Winemaking
Grape Varieties
Alicante
This grape is cultivated mainly to add color to wines made from less vivid
varieties. It is also referred to as Alicante Boushet.
Barbera
Barbera grapes are characterized by low tannins and high acidity. One of
the most popular dark grapes in Italy, this grape yields a light and fruity wine.
Cabernet Franc
Presumed to be a mutation of the Cabernet Sauvignon, the Cabernet Franc comes
nowhere near the noble quality of the Sauvignon. This grape is most oftenly used
blended with the Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.
Cabernet Sauvignon
An old grape variety that is planted around the world. Valued for its low
yield and its high tannin content, which makes for a very noble, dark red, long-lived wine
with a scent reminiscent of black currants, cedar wood, and black pepper. The
resulting high skin-to-juice ratio produces a wine that is very dark, intensely flavored,
and tannic.
Carignane
Carignane has the reputation of being the most productive wine in the world.
This wine is best drunk young.
Carnelian
A red wine grape that is the result of a cross of Grenache with an earlier hybrid
of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignane. This variety was developed in California during the
early 1970s in an attempt to produce a grape that would do well in hot climates and still
have Cabernet Sauvignon characteristics.
Grenache (Garnacha)
This grape is low in tannins and produces a warm, fruity flavor with a high
alcohol content. It has the aroma of freshly ground pepper and is often blended with
the Cabernet Sauvignon or Sirah.
Merlot
This grape yields a soft, fruity wine with low acidity. Merlot blends well
with other wines. When Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are blended, the result is
often better than either one alone. Merlot is often times used to bring a sense of
richness and smoothness to other wines.
Petit Sirah
This grape yields a wine which is strong, rich and colored with aromas of pepper,
violet or raspberry.
Pinot Noir
One of the world's oldest wine varieties, the Pinot Noir can yield wine of
elegance and grandeur as well as plump and modest ones. It's color is medium
cardinal red, and it's aroma conveys mellow fruitness. The clusters are remarkably
small, and are closely set with numerous thin-skinned grapes; when vinified, they yield a
wine correspondingly low in tannins. Many winemakers press Pinot Noir grapes with
their stalks to augment the tannins. This grape is used to make a red burgundy with
a light to medium body, with a hint of strawberry and raspberry.
Ruby Cabernet
This grape produces a lighter, quicker maturing wine than the Cabernet Sauvignon
grape.
Sangiovese
Italy's mort important variety, the Sangiovese grape ripens relatively late, and
brings forth wines that are fruity and light in color, with the toughness of tannins
and the liveliness of acids. Chianti wine is made with 65% - 75% of Sangiovese
grapes.
Syrah
One of the noblest of the black grape varieties. This grape makes for a
dark, strong, full-bodied wine with undertones of black currants, cedar, and spice.
Zinfandel
Wines of very different character are made out of this variety: reds, roses, and,
when fermented without the skins, whites. The typical and distinctive Zinfandel wine
is red. It is almost exclusively in California that Zinfandel is widely planted.
California winemakers ferment Zinfandel grapes into some top-quality wines, but it
is also used in the mass-production of jug wines as well.
Chardonnay
A noble grape variety. Chardonnay buds early, and the grape variety cannot
be left late, or valuable acids will be lost. This grape is both a
challenge to grow
and ferment. It is recommended to soak Chardonnay grapes on the skins for 24 hours
before pressing and fermenting. This grape is used for white burgundy wines, and is
one of the three grapes used to make champagne. This grape makes a dry white wine
with a crisp apple buttery flavor.
Chenin Blanc
This grape is high in acid and yields a fresh, fruity-sweet, well-balanced wine.
French Columbard
This grape yields a fresh, tangy white wine.
Muscato
This grape, which has flavors of raisins and oranges, is often blended with other
varieties to increase complexity and flavor. It is also used to make Asti Spumanti
in Italy.
Pinot Grigio
The color of this grape can vary substantially, producing wines that range from
white to slightly pink. It yields a rather lightweight wine, which is crisp
and dry.
Sauvignon Blanc
This grape yields a dry, fresh white wine. This wine is meant to be drunk
young.
Viognier
This grape produces an intense, dry wine, with a flavour mingling apricot, apple,
peach and violet with a hint of honey.
Northeast Produce Inc. ~ 2009