Varietal
|
Origin
|
Description
|
|
Aligoté
|
France
|
Poor man's Burgundy. Pale, light, crisp wine. Not for ageing.
|
|
Alvarinho
|
Portugal
|
Produces Vinho Verde, very crisp, light with a slight prickle.
|
|
Auxerrois
|
France
|
Acidic, very dry and full-bodies, Chablisesque.
|
|
Bacchus
|
Germany
|
Silvaner, Riesling and Müller-Thurgau cross. Flowery, light
Muscat bouquet, low acidity. Used mainly
for blending.
|
|
Bual
|
Madeira
|
Sweet full-bodies fortified wine, burnt amber colour, fig-like
bouquet.
|
|
Chardonnay
|
France
|
Ranges from crisp, apple-like flavor in cool climates to
caramel, pineapple and tropical tones in
warm areas. Buttery, toasty or
clove-like finish, depending on the wine
making technique. Ages well, usually in
oak.
|
|
Chasselas
|
E. Europe
|
Light, crisp wine with delicate bouquet in Switzerland. Rather
insipid elsewhere.
|
|
Chenin Blanc
|
France
|
Honeyed, high-acid wines in the Loire. Lots of fruit. Ages many
years. California model is much softer
and fruitier.
|
|
Colombard
|
France
|
(French Colombard) Originally a cognac grape, now grown in
California for soft, flowery wines.
|
|
Emerald Riesling
|
California
|
High-yielding Muscadelle, Riesling cross. Aromatic, soft,
fruity.
|
|
Fumé Blanc
|
|
Californian name for Sauvignon Blanc or Sauvignon/Sémillon
blend. Fruitier and less grass than
Loire model.
|
|
Folle Blanche
|
France
|
Once a major grape in Cognac. High acid, not much character.
|
|
Furmint
|
Hungary
|
Principal grape of Tokay. Can be dry, off-dry or sweet. Apple
or apricot and toffee bouquet, depending
on style.
|
|
Gewürztraminer
|
Italy
|
(Traminer) Spicy, exotic, rose petal and lychee bouquet. Can be
dry (Alsace) or sweet (Germany,
California).
|
|
Grüner Veltliner
|
Austria
|
Fresh, lively, fruity, dry wine for drinking young as in the
"new" wine, Heurige.
|
|
Hárslevelü
|
Hungary
|
Spicy, full-bodied, aromatic. Good for sweet wines.
|
|
Jacqučre
|
France
|
Light, very dry and brisk wine from Savoie.
|
|
Kerner
|
Germany
|
Red Trollinger, Riesling cross. Spicy, fruity wines with good
acidity.
|
|
Malvasia
|
Greese
|
Produces lusciously sweet dessert wines in warm climates and
crisp dry ones in northern areas. The
grape of the sweet Madeira, Malmsey.
|
|
Marsanne
|
France
|
Deep-coloured, high-alcohol wines blended with the more
delicate Roussanne in the Rhône.
|
|
Morio-Muscat
|
Germany
|
Silvaner, Pinot Blanc cross. Full-bodied, fruity with spicy
bouquet.
|
|
Müller-Thurgau
|
Germany
|
Riesling, Silvaner cross (or two clones of Riesling). Less
acidic than Riesling, soft and fruity.
Lacks ageing potential.
|
|
Muscadelle
|
France
|
Perfumey grape used to add bouquet to some white Bordeaux
(Sauvignon and Sémillon).
|
|
Muscadet
|
France
|
(Melon de Bourgogne) Light, pale, racy wines with lively
acidity from the Loire.
|
|
Muscat
|
Greese
|
Perfumed, raisiny bouquet with a characteristic spiciness in
dessert wines. Can also be made dry as
in Alsace and Australia.
|
|
Palomino
|
Spain
|
The grape of sherry. Neutral wine, low acidity.
|
|
Pedro Ximenez
|
Spain
|
A very sweet white wine used in sherry, thought to be Riesling.
|
|
Picolit
|
Italy
|
Dessert wine grape of Friuli. Deep coloured, rich, slightly
bitter.
|
|
Pinot Blanc
|
France
|
(Pinot Bianco/Weissburgunder) Relative of Chardonnay but with
less character and ageing potential.
Best from Alsace.
|
|
Pinot Gris
|
Italy
|
(Pinot Grigio/Tokay d'Alsace/Ruländer) Full-flavoured, elegant
wines capable of ageing.
|
|
Riesling
|
Germany
|
(Johannisberg Riesling/Rhine or White Riesling) Finest German
variety, capable of making a range of
wines from steely dry to
toffee-sweetness. Floral nose, keen
acidity.
|
|
Rkatsiteli
|
Germany
|
All-purpose grape producing ordinary table wines, dessert wines
and fortified wines.
|
|
Sacy
|
France
|
The name suggests it all. Frisky, tart wine from Chablis
region.
|
|
Savagnin
|
France
|
Makes Sherry-style vin jaune in the Jura region.
|
|
Sauvignon Blanc
|
France
|
Makes grassy, gooseberry, smoky wines in the Loire and
accompanies Sémillon in dry and sweet
wines of Bordeaux. California model is
rounder and fruitier and fig-like.
|
|
Scheurebe
|
Germany
|
Silvaner, Riesling cross. Aromatic, fruity with pronounced
acidity. Best in dessert style.
|
|
Sémillon
|
France
|
Honey and apricot bouquet when affected by Botrytis (see page
22). Blended with Sauvignon Blanc for
dry Bordeaux. Lacks acidity.
|
|
Sercial
|
Portugal
|
Produces the driest, lightest style of Madeira. Good acidity.
Ages well.
|
|
Seyval Blanc
|
France
|
Hybrid. Makes dry wines with a grassy, green plum flavour. Does
not age well.
|
|
Silvaner
|
Austria
|
Mild, neutral wine with good body. Useful for blending.
|
|
Trebbiano
|
Italy
|
(Ugni Blanc/St. Emilion) Pale colour, high acid, medium-body,
shy bouquet.
|
|
Verdelho
|
Spain
|
A dark, medium sweet Madera, made from Verdelho grapes grown on
the island of Maderia.
|
|
Verdicchio
|
Italy
|
Crisp, dry wines with a hint of bitterness.
|
|
Vidal
|
France
|
Hybrid. Good fruit and acidity. Can range in styles from tart
Sauvignon Blanc to Late Harvest and
Icewine.
|
|
Viognier
|
France
|
Rich, elegant, full-bodied, floral-peachy wine especially in
the Rhône. Capable of ageing.
|
|
Viura
|
Spain
|
(Macabeo) Fruity aromatic wines with high acidity capable of
wood ageing.
|
|
Welschriesling
|
France
|
(Riesling Italico/Laskiriesling/ Olaszriesling) Floral, zesty,
versatile but not as elegant as
Johannisberg (White or Rhine) Riesling.
|
