CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Cabernet Sauvignon is a variety of red grape mainly used for wine production, and is, along with Chardonnay, one of the most widely-planted of the world's noble grape varieties. The principal grape in many Bordeaux wines, it is grown in most of the world's major wine regions, although it requires a long growing season to ripen properly. Many of the red wines regarded as among the world's greatest are made from, predominantly, Cabernet Sauvignon. World-class examples can improve for decades, and remain drinkable for a century.

The particularly thick skin of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape results in wines that can be high in tannin which provides both structure and age-ability. This varietal, while frequently aromatic and with an attractive finish, also tends to lack mid-palate richness and so is often blended with lower tannin, but "fleshy" tasting grapes, particularly Merlot and, especially in Australia, Shiraz / Syrah. Cabernet Franc is often used in blends with Cabernet Sauvignon to add aromatics. As a group, Cabernet Sauvignon wines are generally full-flavored, with a stronger flavor than Merlot for instance, and with a smooth and lingering "finish". One of the most characteristic aromas of warm-climate examples is cassis (blackcurrant), while cherry and other red berry notes are not uncommon. Cooler-climate examples often reveal greener, herbaceous notes, such as eucalyptus, and less attractively, green pepper/capsicum or Cannabis sativa. There is, however, a great deal of variation in flavor depending on the region, winemaking technique, seasonal weather, and bottle age. However, the wines still retain a remarkable ability to be recognizably Cabernet.

Cabernet Sauvignon, like all noble wine grape varieties, is of the species Vitis vinifera, and genetic studies in the 1990s indicated it is the result of a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.

PINOT GRIS AKA PINOT GRIGIO

Pinot Gris (or Tokay Pinot Gris) is a white wine grape of species Vitis vinifera related to Pinot noir which goes by a lot of other names:

Pinot Grigio (Italy)
Pinot Beurot (Loire Valley, France)
Ruländer (Austria and Germany, Romania, sweet)
Grauburgunder or Grauer burgunder (Austria and Germany, dry)
Grauklevner (Germany)
Malvoisie (Loire Valley, France and Switzerland)
Tokay d'Alsace (Alsace) (currently being renamed due to EU regulations)
Auxerrois Gris (Alsace)
Fromentau (Languedoc, France)
Fromentot (France)
Fauvet (France)
Gris Cordelier (France)
Grauer Mönch (Germany)
Monemrasia
Crvena Klevanjka (Croatia)
Sivi Pinot (Slovenia)
Szürkebarát (Hungary)

It is thought to be a mutant clone of the Pinot Noir grape. It has grayish-white fruit giving rise to its name. The grape grows best in cool climates. Pinot gris is known from the Middle Ages in Burgundy region from whence it spread, arriving in early in Switzerland and in Hungary by 1300. It reached Germany by the end of the 16th century. It is now grown in most European countries, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, and the U.S. Most wines from Pinot Gris are drunk while young. One of the few aged wines is Tokay d'Alsace. It is also sometimes used for botrytized wines.

As a wine, the Wine Enthusiast has identified several widely recognized styles:

Pinot Grigio style: light-bodied, often lean; light in color; neutral, sometimes spritzy flavors, crisp and acidic.
Oregon style: medium bodied; yellow to copper-pink color; crisp, full, plump, lively flavors with aromas of pear, apple, and/or melon.
Alsace style: medium- to full-bodied; rich, somewhat floral; viscous, almost oily in texture; less fruity than the Oregon version; long lasting and an excellent wine with a wide variety of foods.
German style: medium- to full-bodied; fairly sweet, but well balanced with good acidity.

RIESLING

Riesling is a white grape variety and varietal appellation of wines grown historically in Alsace (France), Austria, Germany (see German wine), and northern Italy. It is suited to relatively cool climates. Riesling wines from Germany are traditionally sweet to medium sweet, but those from Alsace and Austria tend to be dry (sec) or just off-dry (demi-sec). Dry German Rieslings are increasingly popular in Germany, and are labeled as trocken. Other names for true Riesling are Johannisberg Riesling (named after the famed Schloss Johannisberg), White Riesling and Rhine Riesling. Many grapes that incorporate the name Riesling are not true Riesling. For example, Grey Riesling is actually Trousseau Gris, an unrelated grape. Schwarzriesling ("black Riesling") is also known as Pinot meunier, a grape used in the production of Champagne.

Riesling is also grown in the New World, notably Australia where the grape produces a distinctive crisp, dry and fruity wine. Peter Lehmann is notable for the quality of his Australian riesling. In North America, Riesling is usually grown in cooler regions, such as northern California, New York, Michigan and Ontario, and shows promise in the Pacific Northwest. It is also grown in cooler regions of New Zealand and South Africa, and the quality is improving significantly in the New World as more suitable sites are found, better quality vines are planted, and the vines age.

Riesling is one of the grape varieties considered to best express the terroir of the place that it is grown, much more so than many other white grapes.

The most highly regarded wines made from Riesling are late harvest dessert wines, produced by letting the grapes hang on the vines well past normal picking time. Through evaporation caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea or by freezing, as in the case of ice wine (in German, Eiswein), water is removed and the resulting wine offers profoundly richer layers on the palate. These concentrated wines have more sugar (in extreme cases hundreds of grams per liter), more acid (to give balance to all the sugar), more flavors, etc. Due to its concentration, late-harvest Riesling is among the longest-lived of all wines.

Riesling is a very versatile wine to have with food, because of its balance of sugar and acid and its relatively low acidity. It can pair with white fish just like a dry wine, or with pork, and it is one of the few wines that can stand up to Thai and Chinese cuisine. Riesling's typical aromas are of flowers, tropical fruits, and mineral stone (such as slate or quartz), although, with time, the wine acquires an oily character that may be immediately arresting to new drinkers of Riesling. It is almost never oaked, which tends to lighten its profile and increase its suitability with many foods.

SHIRAZ

Shiraz and Syrah are entirely interchangeable and refer to the same varietals of grape. It is called Syrah in the old world, like France, and most often in the USA. In South Africa and Australia it is most commonly known as Shiraz. In Australia it used to be called Hermitage up to the late 1980s.

Winemakers (or wine marketers) sometimes choose one name over the other to signify a stylistic difference in the wine they have made. "Syrah" labeled wines are sometimes thought to be more similar to Old World examples (presumably more elegant or restrained) and "Shiraz" labeled wines are more similar to New World examples (presumably riper and fruitier), but even this rule of thumb is unevenly applied.

It is believed that the name of the grape Shiraz was taken from that of the city of Shiraz, Iran, where the process of winemaking is believed to have originated 7000 years ago. However that may be, some argue that this grape originated in France, based on a DNA study in 1998. The study claimed that the grape had originated in the vicinity of the Northern Rhône valley of France, as the result of a cross of the "Dureza" and "Mondeuse Blanche" grape varieties. Competing historic accounts state that the Syrah/Shiraz was brought into southern France by a returning crusader, Guy De'Sterimberg. He became a hermit and developed a vineyard on a steep hill where he lived in the Rhone River Valley. It became known as the Hermitage. Shiraz continues to be the main grape of the Northern Rhône and is associated with classic wines such as Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie. Although its best incarnations will age for decades, less-extracted styles may be enjoyed young for their lively red and blue berry characters and smooth tannin structure. Shiraz has been widely used as a blending grape in the red wines of many countries due to its fleshy fruit mid-palate, balancing the weaknesses of other varieties and resulting in a "complete" wine

It is a grape variety widely used to make dry red table wine. Shiraz is often vinified on its own, but is also frequently blended with other grape varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Viognier. It is grown in many wine producing regions around the world.

Many premium Shiraz-based wines are at their best after some considerable time aged in a cellar. Perhaps the greatest and most famous Shiraz-based wine of Australia, Penfolds Grange, is known for its impressive age ability, which, along with its consistently outstanding quality, makes it one of the world's most collectible wines. In 2004 a bottle of the 1951 Penfolds Grange sold at auction for $50,200. Shiraz is also used to make the unique "sparkling Shiraz," a deep-red sparkling wine which also ages well. A notable example is "Seppelt Show Reserve Sparkling Shiraz," only released by the winery after 10 years bottle age, which demonstrates characteristic rich blackberry, mocha and beef notes. There is also a small amount of rosé wine produced from the Syrah grape.

Wines made from Shiraz are often quite powerfully flavoured and full-bodied. The variety produces wines with a wide range of flavor notes, depending on the climate and soils where it is grown, as well as other viticultural practices chosen. Aroma characters can range from violets to berries, chocolate, espresso and black pepper. No one aroma can be called "typical." With time in the bottle these "primary" notes are moderated and then supplemented with earthy or savory "tertiary" notes such as leather and truffle. ("Secondary" flavor and aroma notes are those associated with winemakers' practices, such as oak barrel and yeast regimes, and are not typically associated with specific grape varieties.)

Today it is Australia's most popular red grape, but Shiraz has not always been in favor in Australia; in the 1970s white wine was so popular growers were ripping out unprofitable Shiraz vineyards, even those with very old vines. Many factors, including the French paradox and the affinity of influential wine critic Robert M. Parker, Jr. for the lush, powerful wines produced from Shiraz caused a turnaround in demand, and plantings expanded dramatically through the 1980s and 1990s; a similar trajectory occurred in California.

MERLOT

Merlot is a variety of wine grape used to create a popular red wine. Merlot-based wines usually have medium body with hints of berry, plum, and currant.

Most connoisseurs consider it "easy to drink" when compared to other red wines, particularly its traditional blending partner Cabernet Sauvignon. Its softness and "fleshiness", combined with its earlier ripening, makes Merlot an ideal grape to blend with the sterner, later-ripening Cabernet. Many Merlots are made in a style popular with newer red wine drinkers (though to be clear, good Merlots accompanying appropriate food are popular with many regular wine drinkers as well).

It is produced primarily in France and California, and on a lesser scale in Australia, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Switzerland, Croatia, Slovenia, and other parts of the United States. (Merlot from the state of Washington has been gaining recognition, and a small quantity of high-quality wine from this grape is also now being produced on the eastern end of Long Island, New York.) Most wines from Bordeaux contain at least some Merlot, and in the regions of Pomerol and Saint-Emilion it is not unusual for Merlot to comprise the majority of the blend. One of the most famous and rare wines in the world, Château Pétrus is almost all Merlot.

White Merlot is made the same way as its more famous cousin, White Zinfandel. The grapes are crushed, and after very brief or even no skin contact, the resulting pink "must" ferments. Some producers of White Merlot include Sutter Home, Forest Glen, and Beringer. It normally has a hint of raspberry flavor. White Merlot was reputedly first marketed in the late 1990s.

SAUVIGNON BLANC

Sauvignon blanc is a white wine grape probably originating in the Bordeaux region of France that is now planted in much of the world's wine lands producing a crisp dry refreshing white varietal wine.

Depending on climate, its flavors can range from aggressively grassy to sweetly tropical, although perhaps the most memorable descriptor is "cat's pee on a gooseberry bush." In France Sauvignon blanc is grown in Bordeaux, the Loire Valley (as Pouilly Fumé, Sancerre, and Sauvignon de Touraine), and Sauternes, but it was the Sauvignon blanc varietal wines from New Zealand that brought it to public notice with the success of wineries such as Montana, Babich, Hunters and Cloudy Bay.

Sauvignon Blanc’s susceptibility to noble rot makes it ideal for production of luscious sweet wines, reaching its heights in Sauternes, blended with Sémillon.

In California until the 1970s it was usually made as a nondescript semi-sweet wine until Robert Mondavi made a dry varietal he named Fumé Blanc (a reference to Pouilly Fumé) which became so successful that the name Fumé Blanc is now recognized as a legal synonym for Sauvignon Blanc in the US.

DNA research has identified Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc as the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Sauvignon Blanc is best enjoyed slightly chilled, with fish or cheese. Along with Riesling, it is one of the first fine wines to be bottled in screw cap in commercial quantities, especially by New Zealand winemakers.

It is usually best drunk young, as it does not particularly benefit from ageing. Dry and sweet white Bordeaux, typically made with Sauvignon Blanc as a major component, is the one exception.

PINOT NOIR

Pinot Noir, known as Pinot Nero in Italian, is a red wine grape variety, considered to make some of the greatest wines. It is almost universally agreed to reach its peak in the wines of Burgundy, but is also used in the production of Champagne and is planted in most of the world's wine growing regions for use in both still and sparkling wines. Pinot Noir grown for dry table wines is generally low-yielding and often difficult to grow well. Pinot Noir grown for use in sparkling wines (e.g., Champagne) is generally higher yielding.

While Pinot Noir can vary dramatically, the wine tends to be of light to medium body with an aroma reminiscent of black cherry, raspberry or currant. Their colour when young, often compared to that of garnet, is often much lighter than that of other red wines. This is because Pinot Noir has relatively small amounts of red pigment due to its thin skin.

Generally, Pinot Noir is produced as a red wine, although Pinot Noir is used in the production of most Champagne and some rosé still wines, and even occasional "vin gris" white wines.

Pinot Noir is a challenging grape to grow. Its thin skin makes it highly susceptible to bunch rot and other fungal diseases. The vines themselves are prone to downy mildew in warmer, humid climates. It is for this reason that the most successful Pinot Noir producing regions are in areas with cooler climates.

Originally produced in France, in recent years Pinot Noir has become a popular grape in wines from, amongst other places, California, South Africa, the Okanagan Valley in Canada, New Zealand and Chile, with some of the best regarded coming from the Willamette Valley in Oregon, the Russian River Valley in California, and Martinborough, Waipara, and Central Otago in New Zealand. As a rule, the better pinot noirs are grown in climates at the colder end of the spectrum for wine growing.

Pinot Noir is very prone to mutation. The widely used varieties Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Meunier are also relatives of Pinot Noir. As of 1990, there were some 46 clones of Pinot Noir widely used in France. This compared to only 32 clones of the much more widely planted Cabernet Sauvignon.

CHABLIS

The Chablis wine region is the northernmost sector of Burgundy, France, and also the name of a town located there.

The Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée system divides the region into four classifications: Chablis AOC, Petit Chablis AOC, Chablis Premier Cru AOC and Chablis Grand Cru AOC.

All wines in the appellations are white wines from Chardonnay grapes (although there are some smaller minor appellations nearby that produce wines from Pinot Noir, Aligoté, Sauvignon Blanc and others). The area is made up of 20 or so small villages clustered around the centrally located village of Chablis. The region is divided in two by the Serein River.

The Grand Crus of Chablis are connected on a chain of three interlocking slopes on the right bank overlooking the Serein. The seven Grand Cru vineyards are (from southeast to northwest): Blanchot, Les Clos, Valmur, Grenouilles, Vaudesir, Les Preuses and Bougros. The Premier Crus are situated on a series of hillsides both on the left and right side of the river. The best Premier Crus are, like the Grand Crus, on the right bank facing the southwest (notably, Fourchaume vineyard, located one mile to the north). The soil is a unique combination of clay and chalk called “Kimmeridgian” and it is profusely littered by fossils of comma-shaped oysters. It gives the wines a unique profile of aromas and flavors. It is often referred to as a gout de la pierre la fusil, or gunflint character. Another oft-mentioned characterization is that of "wet rocks". The fruit flavor is very reserved, as Chablis' northern location produces grapes that just barely reach an acceptable level of ripeness. Expect green apples, pineapples and pink grapefruits. Finally, the wines are also typified by their bracing acidity, often unforgiving in the wines’ youth (but improved by decanting young vintages before serving), which allows the wines to age very well.

In an attempt to gain an association with the highly regarded French wines, the name "Chablis" has also been used on bottles of lesser quality American white wine (e.g., California's Central Valley) with no connection with the French region. This is an example of foreign branding. The practice became common enough that "Chablis," associated with a domestic wine, ultimately came to convey an image of cheapness.