Other grape varieties

Question 1

Petit Verdot: characterize

Answer 1

• Ripens in Bordeaux only in very hot years
• Deep colored, tannic wine that ages slowly
• Adds tannin, color, and spicy notes to blends

Question 2

Petit Manseng: characterize

Answer 2

• High acid
• Complex sweet wines make from passerillage.
• Prounounced apricot and grapefuit, sometimes spicy from oak
• Found in Jurançon

Question 3

Pinot Blanc: characterize

Answer 3

• Widely used for sparkling wine
• As a still wine, light, simple, refreshing, non-aromatic
• Tends to be grown in fertile plain in Alsace, not the best sites

Question 4

Piquepoul: characterize

Answer 4

• Refreshing high acidity and green fruit and citrus
• Picpoul de Pinet (in Languedoc): cooling sea breezes help maintain high acidity

Question 5

Furmint: characterize

Answer 5

• Late ripening and botrytis-prone, so best known for sweet wines
• High acid, concentrated
• Apples developing into nuts and honey
• Can also make premium dry white wines
• Found in Tokaj
• Blended with Hárselvelű (also late ripening, gives perfume) and Sárga Muskotály (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, gives aromas)

Question 6

Welschriesling: characterize

Answer 6

• High acid, citrus and green apple
• Susceptible to botrytis, so used to make high-quality sweet wines
• Neusiedlersee (a lake in Burgenland) gives regular autumn mists that can almost guarantee botrytis every year
• Ruster Ausbruch DAC is for wines that grow near Rust and conform to TBA standards

Question 7

Müller-Thurgau/Rivaner: characterize

Answer 7

• Crossing in the 1880s between Riesling and Madeleine Royale
• Second most planed white variety in Germany, but in steady decline
• Ripens earlier than Riesling, but lacks the high acid or aromatic intensity
• Attractive floral and fruity wines, but rarely produces high quality wine in Germany
• Planted in Pfalz and Baden

Question 8

Grechetto: characterize

Answer 8

• In Orvieto DOC (Umbria), a blend with Trebbiano
• Light in body with med to high acid, ripe grapefruit and peaches
• Best are with the most Grechetto in the blend
• Made protectively with cool ferm in steel

Question 9

Malvasia: characterize

Answer 9

• In Frascati DOC (Lazio), a blend with Trebbiano
• Med body, med to high acid, citrus fruit, sometimes with floral, orange blossom aromas
• Usually fresh, unoaked style

Question 10

Greco: characterize

Answer 10

• More acid and leaner in body than Fiano
• Green apple, stone fruit, passion fruit
• Most stainless steel, but some use old oak and lees stirring
• Best can age in bottle to develop honey and mushrooms
• Greco di Tufo DOCG (Campania)

Question 11

Fiano: characterize

Answer 11

• Med acid, med to full body, stone fruit, melons, mango
• Usually drunk young, but better examples are matured in oak and can be aged in bottle, developing wax and honey
• Fiano di Avellino DOCG

Question 12

Airén: characterize

Answer 12

• Most widely planted in Spain, vast majority in La Mancha
• Can cope with extreme heat and drought
• Can now be made into an acceptable white wine, but most is made into Brandy de Jerez

Question 13

Loureiro and Arinto: characterize

Answer 13

• Classic varities for Vinho Verde white wines
• Pale lemon, high in acid, low in alcohol (8-11.5%), with lower alc often off-dry
• Traditionally have a slight sparkle

Question 14

Assyrtiko: characterize

Answer 14

• High acidity
• Trained in baskets to protect against wind
• Dry: Perfumed aromas and concentrated flavors of ripe citrus and stone fruit
• Sweet (“Vinsanto”): Late-harvested grapes sun-dried for up to 14 days, wine aged in old oak for at least 2 years, with older wines showing caramel and nuts (from oxidation)
• Santorini PDO

Question 15

Tannat: characterize

Answer 15

• Deeply colored, high tannin
• Madiran
• Traditionally needed long bottle aging to soften tannins
• Today riper grapes and modern winemaking give the best wines concentrated black fruit and high levels of soft, ripe tannins

Question 16

Grolleau: characterize

Answer 16

• High yielding black grape local to Anjou-Saumur
• Most of Rosé d’Anjou (blended with Cab Franc and others)
• Rosé d’Anjou is not as sweet as Cabernet d’Anjou

Question 17

Cinsault: characterize

Answer 17

• Provides red fruit flavors to red wine blends (not tannin or color)
• Blended with Granache in fruity rosés
• In Tavel when blended with Granache, full body and intense flavor, and can develop complexity with age
• In Provence, very pale in color, light to med body, dry, delicate red fruit

Question 18

Dornfelder: characterize

Answer 18

• Deeply colored
• Widely planted in Germany (esp in Pfalz)
• Vast majority sold as Qualitätswein and consumed domestically

Question 19

Zweigelt: characterize

Answer 19

• Crossing between Blaufränkisch and St Laurent
• Most widely planted black variety in Austria (e.g., in Burgenland)
• Very deeply colored with soft tannins and bramble fruit
• Oak aging common

Question 20

Blaufränkisch: characterize

Answer 20

• Most prestigious of Austrian black varieties
• High acid, med tannin, peppery, sour cherry
• Oak aging common
• Found esp in Burgenland

Question 21

St Laurent: characterize

Answer 21

• Austrian
• Gives wines similar to Pinot Noir
• Oak aging common

Question 22

Xinomavro: characterize

Answer 22

• High tannin and acid; med color that quickly fades to tawny; lack fresh fruit even in youth
• Long-lived, develop complex spice and earthy
• Different styles now–some more deeply colored and less tannin, some aged in new oak
• From Naoussa PDO (Macedonia, Greece)

Question 23

Agiorgitiko: characterize

Answer 23

• Low to high acid (dep on altitude)
• High acid from higher slopes good for rose
• From lower slopes, can be jammy and made into fruity wine for youthful consumption
• From mid slope, deep ruby, high smooth tannins, low to med acid, red fruits and spice. Age well in new oak
• Nemea PDO made 100% from this

Question 24

Baga: characterize

Answer 24

• Late-ripening, with small, thick-skinned berries
• Deep color, high tannins
• If underripe, can give high acid and astringent tannins; later picking gives softer wines with rich black fruit
• Gentler crushing, maceration techniques, and blending give softer wines too
• in Bairrada (Portugal)

Question 25

Alfrocheiro: characterize

Answer 25

* Deep color with intense blackberry and strawberry * High acid and soft tannins * From Dão

Question 26

Silvaner/Sylvaner: characterize

Answer 26

* Early flowering and ripening * Made in dry and sweet styles * Less acidity and less fruity than Riesling, somtimes has an earthy quality. Delicately perfumed with some richness, but less than Gewurtz * In Germany, does well in the warmest sites in Franken (where it has richness and earthiness). Also planted in Rheinhessen * Planted in Alsace (wines drunk young), but making way for the noble varieties

Question 27

Marsanne and Roussane: characterize

Answer 27

* Usually blended together in the Northern Rhone * Marsanne has richness and weight * Roussane has acidity and perfumed fruit * Blended together, develop complex hazelnut

Question 28

Verdicchio: characterize

Answer 28

* High acidity, green apples, lemons, and sometimes fennel and almonds * Many are simple and fruit, but best can develop honey and almonds * Best known in Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC

Question 29

Mencía/Jaen: characterize

Answer 29

* Suited to moderate climate * Med to high acid, fresh fruit, hint of herbaceousness * In Bierzo: High acid, red fruit, elegant. Many of the best from old vines on steep stony slopes. Some unoaked, some oaked. * Also planted in Dão.