Wine Varietals A-Z ‹ Wines.com Types of wine A-Z What’s on the label Wine “varietals” simply means wine made from a specific winegrape. Varietal wines in the United States are often named after the dominant grapes used in making the wine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir, and Chenin Blanc are examples of grape varieties. When a wine bottle shows a varietal designation on the label (like Merlot) it means that the wine in the bottle is at least 75% that grape variety (at least 75% Merlot, for example).* Showing a varietal on the label tells the consumer what to expect from the flavor of the wine. That’s why learning about basic varietals in important. Wine labels in the U.S. often also give information on location like the Mondavi “Napa Valley” Cabernet Sauvignon shown here. This indicates that the Cabernet grapes in this wine were grown in the “Napa Valley” official wine region (Viticutural Area or appellation).

Wines are not required to carry varietal designations and cannot legally do so if the wine is a blend where no varietal is dominant (more than 75%). This is often the case. Then labels (in the U.S.) will often show the percentages of grapes used to make the blend. Other more generic names are used to identify wine without any information on the type of grape used or where it was grown. Examples are Red Wine, White Wine, Table Wine, Blush Wine, etc.. Place of origin designations Designations such as Chablis or Chianti indicate wines similar to the wines originally made in geographic regions indicated by those names. Chablis was originally a product of France and Chianti, a product of Italy. Such wines must include an appellation of origin to indicate the true place of origin. Some wines are designated with distinctive names which are permissible only on specific wines from a particular place or region within the country of origin. For example, Pommard from France and Rudesheimer from Germany. COMMON WINE TYPES Spanish white wine grape that makes crisp, refreshing, and light-bodied wines. Aligoté White wine grape grown in Burgundy making medium-bodied, crisp, dry wines with spicy character.

Amarone From Italy’s Veneto Region a strong, dry, long- lived red, made from a blend of partially dried red grapes. Arneis A light-bodied dry wine the Piedmont Region of Italy Asti Spumante From the Piedmont Region of Italy, A semidry sparkling wine produced from the Moscato di Canelli grape in the village of Asti Auslese German white wine from grapes that are very ripe and thus high in sugar Banylus A French wine made from late-harvest Grenache grapes and served with chocolate or dishes with a hint of sweetness. By law the wine must contain 15 percent alcohol. Barbaresco A red wine from the Piedmont Region of Italy, made from Nebbiolo grapes it is lighter than Barolo. Bardolino A light red wine from the Veneto Region of Italy. Blended from several grapes the wine garnet in color, dry and slightly bitter, sometimes lightly sparkling. Barolo Highly regarded Italian red, made from Nebbiolo grapes. It is dark, full-bodied and high in tannin and alcohol. Ages well.

Beaujolais Typically light, fresh, fruity red wines from and area south of Burgundy, near Lyons, in eastern France. Areas: Beaujolais-Blanc, Beaujolais Villages, Brouilly, Chénas, Chiroubles, Fleurie, Juliénas, Mouliné-àVent, Morgon, Regnie, Saint Amour. Blanc de Blancs Champagne or white wine made from white grapes. Blanc de Noirs White or blush wine or Champagne made from dark grapes. Blush American term for rosé. Any wine that is pink in color. Boal or Bual Grown on the island of Madeira, it makes medium-sweet wines. Brunello This strain of Sangiovese is the only grape permitted for Brunello di Montalcino, the rare, costly Tuscan red. Luscious black and red fruits with chewy tannins. Cabernet Franc Red wine grape used in Bordeaux for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon. It is an earlier-maturing red wine, due to its lower level of tannins.

Light- to medium-bodied wine with more immediate fruit than Cabernet Sauvignon and some of the herbaceous odors evident in unripe Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Sauvignon Currant, Plum, Black Cherry & Spice, with notes of Olive, Vanilla Mint, Tobacco, Toasty Cedar, Anise, Pepper & Herbs. Full-bodied wines with great depth that improve with aging. Cabernet spends from 15 to 30 months aging in American & French Oak barrels which tend to soften the tannins, adding the toasty cedar & vanilla flavors. Carignan Known as Carignane in California, and Cirnano in Italy. Once a major blending grape for jug wines, Carignan’s popularity has diminished though it still appears in some blends. Old vineyards are sought after for the intensity of their grapes. Carmenere Also known as Grande Vidure, once widely planted in Bordeaux. Now primarily associated with Chile. Carmenere, was imported to Chile in the 1850’s. Carmenere has been frequently mislabeled snf many growers and the Chilean government consider it Merlot. Cava Spanish sparkling wine. Produced by the méthode champenoise.

Charbono Mainly found in California (may possibly be Dolcetto), this grape has dwindled in acreage. Often lean and tannic. Few wineries still produce it. Champagne Champagne is the only wine that people accept in such a multitude of styles. Champagnes can range from burnt, carmely oxidized to full bodied fruit and yeast characters to light and citrusy, and everything in between. Then each of these wines can be altered in its amount of residual sweetness from a bone-chilling dryness to sugar syrup. Bottle age will also alter the weight and character of each of these styles. Chardonnay Apple, Pear, Vanilla, Fig, Peach, Pineapple, Melon, Citrus, Lemon, Grapefruit, Honey, Spice, Butterscotch, Butter & Hazelnut. Chardonnay takes well to Oak aging & barrel fermentation and is easy to manipulate with techniques such as sur lie aging & malolactic fermentation. Châteauneuf-du-Pape The most famous wines of the southern Rhône Valley, are produced in and around the town of the same name (the summer residence of the popes during their exile to Avignon).

The reds are rich, ripe, and heady, with full alcohol levels and chewy rustic flavors. Although 13 grape varieties are planted here, the principal varietal is Grenache, followed by Syrah, Cinsault and Mourvèdre (also Vaccarese, Counoise, Terret noir, Muscardin, Clairette, Piquepoul, Picardan, Rousanne, Bourboulenc). Chenin Blanc Native of the Loire where it’s the basis of the famous whites: Vouvray, Anjou, Quarts de Chaume and Saumer. In other areas it is a very good blending grape. Called Steen in South Africa and their most-planted grape. California uses it mainly as a blending grape for generic table wines. It can be a pleasant wine, with melon, peach, spice and citrus. The great Loire wines, depending on the producer can be dry and fresh to sweet. Chianti From a blend of grapes this fruity, light ruby-to-garnet-colored red may be called Chianti Riserva when aged three or more years. Chianti Classico From a designated portion of the Chianti wine district.

To be labeled Chianti Classico, both vineyard and winery must be within the specified region. Claret British term for red Bordeaux wines. Colombard (French Colombard) The second most widely planted white variety in California, nearly all of it for jug wines. It produces an abundant crop, nearly 11 tons per acre, and makes clean and simple wines. Constantia This legendary sweet wine from South Africa, was a favorite of Napoleon. It comes from an estate called Groot Constantia. Cortese White wine grape grown in Piedmont and Lombardy. Best known for the wine, Gavi. The grape produces a light-bodied, crisp, well-balanced wine. Dolcetto From northwest Piedmont it produces soft, round, fruity wines fragrant with licorice and almonds. Eiswein “Ice wine,” A sweet German wine, made from grapes that have frozen on the vine. Freezing concentrates the sugars in the grapes prior to harvesting. Frascati An Italian fruity, golden white wine, may be dry to sweet.

Fumé Blanc see Sauvignon Blanc Gamay Beaujolais makes its famous, fruity reds exclusively from one of the many Gamays available, the Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc. Low in alcohol and relatively high in acidity, the wines are meant to be drunk soon after bottling; the ultimate example of this is Beaujolais Nouveau, whipped onto shelves everywhere almost overnight. It is also grown in the Loire, but makes no remarkable wines. The Swiss grow it widely, for blending with Pinot Noir; they often chaptalize the wines. Gamay Beaujolais A California variety that makes undistinguished wines. Primarily used for blending. Gattinara A Piedmont red made from Nebbiolo blended with other grapes. Powerful and long-lived. Gewürztraminer A distinctive floral bouquet & spicy flavor are hallmarks of this medium-sweet wine. Grown mainly in Alsace region of France & Germany, and also in Californ>ia, Eastern Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Grappa An Italian spirit distilled from pomace. Dry and high in alcohol, it is an after dinner drink.

Grenache Used mainly for blending and the making of Rose and Blush Wines in California, while in France it is blended to make Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Originally from Spain is the second most widely grown grape in the world. It produces a fruity, spicy, medium-bodied wine. Johannisberg Riesling See Riesling Kir An aperitif from the Burgundy Region of France. A glass of dry white wine and a teaspoon of crème de cassis make this popular drink. To make Kir Royale, use champagne or sparkling wine. Lambrusco A fizzy, usually red, dry to sweet wine from northern Italy, made from the grape of the same name. Liebfraumilch A blended German white, semisweet and fairly neutral, which accounts for up to 50 percent of all German wine exports. Madeira A fortified wine named for the island on which its grapes are grown. The wine is slowly heated in a storeroom to over 110ºF, and allowed to cool over a period of months. Styles range from dry apéritifs, from the Sercial grape, to rich and sweet Boal and Malmsey.

Malbec Once important in Bordeaux and the Loire in various blends, this not-very-hardy grape has been steadily replaced by Merlot and the two Cabernets. However, Argentina is markedly successful with this varietal. In the United States Malbec is a blending grape only, and an insignificant one at that, but a few wineries use it, the most obvious reason being that it’s considered part of the Bordeaux-blend recipe. Marc A distilled spirit made from pomace that is known by different names around the world. Italy calls it grappa; in Burgundy, Marc de Bourgogne; in Champagne, Marc de Champagne. Dry and high in alcohol, typically an after dinner drink. Marsala Made from Grillo, Catarratto, or Inzolia grapes, this Sicilian wine may be dry or sweet and is commonly used in cooking. Marsanne A full-bodied, moderately intense wine with spice, pear and citrus notes. Popular in the Rhône & Australia (especially Victoria) has some of the world’s oldest vineyards. California’s “Rhône-Rangers” have had considerable success with this variety. Mead Common in medieval Europe, a wine made by fermenting honey and water.

Wine makers now making flavored meads. Meritage Registered in 1989 with the U.S. Department of Trademarks and Patents by a group of vintners, who sought to establish standards of identifying red & white wines made of traditional Bordeaux grape blends. They needed a name for these wines since 75% of a single variety is not used, therefore the label could not state a particular variety of grape. Meritage was chosen because it was a combination of two words, merit and heritage. To be called a meritage, the wine must: Blend two or more Bordeaux grape varieties: Red wines/ Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Gros Verdot, Malbec, Merlot, Petite Verdot & St. Macaire. White wines/ Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle and Sémillon. Have less than 90% of any single variety. Be the winery’s best wine of its type. Be produced and bottled by a United States winery from grapes carrying a U.S. appellation. Be limited to a maximum of 25,000 cases produced per vintage. Merlot Herbs, Green Olive, Cherry & Chocolate.

Softer & medium in weight with fewer tannins than Cabernet and ready to drink sooner. Takes well to Oak aging. It is frequently used as a blending wine with Cabernet to soften Montepulciano A medium to full-bodied wine, with good color and structure. Known for its quality and value. Moscato see Muscat Mourvedre A pleasing wine, of medium-weight, with spicy cherry and berry flavors and moderate tannins. Often used in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Müller-Thurgau A cross of two grapes, Sylvaner and Riesling. Mainly grown in Germany, Northern Italy, and New Zealand. Light in color, and can be dry to medium dry. Muscat Also known as Muscat Blanc and Muscat Canelli. With pronounced spice and floral notes it can also be used for blending. A versatile grape that can turn into anything from Asti Spumante and Muscat de Canelli to a dry wine like Muscat d’Alsace. Nebbiolo The great grape of Northern Italy, which excels there in Barolo and Barbaresco, strong, ageable wines.

Mainly unsuccessful elsewhere, Nebbiolo also now has a small foothold in California. So far the wines are light and uncomplicated, bearing no resemblance to the Italian types. Petit Verdot From the Bordeaux Region of France it is used for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon. Petite Sirah Plum & blackberry flavors mark this deep, ruby colored wine. Usually full-bodied with chewy tannins. Used in France & California as a blending wine. Not related to the Syrah of France. Pinot Blanc Similar flavor and texture to Chardonnay it is used in Champagne, Burgundy, Alsace, Germany, Italy and California and can make a excellent wines. It can be intense, and complex, with ripe pear, spice, citrus and honey notes. Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris At its best this varietal produces wines that are soft, perfumed with more color than most other white wines. Grown mainly in northeast Italy, but as Pinot Gris it is grown in Alsace & known as Tokay. Pinot Meunier Grown in the Champagne region of France, it is blended with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to add fruit flavors to champagne.

Pinot Noir This is the great, noble grape of Burgundy. Difficult to grow but at its best it is smooth & richer than Cabernet Sauvignon with less tannin. Raisin like flavors with undertones of black cherry, spice & raspberry. Widely used in the making of champagne sparkling wines. Pinotage A cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault. Grown in South Africa. Fermented at higher temperatures and aged in new oak for finesse and wonderful berry flavors. Port Fortified wine from the Douro region of Portugal. Styles include: Late Bottle (LB), Tawny, Ruby, Aged, and Vintage. Mostly sweet and red. Retsina Dry white Greek wine flavored with pine resin. Dating back to ancient Greece, it is an acquired taste. Dominant flavor is turpentine. Riesling Flavors of apricot & tropical fruit with floral aromas are characteristics of this widely varying wine. Styles range from dry to sweet. Rosé Sometimes called blush.

Any light pink wine, dry to sweet, made by removing the skins of red grapes early in the fermentation process or by mixing red and white Roussanne A white wine grape of the northern Rhône Valley, mainly for blending with the white wine grape Marsanne. Sangiovese Known for its supple texture, medium to full-bodied spice flavors, raspberry cherry & anise. Sangiovese is used in many fine Italian wines including Chianti. Sauterns A blend of mostly Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes, affected by Botrytis cinerea, which concentrates the wine’s sweetness and alcohol. Sauvignon Blanc Grassy & herbaceous flavors and aromas mark this light and medium-bodied wine, sometimes with hints of gooseberry & black currant. In California it is often labeled Fume Blanc. New Zealand produces some of the finest Sauvignon Blancs in a markedly fruity style. Sémillon The foundation of Sauternes, and many of the dry whites of Graves and Pessac-Léognan. It can make a wonderful late-harvest wine, with complex fig, pear, tobacco and honey notes.

As a blending wine it adds body, flavor and texture to Sauvignon Blanc. It may be blended with Chardonnay, but does not add much to the flavor. Sherry Fortified wine from the Jerez de la Frontera district in southern Spain. Palomino is the main grape variety, with Pedro Ximénez used for the sweeter, heavier wines. Drier Sherries are best served chilled; the medium-sweet to sweet are best at room temperature. Ranging from dry to very sweet, the styles are: Manzanilla, Fino, Amontillado, Oloroso, Pale Cream, Cream, Palo, and Pedro Ximénez. Shiraz/Syrah Black cherry, spice, pepper, tar & leather with smooth tannins & supple texture make this wine a growing favorite. With early drinking appeal it also has the ability to age well to form more complex wines. Soave A straw-colored dry white wine Italy’s Veneto Region. Symphony Symphony is a U. C. Davis clone. In 1948, the Muscat of Alexandria and Grenache Gris grapes were combined to create this delicate Muscat flavor.

It’s very distinctive Tokay A light, semidry red from Italy’s Veneto Region, typically drunk young. Verdicchio Italian white that produces a pale, light-bodied, crisp wine. Viognier Viognier, is one of the most difficult grapes to grow. It makes a floral and spicy white wine, medium to full-bodied and very fruity, with apricot and peach aromas. Zinfandel With predominant raspberry flavors and a spicy aroma, Zinfandels can be bold and intense as well as light and fruity. It takes well to blending bringing out flavors of cherry, wild berry & plum with notes of leather, earth & tar. It is the most widely grown grape in California. Much of it is turned into White Zinfandel, a blush wine that is slightly sweet. *Most wine is made from a family of grapes called “Vitus Vinifera”. Wine made from “Vitis Labrusca” grapes – such as Concord – is an exception because of the grape’s intense flavor. These wines must contain a minimum of 51% of the grape variety, and it will be so stated on the label.

If the label carries no percentage statement, the wine must contain at least 75% of the “labrusca variety.” What is the grape variety in Chablis ? Question submitted by Martha Lawitzke Chablis is a single grape variety wine. Only Chardonnay grows in Chablis. In Chablis, people call Chardonnay under the name of Beaunois. And of course there is only white wine in Chablis. Chablis is a typical mineral wine with aromas of butter and nuts. It is a dry white wine, fruity and vigorous.  Learn more about Chablis Grape Varieties in Burgundy a French wine region Return Policy Grape Varieties Burgundy Grape varieties in Burgundy are very unique. At the same time they are very few.This makes it very simple for us consumers. Unlike other wine regions Burgundy bases its wines mainly on 2 grape varieties. Chardonnay grapes for white wines. Pinot Noir grapes for red wines. Mainly in the famous Cote de Or, Chablis and in the not that famous Cote Chalonnaise!

Gammay & Aligote – the unkown Burgundy grape varieties Of course it can not be that easy! There is always something extra to discover in a French wine region. Burgundy is not the exception. Other than Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, there are 2 special grape varieties: Gammay and Aligote. Mainly used for the production of: Crémant de Bourgogne , Rosé wine and Beaujolais wine . Beaujolais wine is composed 100% by Gammay. A grape variety with very special characteristics. It produces a wine almost immediately ready to drink after fermentation. Without any aging! It is produced in the south of Burgundy. It is very famous because it is the first wine realeased after the harvest. On the third Thursday of November every year together with fireworks, festivales and parties all around France. To celebrate the harvest! Aligoté traditional white wines . It produces dry white wine under the name of Bourgogne Aligote. It is also used to produce Cremant de Bourgogne as it gives finesse to this sparkling wine. Discover Burgundy’s wines through the different Grape Varieties!

Chardonnay | Wine grapes | JancisRobinson.com Chardonnay Chardonnay The most famous vine variety of all. So powerful is the C-word on a wine label that, like Cabernet Sauvignon , Chardonnay has virtually no synonyms - although in Styria in southern Austria some winemakers persist with the tradition of calling it Morillon . In the 1980s something extremely important to the history of wine happened: 'Chardonnay' became a name more familiar to the world's wine buyers than any of the geographically-named wines this vine variety had for centuries produced, such as Chablis, Corton-Charlemagne, or Montrachet. When the emerging New World wine industries introduced varietal labelling - calling wines by the name of their principal grape variety - it was Chardonnay that made the most friends. Wine drinkers find it flatteringly easy to enjoy, with its broad, exuberant charms, relatively high alcohol and low acidity, and lack of powerful scent.

Vine growers find it easy to grow productively and profitably (it can yield well, ripen usefully early, although buds rather too early for frost-free comfort in cool climates). And winemakers revel in the range of different winemaking techniques to which Chardonnay readily submits: not just a wide range of dry white wines with more weight than most, but delicate sparkling wines and even a few extremely successful sweet white wines made with the benefit of 'noble rot'. All over the world, producing Chardonnay has been seen as a rite of passage in new wine regions. Almost any wine producer with ambitions to belong to the great international club of wine grown-ups has to prove that he or she can make a Chardonnay, preferably a Chardonnay fermented and matured in new(ish) oak barrels the Burgundian way, with the best of them. The fact is that most of this sort of wine is far more a product made in the cellar than in the vineyard. Or, to put it another way, skilfully-made barrel-fermented Chardonnays tend to taste very much the same wherever they are made.

Indeed when many people say they like the taste of Chardonnay, what they often mean is that they like the taste of oak, or at least the qualities of oak maturation. So, although in terms of total area planted Chardonnay lags well behind such workhorse varieties as Spain's Airén and Italy's Trebbiano , it is more widely distributed than any other grape variety - probably even more widely than its red wine counterpart Cabernet Sauvignon, which needs more sunshine to ripen it than Chardonnay. Chardonnay mania, of which French coopers have been the major beneficiaries, was a phenomenon of the 1980s and 1990s but in the early 1970s it was hardly grown outside its Burgundian homeland and Champagne. It accounted for only a tiny proportion of all vines grown in California and Australia, for example, whereas by the early 1990s it had become the most planted white wine grape in both.

At times demand for Chardonnay grapes from wine producers has been so much greater than supply (Australia in the mid 1990s springs to mind) that Chardonnay has been blended with one or two other varieties. Semillon -Chardonnay ('SemChard') and Chardonnay- Colombard blends became the pragmatic solution to an industry's problem. The Chardonnay vine is nothing if not adaptable. Commercially acceptable Chardonnay can be produced in really quite hot wine regions such as the hot interiors of California, South Africa and Australia where clever winemaking can give it tropical fruit flavours and even some suggestion of oakiness, often using oak chips. In cooler wine regions such as Chablis, Carneros and Tasmania, on the other hand, it can produce apple-crisp juice which, in less ripe years, can have rapier-like acidity. The best examples can benefit from five or even more years in bottle to soften that acidity and develop rounder flavours to balance it - although less concentrated examples produced in cool years may simply taste even leaner as the bloom of youth fades.

Excluding premier cru and grand cru burgundy, Chardonnay does not make wines for seriously long ageing. Perhaps Chardonnay's most distinctive role in cooler climate regions is as a vital ingredient in top-quality sparkling wine, especially champagne. Although in most champagne it is blended with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier , Blanc de Blancs champagne which is made exclusively of Chardonnay shows that it can produce elegant, lively, savoury fizz all by itself. (What the dark-skinned Pinots tend to add is not colour but ballast, or body.) Ambitious producers of sparkling wine the world over tend to depend on Chardonnay to add class to their wines. There is something about the elusive flavours of Chardonnay that marries particularly well with the traditional champagne-making process, involving extended ageing with the residues of a second fermentation in bottle, making a much deeper, denser sparkling wine than one based on, say, Chenin Blanc (as in the Loire) or Riesling (as in some top quality Sekt). The wines of Chablis in northern Burgundy, one of France's coolest wine regions, have a very particular flavour.

It reminds me of wet stones, with some suggestion of very green fruit, but without the strong aroma and lean build of a Sauvignon Blanc . Because of its latitude, Chablis does not easily ripen the Chardonnay on which it exclusively depends. The wines are much higher in acidity and lighter in body than those made on the Côte d'Or to the south. Oak and malolactic fermentation are exceptional and - partly as a result - Chablis can age superbly. Sappy and refreshing in youth, it typically goes through a rather awkward adolescent stage where it can take on some odd wet wool odours and then, in glorious maturity at about 10 to 15 years old, it is an extraordinarily appetising drink reminiscent of wet stones and oatmeal. In more temperate climates Chardonnay can yield some of the finest dry white wine in the world. The heartland of Burgundy, the Côte d'Or, is effectively the nerve centre of this style of wine: savoury, dense, the grape a transparent medium through which different vineyards (and winemakers) can communicate their own individual styles, often only after many years in bottle.

Indeed, the truly thrilling thing about Chardonnay grown on the Cote d'Or is that here, as nowhere else, it can express a sense of place, even if winemaking - which for top-quality Chardonnay produced anywhere almost invariably includes fermentation and maturation in different sorts of oak barrels; a second, softening malolactic fermentation; and different levels of stirring, or 'batonnage', of the lees at the bottom of the barrel - inevitably superimposes itself too - sometimes too much. Oak can be tasted in clumsier examples in the form of a certain toastiness, char - or even vanilla flavours in the case of American rather than the more normal French oak favoured by Burgundian wine producers. Montrachet, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Meursault and Corton-Charlemagne are some of the most famous names.

Typical Meursault tends to be butter-golden and a little heavier and earlier-maturing than a typical wine from 'The Montrachets' (as the villages would doubtless be called in Britain) which has more lean, pure, nuanced character capable of developing for up to a decade in bottle, while Corton-Charlemagne can be nutty, almost almond-flavoured. But 'typical' burgundy hardly exists. Wines here are made with exasperatingly varied levels of skill, so that one winemaker's basic Bourgogne Blanc, the most basic appellation, may be better than another's Montrachet, even though it costs a fraction of the price. The name of the producer is generally more important than the name of the appellation. The Mâconnais tends to produce a more New World style of Chardonnay: plump, open, user-friendly wines that can taste of melon, or apples warmed by the sun.

Most of these wines, particularly Mâcon Blanc and St-Véran, are designed to be drunk within two or three years of the vintage, although the most ambitious producers in the region, notably in Pouilly-Fuissé, are increasingly making wines to rival those of the Côte d'Or, without Côte d'Or prices. Chardonnay grown between the Mâconnais and the Côte d'Or in the Côte Chalonnaise tends to taste somewhere between the two styles. These are France's traditional Chardonnay vine strongholds but the variety's influence has been spreading within France as elsewhere. Wine producers in the Loire valley have embraced this fashionable grape so enthusiastically that the laws have to explicitly ban more than 20% of the variety in blends for sparkling Saumur and the dry whites of Anjou and Touraine in order to preserve the Loire's own traditional character. Some Muscadet producers have also been experimenting with oaked Chardonnays. And several of France's more cosmopolitan producers in distinctly non-Chardonnay territory have quietly planted a row or two for their own interest.

Within the appellation system Chardonnay has invaded Limoux with the blessing of the authorities, to add finesse to the local sparkling Crémant de Limoux as well as producing rather fine, lemony barrel-fermented still wine. Vast amounts of Chardonnay are also grown on the lower, flatter vineyards of the Languedoc to produce generic IGP Pays d'Oc. As one would expect in an area known as France's New World, the quality of these wines varies according to the position of the vineyard(s) (for many of them are blends) and the quality and style of the winemaking. Price offers a fairly good guide. The cheapest Chardonnay d'Oc is simply a relatively full-bodied dry white wine, while the very best, usually given full oak treatment in the winery, can offer some of the class of Burgundy. Thanks to an extraordinary boom in plantings, Chardonnay has become synonymous with white wine in California and is responsible for a remarkably homogenous ocean of off-dry, golden, quite alcoholic, easy-to-drink liquid.

While the most commercial examples are usually deliberately slightly sweetened to give them wide appeal, the key to serious quality in a California Chardonnay is climate. Wherever coastal fogs reliably slow down the ripening process, extending the growing season of this early ripening variety, and yields are kept in check, then California can produce some very fine wines indeed, with considerable Burgundian savour to them, but without the Old World surliness in youth. Carneros, and much of Sonoma and the Central Coast, have all produced some fine Chardonnay made very much in the mould of a good Meursault. The variety is also grown almost everywhere in North America where it has even half a chance of thriving, including the cool wine regions of Canada and New York state (where Long Island has proved rather successful) as well as Washington and Oregon which may respectively be better suited to Riesling and Pinot Gris - although Oregon's Chardonnay is improving thanks to better clones. Australia's strong suit is the reliable quality and varied character of her middle-range Chardonnays. They have been hugely successful commercially with their obvious, simple fruitiness, perked up with (usually added) acid and, often, oak chips.

The overall style has changed considerably from rich, oaky and alcoholic to something much leaner and, in the better cases, more appetising and refreshing. Mudgee has produced some fine Chardonnay from a rare clone of the variety that locals believe was imported in the nineteenth century, decades before Chardonnay mania hit Australia in the early 1980s. Cooler areas of Australia can produce more subtle Chardonnay, more reminiscent of Côte d'Or wine in structure if not flavour. Tasmania makes the leanest examples, some so lean they are snapped up by Australia's sparkling wine industry. The Adelaide Hills, Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, cooler parts of New South Wales and the southern vineyards of Western Australia have all proved themselves capable of making top quality Chardonnays whose higher acidity levels can preserve them for several years in bottle (whereas most commercial Australian Chardonnay should be drunk as young as possible and ideally before its second birthday). Such names as Giaconda, Petaluma Tiers Vineyard and Leeuwin prove that Australians can make Chardonnays with real finesse.

Australian producers may envy the high acid levels that their counterparts in New Zealand can hardly avoid, while New Zealanders would probably be happier with more reliable ripeness. Despite New Zealand's reputation for Sauvignon Blanc, the country can also make fine Chardonnay. Winemaking standards have been varied but those prepared to restrain yields and oak influence can produce subtle, sometimes exciting wines. Gisborne Chardonnay has long had its followers but there have been dramatic examples from wineries all over the North and South Islands. Experimentation with the world's favourite grape variety in South Africa was severely hampered in the 1980s by the fact that the original official planting stock was seriously inferior, but the quality can be truly inspiring. The vineyards of South America have also been invaded by Chardonnay. The vine has shown real promise (and value) in Chile's burgeoning cooler wine regions. Argentina has a smaller proportion of its extensive vineyards planted to Chardonnay, but almost exact reproductions of California Chardonnay have been produced under the Catena label and investors from a host of different countries have been establishing cooler, higher vineyards such as those at Tupungato.

In the Old World Spain has relatively limited plantings of Chardonnay for the variety tends to ripen too fast there, and its affinity with the prevailing American oak has been less obvious (although Australians and Californians have provided some excellent examples). Portugal has some experimental plantings but its own array of indigenous vine varieties is reason enough to resist the international invader. Italy made some of the earliest varietal Chardonnays and pretty vapid they were too, but it is now possible to find some ambitious wines made with great care. Chardonnay has long been grown in the north-east of the country and can be found, often in simpler, unoaked varietal versions in Friuli, Trentino and Alto Adige, although much of the fruit is siphoned off for the spumante industry. After the break-up of the Soviet bloc British wine consumers were treated to an ocean of eastern European wines labelled Chardonnay, but relatively few have so far demonstrated much varietal character and the first wave of oak-aged examples were often oily and heavy. Keeping yields down to a level at which interesting flavours develop has been a serious problem, although the fiercely artisanal producers of Slovenia and parts of Croatia are a noble exception.

Quality will doubtless rise in Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldova and Romania. Austria and Switzerland have proved they belong to the international fine winemaking club by producing some excellent, concentrated barrel-fermented Chardonnays. The variety is also responsible for some very fine botrytized sweet wines in Austria's Burgenland, sometimes blended with Welschriesling for additional acidity and aroma. Other excellent sweet wines made from nobly rotten Chardonnay grapes have come from the Mâconnais in France, Romania, New Zealand and Coonawarra in Australia, proving yet another of Chardonnay's attributes. Join and gain access to wine reviews and much more MOST POPULAR Who makes the best Chardonnay wine? - Quora Quora Written May 27, 2015 An impossible question to answer. Taste some and see which you like best. Chardonnay is a white grape variety used to produce a wide range of different wines. The Appellation Controlee wines from the Chablis region of France are mainly made from this grape and vary widely between producers and from year to year.

They are generally lighter and more delicate than Australian and Californian chardonnays, which tend to be more heavily oaked. Chardonnay is a very delicately-flavoured grape which, in my opinion is not best suited to heavy oaking. But in the hotter, artificially-irrigated growing conditions of Australia it produces more alcohol than under natural French rain and the oak is needed to counteract the higher alcohol content. Personally I do not find these wines to my taste; the oak and alcohol overpowers rather than complements any food you eat with them. Chablis is an excellent wine for drinking with light fish dishes - not shellfish, for which I prefer a sharper white like a Muscadet or Gros Plant. 164 Views Chablis Wine Information, French Wine Guide in Burgundy (and Petit Chablis, Chablis Premier Cru, Chablis Grand Cru) The village of Chablis gives its name to one of the most famous white wine in France. Chablis is located at the north of the Burgundy region. Chablis wine is made of Chardonnay grape. Over there people called it Beaunois, taking the name from the close-by wine region of Beaune .

Chardonnay grow on a limestone soil rich with fossils and specially oysters. A long time ago, a sea covered Burgundy and Chablis. Chablis wine is brisk and fruity, very dry and with a refreshing acidity. In the nose, there are flavors of green apple and lemon. In the mouth Chablis delivers aromas of vanilla, lemon and linden. When older, Chablis has a golden color and is more spicy. Chablis is recommended with grilled fish but is also a good companion with white meat and even curry or tandoori. Information on French Wine: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Beaujolais, Chablis and more Store French Wine Here you can discover information on French wine such as Bordeaux wine, Beaujolais, Burgundy wine, Chablis, Sauternes and Champagne. Keep reading to learn about the different types of wine from France, understanding wine labels, the main wine regions, wine tours in France, and French wine gifts. Wine has been an important part of French culture since at least 500 BC, due to the presence of indigenous vines and a climate well-suited to wine production.

Understanding the Wine Labels In France, the grape variety is usually not included on the wine label. Instead, the label will usually indicate the name of the wine bottler, the region or vineyard where the wine was produced, and the French quality classification. Check out this article to learn how to understand a French wine label and their wine classification system to better understand how to select French wine based on the information on the label. Wine Regions & Types of French Wine There are ten main wine-making regions in France, each with their own characteristic wines. The different types of wine are usually labeled by the region they are from: Alsace & Lorraine This region is on the east side of France around Strasbourg, close to Germany. It is home to some of the world’s best white wines, with as much Germanic as French influence. Unlike in other French wine regions, the wines produced in Alsace usually include the grape variety on the label. You can find some excellent Gewürztraminers, Rieslings, and Pinot Gris. Bordeaux Famous mostly for full-bodied red wines, Bordeaux is on the southwest coast of France.

Red Bordeaux wines are made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. There are also white Bordeaux wines which are combinations of Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Muscadelle. Apart from excellent reds, Bordeaux produces some fine Sauternes, sweet white wines often drunk as a dessert wine in France. Burgundy Some of the best wines in the world are produced in this region between Lyon and Dijon in the eastern side of the country. The grapes grown in Burgundy include red (Pinot Noir, Gamay and César) as well as white (Chardonnay, Aligoté, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris). Some of the well-known types of wine from Burgundy include Chablis (a white wine made from Chardonnay grapes), Beaujolais (the young red wine from Gamay grapes), Pouilly-Fuissé (Chardonnay), and Volnay (Pinot Noir).

Champagne This region just to the east of Paris in northern France is well-known for the Champagne sparkling wine, the most famous of which is named after the abbot who is widely credited with invented Champagne wine, Dom Pérignon. Still white and red wines are also made in Champagne, but most are not as good as still French wines from other regions. Jura & Savoie This region is just east of Burgundy, toward Lake Geneva and close to the mountains. Wines from Jura include nice Pinot Noirs, as well as Trousseau and Poulsard grape varieties, and dry white wines made with Chardonnay and Savagnin grapes. Savoie wines are often enjoyed at the nearby ski resorts, and include light, fruity reds, rosés and whites. Languedoc-Roussilon This large area is along the coast in the southernmost portions of France and includes a variety of climates and soils. As a result, there are several different varieties of grapes grown in Languedoc-Roussilon and a broad range in types of wine as well as in the quality of win.

Red wine grape varieties include Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cinsault, Syrah, Carignan and Mouvèdre. White wines are made from Chardonnay, Clairette, Ugni Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Muscat, Sauvignon and Viognier. Loire Valley This region along the Loire River, southwest of Paris, the Loire Valley is well known for excellent, refreshing white and rosé wines. The grapes grown in this region include Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc, highlighted in nice wines from Vouvray, Sancerre, and Pouilly Fumé. Provence & Corsica Provence is a warm, sunny region just east of Languedoc-Roussilon along the southeastern French coast, encompassing the towns of Marseille and Toulon. From Provence, you will find rosé wines that are generally not great... but also very nice red wines. Corsica is an island off the southern coast of France with a strong Italian influence that is also reflected in the region's wines. Rhône Valley This wine region is just north of the Provence area.

Mostly red wine is produced, heavily influenced by the spicy Syrah grape, blended with Grenache and other varieties. The wines are rich, with the spicy and peppery flavors of these grapes. Muscat and Viognier are also popular for the white wines of the Rhone Valley. Southwest France Close to Spain as well as the Bordeaux wine region, this is a number of smaller but growing areas in the south of France. The growing conditions are similar to Bordeaux, so many appellations grow the same grape varieties, and it is possible to find better value in wine from this region. The Bergerac wines are a good example. However, with the large variety of wines, grapes used, and winemaking techniques, there is also a lot of variety in the wines from this region. It can be hard to know what you're getting, until you actually taste it. If you are interested in learning more about French wine, the best way is to start sampling and tasting a variety of wines from France to develop your own personal preferences.

The Wine Society of India - Famous Grape Varieties Famous Grape Varieties Famous White Grape Varietals Chardonnay Chardonnay is the world’s most popular grape type, owing mainly to its ability to reflect a gamut of flavours and styles. One can find anything from an acidic light-bodied Chardonnay with mineral notes from Chablis (the birthplace of Chardonnay) to a heavily oaked, full-mouthed Chardonnay with tropical fruit aromas from the New World. Chardonnay is also one of the three grape types (along with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) that make up champagne. Champagne can also be made exclusively of Chardonnay, and is called a Blanc de Blanc. The tendency to mass market Chardonnay these days has resulted in a decline in its popularity. Chenin Blanc India’s most beloved white wine grape was born in the Loire valley in France. Owing to its high acidity and susceptibility to botrytis, this grape variety can be made in a variety of styles, from the very dry to the very sweet. Expect the drier variety to have floral and fruity aromas (apple and pear) noticeable on the nose.

Botrytized (late harvest) Chenin Blancs are more honeyed on both nose and palate. Beyond the Loire Valley, Chenin Blanc is generally treated as an inferior grape type, with Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc vastly preferred to it. Gewurztraminer Pronounced guh-VURTS-trah-MEE-ner, this deep-coloured wine is very popular with novices, who love its extremely heady aromas of lychee, rose petal, cinnamon and ginger. Gewurztraminers are considered too strong a wine to be paired with food (even spicy food), and do not age well either. Gewurztraminers from Alsace are particularly noteworthy, though California and Oregon also produce it wonderfully well. Riesling Riesling languished in the doldrums of neglect until quite recently, but its distinctive characteristics have now earned it a cult following that is now rapidly growing in size. It is highly aromatic, with notes of nuts, lemons, apples and peaches in its youth to heady notes of petrol and toast in its prime. When botrytized, fragrances of honey and flowers abound.

The Riesling doesn’t travel well beyond the borders of Germany, where the cool climate and the slaty slopes of the Mosel Valley produce Rieslings worth waiting for. Most aficionados do end up waiting for them, as Rieslings age extremely well in the bottle, often maturing several decades later (in tandem with some Bordeaux Growths). Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc typically polarises wine lovers into groups who either love it or hate it. In France, it is traditionally associated with the minerality and flinty notes of the Eastern Loire Valley or as a blending partner with Semillon and Muscadelle in white Bordeaux wines. In the New World, New Zealand has encouraged Sauvignon Blanc to bring forth aromas of green grass, asparagus and tropical fruit (guava and passion fruit). Despite its crisp acidity, Sauvignon Blancs don’t age well, and need to be drunk young.

Question: The famous French wine Chablis is made mainly from which grape variety?
Answer: Chardonnay