What grapes are behind the labels of old world wines?

The subject of this week’s article is discovering the grapes behind the labels of some old world wines.

As we can all attest, the labels on a lot of old world wines leave a lot to the imagination. It is sometimes difficult to know what type of wine you are buying. It’s one thing to know the flavour profiles of certain grapes, but if the names of the grape(s) used the in the making of the wine are not listed on the label, you may not know what you are buying. Most wines have the name of the grape(s) on the front label. This is especially true in new world wines. Most of them clearly state the grape(s) used in making the wine (i.e. Mission Hill Pinot Noir).

Unfortunately, a lot of wines from the old world (Italy, France, Spain and Germany) do not always mention the grape on the front or the back label.

For most old world wines, you are expected to know the region, and as a result of knowing the region you will know what kind of grape is used in making the wine. Over the next few months we will learn about these regions and the grapes behind the label.

This week, I have produced a cheat sheet to help you learn the major grape varietals behind the most popular old world wines and the style of wine produced.

Major grapes behind the label of old world wines • Red Bordeaux — Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

Usually a blend of at least three of these grapes. Bordeaux produces wines that are full bodied, with lots of red fruit flavours. These are wines you can age and can be are quite tannic when young.

• White Bordeaux, including Sauternes — Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle. Medium to full body wines, usually dry (except the Sauternes).

These are very good seafood and poultry wines.

• Red Burgundy — usually Pinot Noir, except Beaujolais (Gamay) and the easy going Passe-tout-grains (mix of Pinot and Gamay). Elegant, soft red wine.

• White Burgundy — made with the famous Chardonnay grape, usually medium to full body but not as heavily oaked and fruity as new world examples.

• Chablis — Also Chardonnay but these wines rarely see oak aging. They are more acidic and crisp than other chardonnay. Great wine for oysters.

• Sancerre and Fouilly-Fume — Sauvignon Blanc. Crisp white wines with good balanced acidity, less tropical than the new world Sauvignon Blanc.

• Champagne — You will be surprised to know that this fine bubbly is made from three different grapes:

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Enjoy it on its own or with a vast selection of food.

• Châteauneuf-du-Pape — Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan, Mouvedre and other grapes (up to 13). This full-bodied wine is spicy, fruity and gamey — a fine wine to discover.

• Cotes-du-Rhone, Gigondas, Vacqueyras — Grenache and Syrah are the major grapes used in the region.

Warm, spicy and fruity wines.

• Cote-Rotie, Saint-Joseph, Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitage — Syrah is the key grape of this region. It produces wines with great complexity and aging potential, very different from the Shiraz wines from Australia.

• White wines from the Rhone Valley — The grapes used here are Marsanne, Roussane and Viognier. The latter one is the most popular one in the new world. These are wines with a unique flavour profile and interesting characteristics, medium to full body.

• Beaujolais — Gamay for reds and Chardonnay for white.

The reds are quite fruity and easydrinking, except the Cru (almost Pinot-Noir-like) and the whites are similar in style to a basic new world chardonnay.

• Alsace wines — These wines are easy. Alsace always lists the grape on the label.

• German whites — mostly Riesling, from bone-dry to very sweet.

A great partner for a lot of different food: Asian cuisine, poultry, seafood, etc.

• Rioja — Tempranillo, producing earthy wines that develops a lot of complexity with age.

• Chianti — Sangiovese. It produces different styles of rustic and earthy wines, from medium body to full body wines. Everyday wine (basic Chianti) to super-premium examples (Super-Tuscan).

• Barolo and Barabaresco — Nebbiolo.

The star of Piedmont. It produces rustic, robust but yet elegant powerful age-worthy wines.

• Valpolicella (Amarone) — No, valpolicella is not a grape. It’s a wine made from a combination of three Italian grapes: Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. These grapes are also used to make the strong, almost portlike, Amarone.

• Soave — A blend of different white Italian grapes. Light, easydrinking wine. Grapes are Garganega and Trebbianno (plus a small percentage of Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc).

• Orvieto — Again a blend of grapes: Trebbiano, Malvasia, Grechetto, Verdello and Druppegio.

These wines are at times light to medium body, floral and may be dry, off-dry or sweet.

Hopefully, this cheat sheet (grapes behind the label) and the one from last week (grape flavour profiles), will increase your wine enjoyment and make your wine discoveries easier.

Cheers to all the different grapes and different wines. Have a great weekend.