Grapes used in Winemaking

Grapes are the main ingredient that makes a wine taste the way it does and knowing that a certain type of grape is used in a wine let's you know basic information about the wine and what to expect.

Spending some time getting to know how different grapes taste so you learn which you like and don't like, will give you a heads up for selecting wines you'll be most likely to enjoy. Remember - all grapes take on the flavor of the soil where they grow, so knowing what your favorite grapes are and how they vary in taste depending where they are grown helps you narrow down your very favorite wines even more!

I know you are learning so I will often go back and remind what some of the terms mean so you don't have to stop and look them up - eventually these will become easy to remember and you can just skip those paragraphs. I hope to remember to put all of these "blips of information" in purple font so those who don't need to be reminded can skip over them.

When we talk about "varietals" or "varietal wine tastings" think about grapes like horses. All horses are the same species, they can all breed with another horse yet each breed is very different with characteristics that are unique to each breed. So with wine - think of all grapes as part of the grape species - the variety (think breed) is the set of characteristics that make it unique and distinctly different. So within different categories of horses, say work horses, race horses etc there are different types (in wine we say varieties/varietal) - so the categories are RED or WHITE and each varietal (type of grape) is considered to be either a red or a white.

As a rule, when it comes to the names of grapes, winemakers try to adhere to the industry standard. However, some grapes go by different names or spellings and that adds a lot of confusion.

Take the Syrah (or Sirah) grape, which in South Africa is known as the Shiraz; in Australia, Hermitage.

If the listings in the reviews or on the labels confuse you find a grape primer or ask the wine store folks - there is a lot to learn and they are often your best teachers.

Most Common Varieties of grapes in United States

WHITE GRAPES -
chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, gewurztraminer and riesling are all common varietals in North America.

Seyval blanc is a North American hybrid that is sometimes called "Indiana Chardonnay."

Other whites that are sometimes grown in North America, but are more common in vineyards elsewhere, are:
Pinot Grigio, Petit Manseng and Pinot Blanc.

RED GRAPES -
Most red grapes are Bordeaux varietals, including Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot.

California has become the world's leading producer of the zinfandel variety, while pinot noir from Burgundy and the Rhone varietal syrah are also standard North American wine-making grapes.