This section of the manual will probably be the largest. It will contain the most amounts of usable information and key “buzz words” that will enable you to communicate with some form of authoritative knowledge to your wine-drinking friends. The “buzz words” that I am referring to, from this point on will be in bold print the first time you encounter them, so it may be in your best interest to take note of them.
A varietal is a specific type of grape that shows distinguishable characteristics, which set it apart from other types of grape. An example would be a Chardonnay. A Chardonnay is a white grape varietal grown first in the Burgundy region of France. Its’ characteristics show hints of apple, figs, pineapple, green apple pear, peaches and somewhat melon like. This does not mean that any of these fruit characteristics were added to the juice from this grape, they are just a component of either the flavor or aroma of that grapes juice once it is made into wine. You may not sense these characteristics of this wine at first, but with time your palate will easily recognize them.
Earlier, I made reference to the laws in France that mandate how wines may be made within certain regions in order to be called by that regions name. These laws were set forth by the French authorities in 1935, and are called the A.O.C. or Appellation D’origine Controlee. This authority set forth all standards of production of wines in the major wine growing regions of France. The doctrines set forth the following:
1.) Geographical place of origin
2.) Grape varietals that must be used
3.) Minimum alcohol content
4.) Viticultural practices
These laws were established to insure and maintain the highest of quality standards for all wines grown and made from each region.
An example would be Chablis. Chablis is a wine-growing region in the northern part of Burgundy. The grape varietal used to produce Chablis must be Chardonnay or Pinot Chardonnay, which was the original name for Chardonnay. It must also be bottled in the Burgundian styled bottle. This way, any one drinking a bottle of Chablis, will know exactly what to expect from this bottle…By Law!
That is enough history; let’s get back to the information the title of this section promised. From this point on when we talk about varietals we will be talking about Vitis Vinifera or the traditional grapevine species considered by many to be the main, and premium grapes used in making wine.
In the U.S. the majority of all wines grown and made into wine are known by the name of the predominant grape type used.
Keep in mind, one does not “plant” a Chardonnay vine and wait for it to grow. What happens is, that Chardonnay grape stock, or shoots are grafted onto generic rootstock. That plant will now produce Chardonnay grapes within about 3 years, that can be made into Chardonnay or if grown in the Chablis region of Burgundy, France…it will produce the grape needed to make Chablis.
In this early stage of learning we will concentrate on only eight of the major grape varietals found in the U.S. We will look at four white grape and four red grape varietals.
