old tradition of producing cloyingly sweet kosher wine from the Concord grape. Other labrusca grapes used more in the past than in American winemaking today are the Catawba, Delaware, and Niagara varieties. The biggest contribution that native North American grapes have made to the wine world is to provide rootstock for vinifera vines. As mentioned earlier in this book, many of the vinifera vines around the world today are grafted onto Vitis riparia vine roots, which are resistant to the destructive phylloxera vine louse.

The vinifera family of grapes, which come in red-, black-, and green-skinned varieties, is used to make the vast majority of the world’s wine. There are hundreds of vinifera grape varieties, but only a few dozen of these – generally called “aromatic” varieties – are suitable for wine production. Of these, only a few are used to produce the world’s finest wines. These “noble grape varieties” include Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah, Sangiovese, and Nebbiolo among the red wine grapes, as well as the white wine grapes Riesling, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.

Varietal wines – those labeled and sold according to the grape variety from which they are made – must meet government-mandated minimum varietal percentages. In other words, there is a minimum percentage of a wine that must be made from the grape variety indicated on the label for it to be labeled as such. Although the label on your bottle may say Chardonnay, there is a very good chance that the wine is a blend made from Chardonnay and other grapes. However, these minor-percentage grapes are usually not credited on the bottle.

Varietal Correctness

A wine is described as “varietally correct” if the grape variety is easily discernable from the aroma and taste of the wine. Although wine made from a particular grape variety will also display traits associated with its geographical origin, there are certain qualities we have come to associate with the most common grape varieties no matter where they are produced.

Why are varietal wines so popular? Because the grape variety used to make the wine is the single most important determinant of the wine’s flavor. The “aromatic” grape varieties are just that – they impart a recognizable set of aromas and flavors to wine.

Following is a breakdown of the most common and popular grape varieties.

Red Wine Grapes

Related posts:

1. Grape Varieties in Sparkling Wines
2. The Origins of American Kosher Wine
3. Winemaking Spreads to the New World
4. Modern Winemaking
5. The Value of the Vines
6. The Origins of Wine
7. New-World Differences
8. Category 1 Jug Wines (10 – 13 per 4-Liter Bottle)
9. Other Types of Sparkling Wines
10. How Is Wine Made
11. Other Fortified Wines
12. Common and Uncommon Wines to Know