ST201906

PICK OF THE BUNCH

There are more than a thousand different grape varieties currently

being grown commercially to make wine. Here’s just a handful to get
the conversation f lowing...

Pinot noir

Notorious for itsc

nature – it demands

precisely the rightco

before it will flourish–

nevertheless remainson

most importantredgrap

world becauseit canmake

exceptional wine.Relatively

delicate, with gentletannins

characteristic redberryand

cherry flavours,it is usedto

make the greatredsof

Burgundy, and isoneof the

three principal grapes (along with

chardonnay and pinot meunier) used for

Champagne. Best suited to cooler climates,

pinot noir is also the most widely planted

grape in English vineyards – used for

many years to make sparkling whites, it is

central to the exciting new genre of English

red wine too.

Grenache

Also called garnacha, this is an old, widely

planted red variety that looks set for a rosy

future too, because it enjoys a warmer

climate. The vines flourish in dry, sun-baked

regions and can remain productive for a

century or more. The grape’s relatively high

sugars (and therefore alcohol), and its fruits-

of-the-forest character contribute a rich,

multi-layered fruitiness to wines, sometimes

hinting at strawberry jam, but it can reveal

notes of spice and liquorice too. Grenache is

used in everything from the delicate, barely

pink rosés of Provence, to the magnificent

reds of Chateauneuf du Pape, and is widely

employed in wines from Spain, Italy,

California and Australia, too.

Riesling

This white grape, most often associated with

Germany but grown internationally, is a real

wine buff’s favourite. It is rarely blended but

usually used alone to make wines that are

crisp and fresh, but with aromatic complexity

and touch of lushness that make them

delicious drunk alone but also great with

food. Riesling may be bone-dry or quite

sweet and anything in between. Examples

thatarea little off-dry are particularly

recommended with spiced dishes

suchas Thai curries. As it agesin

thebottle, riesling is known for

developing a characteristic

trol-like aroma.

iolo

taly’s great regional grapes,

gives us barolo and

barbaresco:big, structured red wines with

famoustannic ‘grip’ in the mouth. Nebbiolo

winesarealso intense, floral and fragrant,

witha delicate, red-gold hue. This is anoth

fussy fruit, that demands much skill fromt

winemaker, and provides a great example

how grape variety and terroir come toget

to makesomethingunique.Nebbiolo

(namedafterthenebbia,or fog,of itshilly

homeland)i

grown outsi

very differen

of northern

and cheese,

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truffles,mea

stews,

hazelnuts.

CabernetFranc

This is a fascinatingred grape. Open a bottle

of 100% cabernetfranc wine, swirl, sniff and

taste and you should be able to detect a

definite mineral note most often described as

being like pencil shavings! There’s also

pepper, red fruit and herbs in there. This

grape’s unique nuanced character is often

employed in a blend with other grapes,

notably in Bordeaux wines. But on its own

it’s quite a talking point: certainly the very

thing if you are a bit weary of big, powerful,

Ribena-esque reds. Sip it alone to get to

know it, then pair it up with tomato-based

dishes or try with cheese.

Tempranillo

Quintessentially Spanish, tempranillo

forms the rugged backbone of delicious,

food-friendly red Rioja wines. It’s known

for its muscular tannins, notes of leather

and tobacco and a quality often

y y A good

betforbarbecues,andfull-flavoured,

Mediterranean-influencedfood,

tempranillo wines like Rioja are often

aged in oak, which enhances their body.

Plain ‘Rioja’ is the youngest, fruitiest wine,

followed by Rioja crianza, reserva, and

finally gran reserva (aged at least two

years in oak, and more in the bottle).

Tempranillo goes by many other names,

including tinto fino, tinto del pais, tinta de

toro,cencibel and ull de llebre.

cchus

edafter the Greek god of wine, this

apeyou’ll see on the label of many

rd-winning English white wines.

metimes described as a British rival

sauvignon blanc, it’s currently being

diedto see just what it’s capable of

heEnglish climate. At its best, it is

omatic, apple-y and floral, crisp and

an.Drink English bacchus as an

eritifor pair it up with nibbles,

paragus, goat’s cheese or fish.

ognier

piteits exquisite floral character –

shoulddefinitely get a whiff of

honeysucklefrom it – this hard-to-grow white

varietywas all but extinct by the 1960s.

Luckily, it has been revived to make luscious,

sultry, scented wines the world over. Try it as

a change from chardonnay. Tasting quite ‘big’

and alcoholic for a white wine, it can go down

a treat with savoury dishesthat include fruit.

Gewürztraminer

One sexy grape, ‘gewürz’

distinctive, lychee-perfum

character. It is one ofthee

white wine grapes toreco

the glass. One description

‘smelling like a tart’s boud

but others love its forwar

charms. Many gewürzwin

are slightly sweet butlike

riesling, off-dry examples

can be very good withsp

food. Sweet gewürzpairs

well with puds.

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