Those of us who work in wine or have been around it for a long time often take the vocabulary of wine for granted and forget how many of our words are a mystery to the new or occasional drinker. “Cabernet Sauvignon” may mean something to us, but most days in the tasting room, someone will mumble, “I have a stupid question…” I assure them that’s my favorite kind. “What is Cabernet Sauvignon? Or Chardonnay? Or Sauvignon Blanc?”
If you’re at that point in your wine journey, this post is for you.
I also meet a lot of people who know these are grape varieties, but think they hate Chardonnay/Riesling/Cabernet/etc. because “it’s so buttery/sweet/heavy/oaky/etc.” They’re surprised to find that Chardonnay can be crisp and clean, Riesling can be dry, and Cabernet isn’t always heavy or heavily oaked. Characteristics they thought were intrinsic to the grapes turn out to result from choices in the winery.
If you’re at that point in your wine journey, this post is also for you.
It’s not easy to parse out what the mysterious words on wine labels mean, let alone what you can expect when you drink the wine inside. I’m going to lay out some of the most popular grape varieties, common characteristics that come from the grapes themselves, stylistic choices you’re likely to find, and some tips to help you know what you’re getting before you buy the bottle.
One disclaimer: this post is geographically biased toward North America specifically and what is often called the New World (non-European wine producing countries) in wine more generally, because these are the areas that label wine predominantly by the grape variety. In Europe you will often find wine labeled by its location and the set of laws attached to that location, and that, my friends, is just too much to get into in one post. In North and South America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, the mysterious wine words most prominently featured on our bottles usually indicate grape varieties. I like to think about grape varieties like dog breeds: most of the ones that are familiar to us are all the same species, vitis vinifera, just like domestic dogs are Canis familiaris. But just as we have St. Bernards and Chihuahuas and everything in between, grapes can vary a whole lot in their aromas, flavors, and other characteristics. And sometimes, even within one dog breed, like Labrador Retrievers, you get a variety of colors (sometimes unpredictably), and differing styles, like English and American Labs. Grapes and wines are much the same, with variations even within categories and subcategories.
International Red Grape Varieties
An international variety is one that is grown commonly and successfully in a number of countries, rather than being closely associated with a single area and only rarely produced in others. The most significant international red grape varieties include:
Cabernet Sauvignon - What you get from the grapes themselves are black fruit aromas and flavors like blackberries, black currants, and black cherry, florals like violet, herbals like mint, eucalyptus, and cedar, and peppery notes that can lean toward bell pepper, peppercorns, or spiciness. In a cooler climate or picked earlier, the fruit can be bright and fresh, while in a warmer climate or picked later, it will be fully ripe or even a little jammy. Cabernet is a bold grape with thick skins that give it robust tannins, and it is usually fermented and/or aged in oak, which helps the tannins and flavors integrate, and new oak can add notes of tobacco, chocolate, vanilla, smoke, and baking spice.
Cabernet is usually full-bodied, but there’s a wide spectrum between moderately full-bodied but elegant, and the huge, opulent Cabernets that are known as the hallmark of the Napa Valley. The former is characterized by high acidity, refined tannins, and moderate alcohol; the latter by plush fruit, abundant oak, and higher ABV. How to tell the difference? Producers are required to list the ABV on the bottle, and 14.5% is a decent dividing line between lighter and heavier styles. Another fun and usually reliable tip: a heavy bottle usually indicates a “bigger” wine, as the producers aim to give a sense of the perceived luxury within.
Merlot - Merlot is the more moderate cousin of bold Cabernet, with medium acidity, medium tannins, and medium body. Its fruit characteristics can run toward red, black, or blue depending on where it’s grown, but I’m usually looking for red or black plums, cherries, or blueberries, some earthiness, and a velvety mouthfeel. Merlot got a bad name from the movie Sideways, and it has created a cycle of mediocre Merlot in the U.S., but don’t write it off. If you’ve never met a Merlot you liked, break away from the New World and try out a French version from Pomerol or St. Emilion, which will at least tell you whether it’s the grape itself you don’t like, or simply the style.
Pinot Noir - Pinot Noir is in many ways the opposite of Cabernet Sauvignon: thin skinned, light-bodied, and delicate. Red fruit flavors like cherry, raspberry, and cranberry dominate, and they can be fresh and tart or more like a compote depending on the climate and how long the grape is allowed to ripen on the vine. Mushroom and damp leaves are also common aromas, and good examples of Pinot Noir can be remarkably complex. The lighter tannins can resemble the feel of tea.
While Pinot Noir is very finicky, it is also responsive to climate, soil, and choices in farming and winemaking, and it can vary broadly even within a single region, which makes it difficult to know you’re getting the style you want. In general, the Russian River Valley in California yields robust and ripe versions with a good amount of oak that give them a certain cherry cola quality, Willamette Valley in Oregon will give you more earthy and mushroomy characteristics, and Bourgogne/Burgundy in France tends toward high acid, minerality, and florals along with the earthiness.
Syrah/Shiraz - One powerful grape with two names and two distinct styles - both leading with dark fruit like blackberry and blueberry and peppery notes. The northern Rhone version (Syrah) and those made in similar styles, in cooler climates, will have fresher, less prominent fruit and may have aromas and flavors of meat and olive. The Australian take (Shiraz) and its emulators from warm climates will be fuller and riper or jammy, with licorice and bacon notes. Most producers make it easy on you by indicating their style in which name they choose to use for the grape.
Other grapes of note: Grenache/Garnacha and Mourvedre/Monastrell are really getting the short end of the stick here, as they are frequent blending partners to Syrah in France and around the world, as well as holding their own. Honorable mention also to grapes traditionally known as blending partners to Cabernet and Merlot in Bordeaux, like Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot, all of which show up as single varietal wines as well.
International White Grape Varieties
Chardonnay - Known as the “winemakers’ grape,” Chardonnay is extremely malleable and varies widely in its dominant fruit flavors and its overall style. In a cool climate it will taste like lemons and green apple, warm climates will yield tropical flavors like banana and mango, and moderate temperatures will give stone fruits like peaches. New oak may add vanilla, smoke, baking spice, and coconut, while converting the malic acid to lactic acid in a process called malolactic fermentation can give a round mouthfeel and buttery flavors. So how do you know what you’re getting? Some labels and advertising will help you out: something named “Butter,” obviously, is going to be buttery. My unscientific observation is that the more yellow is on the label, the more likely it is to be both buttery and oaky. Unoaked Chardonnay is almost always the opposite, light and crisp. Beyond that, you might have to do a little research, but if you’re in the mood to take your chances you can also look to particular regions. Carneros, Sonoma Coast, and Oregon (Willamette and other areas) tend toward unoaked or lightly oaked, crisp varieties. The Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, and Napa Valley usually employ more oak and make rounder versions, although that’s far from universal. Chardonnay is also a star in Champagne and other sparkling wines, performing as a one-grape show in blanc de blancs.
Sauvignon Blanc - Most often you’re going to find grapefruit and other citrus, although in a warmer climate you can end up with stone fruit or tropical fruits; I’ve had more than one Napa Sauvignon Blanc that tastes like pineapple. Sauvy B is also known for its aromatics: grass or asparagus, occasionally jalapeño, sometimes even an odor pleasantly described as “cat pee.” New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc will usually tend to be more like grapefruit and grass, Sancerre with a similar profile but crisp and more mineral, and Bordeaux styles will be riper and rounder, often with the addition of some Semillon.
Pinot Grigio/Gris - Another grape with two names from its two origins in Italy and France. Fun fact: this isn’t even a white grape, strictly speaking; the skins are a pinkish-purple that appears gray at a distance, hence the name. The Italian version is known for being simple and tasting of pear, sometimes even pear candy, although there are some much more sophisticated takes that show off a wider range of fruit, florals, and almonds, and should give you pause from writing it all off as bland wedding wine. The French style tends to have more body, complexity, and depth, although again, this is a generalization. When the wine comes from somewhere other than France or Italy, however, whether they choose to name it in French or Italian can tell you a lot about their intended style.
Riesling - Y’all, this one is a bit much to tackle in a paragraph or two. Riesling ranges from so bone dry it feels prickly in your mouth to so sweet and viscous you could use it as an ice cream topping. Very few of them make it easy to tell where they fall on that spectrum. Australian and Austrian Rieslings are usually dry, as are those from Germany that are labeled Trocken or GG (Grosses Gewachs). The rest of the German system is complicated, because it labels wines by the sugar level at harvest, not after fermentation. Sometimes the ABV can help, as lower ABVs point to sweeter wines. Good quality U.S. and Canadian Rieslings are increasingly making their sweetness level clear on the label to avoid being mistaken for cheap, sweetened versions, but there’s no rule. Sigh. Oh hey, you can also use it for sparkling wine; in Germany it’s known as Sekt.
Other white grapes of note: It would be truly sad not to mention Chenin Blanc, which ranges from dry to lusciously sweet and can also be used in sparkling wine. Bright, perky Albarino and spicy, aromatic Gewürztraminer are other important grapes to know, as is Pinot Blanc, the paler sister to Pinot Gris.
Well, that’s all for today, folks. If you have any questions about this post or more generally about wine, or suggestions of topics you’d like to see me address, feel free to drop them in the comments or email me at stacey@justasmidge.me. Cheers!
You’re such an excellent writer. You make this subject accessible to everyone.
Such a great explanation