Welcome back to our wine basics blog series! We’re here to make the world of wine a little less daunting by helping you take those first steps on your journey to becoming a wine expert.
Last time we learned what wine is and how it’s made, and now it’s time to delve a little further into what goes into wine, in particular, which grapes make our favourites.
Most of our favourite wines come from the most popular grapes, which you may recognise the names of from seeing on menus or in your local shop – if you’re a casual wine drinker, you might even already have a favourite of these.
Red wine grapes
Cabernet Sauvignon
This grape is known for wines that age well. It’s a thick-skinned black grape that gives deep colours, strong aromas and often has flavours of blackcurrant and cedar. The thick skin of this grape means it’s well suited to a warm climates and it can’t ripen in cool climates, so you will see more Cab Sauv from places like Bordeaux, Chile’s Central Valley and Barossa in Australia.
Merlot
This is also a black grape but fruitier and less intense in flavour and smell than Cabernet Sauvignon. It can be planted in cooler climates, so has the advantage of being planted in more places. Merlot is a medium-bodied wine, which makes it perfect for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon. Most wines made in Bordeaux will contain Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (amongst other grapes).
Pinot Noir
A little different to the first two, this grape has a thinner skin, meaning that the wine it produces is paler with less noticeable tannins. The taste can vary – Pinot Noir that is not aged in oak barrels (unoaked) has aromas of red cherry and lighter red fruits. As Pinot Noir ages it can take on aromas of mushrooms. This grape also thrives in a colder climate. All red wine from Burgundy/Bourgogne in France is made from Pinot Noir.
Syrah/Shiraz
This one has two names but don’t let that confuse you! It’s a black grape that is known as Syrah in France and Shiraz in Australia. The grape produces wine of a deep red colour with notes of blackberry, dark chocolate and spice. Because of the different climates, French Syrah is slightly more delicate than Australian Shiraz. If you see wine from a different country labelled as Syrah or Shiraz, this means it is stylistically more like the French or Australian styles.
White wine grapes
Chardonnay
We bet you recognise the name of this grape – it’s the most popular white wine grape and is grown in most places wine is made. It’s extremely versatile too, as it can be grown in hot and cold climates, with its fruit flavours varying depending on where it is grown. Typically, Chardonnay isn’t very aromatic, so winemakers will often add complexity by ageing it in oak and putting it through the process of malolactic fermentation (MLF). MLF converts malic acid in the wine to lactic acid, giving it a buttery texture and style..
Sauvignon Blanc
This grape makes a dry white wine with flavours of green fruit and vegetation such as elderflower and asparagus. It’s best suited to cool climates and finds itself at home in Loire Valley in France and, probably more famously, Marlborough in New Zealand.
Pinot Gris/Grigio
Another one that is a little bit different – this grape is a white mutation of Pinot Noir, but has pink skins that can sometimes produce a pale pink wine if the juice is left in contact with the skins for enough time. It’s also a dry wine with flavours of citrus, honeysuckle, and green apples.
Like Syrah/Shiraz, it has two names – Gris is French and Grigio is Italian. The French style, often found in Alsace, is more aromatic with a light sweetness to it (or off-dry). The Italian style is mostly produced in Venezie and is known for being bone-dry (barely any sweetness at all) with simple citrus notes.
Riesling
Finally, we have Riesling, a white grape that is grown in cooler climates. It can taste fruity and floral and can be aged in the bottle to develop a honey-like flavour. Riesling’s spiritual home is in the Mosel Valley in Germany. However, places in the new world like Clare Valley in Australia and Niagara in Canada produce some really good Riesling.
As mentioned, Riesling takes on different flavours the older it gets, one of them being petrol. Yep… Petrol. This might sound awful but trust us, it’s amazing.
So now you know the most popular grapes in wine making. There are plenty more grapes used to make plenty more wines, but having knowledge of the grape A-listers we listed above is a great place to start and useful knowledge to have in your back pocket, even if it’s just to impress your pals!
Next time we’ll be learning about the most popular wine regions around the world, so make sure to come back soon.
Remember… The Grape Kitchen is an independent wine merchant, dedicated to sourcing the best wine for the best prices. We understand that service and communication is key. That’s why we offer free same working day delivery to all South Yorkshire addresses on orders £20 and above. Just use the checkout code SYorks21 (same working day delivery if order is placed before 2pm).
We have to charge a delivery fee to folks further afield. However, we’ve subsidised these costs and it will only cost you £8.50 for a courier delivery. Better yet, if you spend £95 or more then we’ll cover the full courier cost!