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Major types of red wine
Syrah, cabernet, zinfandel are red grape varieties. This page describes wine styles by variety and production area. For each major variety, please find herebelow description, pronunciation, and food pairings.
If only one variety (merlot, cabernet sauvignon) is mentioned on the label, then the wine is called varietal and is named after the grape with a capital initial (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon). A varietal wine primarily shows the fruit : the
Syrah (or Shiraz)
(Sah-ra or Shi-raz) Shiraz or syrah are two names for the same variety. Europe vintners only use the name syrah.
Food pairings: meat (steak, beef, wild game, stews, etc.)
Districts: syrah excels in California, in Australia, and in France’s Rhone Valley.
Typical taste in varietal wine: aromas and flavors of wild black fruit (such as blackcurrant), with overtones of black pepper spice and roasting meat. The abundance of fruit sensations is often complemented by warm alcohol and gripping tannins.
Toffee notes if present come not from the fruit but from the wine having rested in oak barrels.
The shiraz variety gives hearty, spicy reds. While shiraz is used to produce many average wines it can produce some of the world’s finest, deepest, and darkest reds with intense flavors and excellent longevity. You’ll discover Syrahs of value and elegance by reading my reviews of French wines.
Merlot
(Mare-lo) Easy to drink. The softness of Merlot has made it an "introducing" wine for new red-wine drinkers.
Food pairings: any will do.
Districts: a key player in the Bordeaux blend, merlot is now also grown in Italy, Romania, California, Washington State, Chile, Australia, etc.
Typical taste in varietal wine: typical scents include blackcherry, plums and herbal flavors. The texture is round but a middle palate gap is common. The Merlot type of wine is less tannic (rough) than Cabernet Sauvignon.
Cabernet sauvignon
(Ca-burr-nay so-veen-yaw) Widely accepted as one of the world’s best varieties. Cabernet sauvignon is often blended with cabernet franc and merlot. It usually undergoes oak treatment.
Food pairings: best with simply prepared red meat.
Districts: cabernet sauvignon is planted wherever red wine grapes grow except in the Northern fringes such as Germany. It is part of the great red Médoc wines of France, and among the finest reds in Australia, California and Chile.
Typical taste in varietal wine: full-bodied, but firm and gripping when young.
With age, polyphenols polymerize: the grip fades away. The rich currant qualities of the Cabernet Sauvignon wine change to that of pencil box. Bell pepper notes remain.
Another article deals with the health benefits of polyphenols.
Vanilla notes if present come not from the fruit but from the oak treatment. They increase review ratings but may overwhelm the varietal taste.
Malbec
(Mal-bek)
Food pairings: all types of meat-based meals.
Districts: malbec has its origins in the French Bordeaux region. It is grown as côt in the Loire Valley and auxerrois in Cahors. Malbec has also been recognized as médoc noir or pressac again in France. Malbec is widely grown in Argentina, where it is the most popular red grape variety. It is also available in Chile, in Australia, and in the cooler regions of California.
Typical taste in varietal wine: malbec’s characteristics vary greatly depending on where it is grown and how it is transformed. Generally it produces an easy-drinking style, well colored wine that tastes of plums, berries, and spice.
Malbec is often blended with other varieties such as cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and petit verdot to make Bordeaux style wines. Malbec and some such blends may present some health benefits.
Pinot noir
(Pee-know na-wahr) One of the noblest red wine grapes. Pinot noir is difficult to grow, rarely blended, with no roughness.
Food pairings: excellent with grilled salmon, chicken, and lamb.
Districts: makes the great reds of Burgundy in France, and good wines from Austria, California, Oregon, and New Zealand.
Typical taste in varietal wine: very unlike Cabernet Sauvignon. The structure is delicate and fresh. The tannins are very soft; this is related to the low level of polyphenols. The aromatics are very fruity (cherry, strawberry, plum), often with notes of tea-leaf, damp earth, or worn leather.
Yet pinot noir is very transparent to the place where its is grown. "The staggering range of wines produced makes it impossible and pointless to define which personality is the best expression of the variety", as Craig Camp put it.
Zinfandel
(Zin-fan-dell) Perhaps the world’s most versatile wine grape, making everything from blush wine (White Zinfandel), to rich, heavy reds.
Food pairings: very much depends on the freshness/heaviness of the wine; tomato-sauce pastas, pizza, and grilled and barbecued meats.
Districts: only found in California.
Typical taste in varietal wine: often a zesty flavor with berry and pepper.
Sangiovese
(San-gee-oh-ve-zee)
Food pairings: a good choice for Italian and other Mediterranean-style cuisines.
Districts: sangiovese produces the Chiantis of Italy’s Tuscany region and, of late, good wines from California.
Typical taste in varietal wine: the primary style is medium-bodied with fresh berry and plum flavors.
Barbera
(Bar-bear-a) Not as popular as Merlot but with similar attributes.
Food pairings: barbera wines are versatile: they match many dishes, including tomato sauces.
Districts: another classic red of Italian origin. Widespread in California.
Typical taste in varietal wine: juicy black cherry and plum fruit, a silky texture and excellent acidity. You may wish to read tasting notes of Barberas at La Spinetta.
Major types of white wine
Chardonnay, gewürztraminer, sauvignon blanc are white grape varieties. This page describes wine styles by variety and production area. Any below variety can give dry white wine or sweet white wine. Some varieties can be made bubbly or still. For each major variety, please find herebelow description, pronunciation, and food pairings.
If only one variety (chardonnay, gewürztraminer) is mentioned on the label, then the wine is called varietal and is named after the grape with a capital initial (Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer). A varietal wine primarily shows the fruit : the
Chardonnay
(Shar-doe-nay) Chardonnay was the most popular white grape through the 1990's. It can be made sparkling or still.
Food pairings: a good choice for fish and chicken dishes.
Districts: chardonnay makes the principle white wine of Burgundy (France), where it originated. Chardonnay is versatile and is grown with success in most viticultural areas under a variety of climatic conditions.
Typical taste of the different types of chardonnay: voluptuous. Chardonnay wines are often wider-bodied (and more velvety) than other types of dry whites, with rich citrus (lemon, grapefruit) flavors. Fermenting in new oak barrels adds a buttery tone (vanilla, toast, coconut, toffee). Tasting a USD 12 Californian Chardonnay should give citrus fruit flavors, hints of melon, vanilla, some toasty character and some creaminess. Burgundy whites can taste very different.
Sauvignon blanc
(So-veen-yawn Blah)
Food pairings: a versatile food wine for seafood, poultry, and salads.
Districts: of French origin, sauvignon blanc is grown in the Bordeaux region where it is blended with semillon. The Loire valley and New Zealand produce some excellent sauvignon blanc varietals. Some Australian Sauvignon Blancs, grown in warmer areas, tends to be flat and lack fruit qualities.
Typical taste in varietal wine: sauvignon blanc normally shows a herbal character suggesting bell pepper or freshly mown grass. The dominating flavors range from sour green fruits of apples, pears and gooseberries through to tropical fruits of melon, mango and blackcurrant. Quality unoaked Sauvignon Blancs will display smokey qualities; they require bright aromas and a strong acid finish and are best grown in cool climates.
Semillon
(Say-mee-yaw)
Food pairings: Semillon goes with fish but there are many better matches. Serve dry Semillon with clams, mussels, or pasta salad.
Districts: sémillon is the major white grape in the Bordeaux region of France. Sémillon is also known as Hunter (River Riesling), boal/bual of Madeira, chevrier, columbier, malaga and blanc doux. Sémillon is also grown in Chile, Argentina, Australia, and California.
Typical taste: the wine varietal features distinct fig-like character. Sémillon is often blended with sauvignon blanc to delimit its strong berry-like flavors.
From the Bordeaux region of France come the great Sauternes and Barsac. These wines are produced from overripe sémillon grapes. They are blended with sauvignon blanc to produce a syrupy, full-bodied wine that may be world class.
Muscat
(Moos-cat) More a family of grapes than a single variety, muscat bears no relationship with the Muscadet wine.
Food pairings: Muscat shows best on its own: without food.
Districts: muscat grows in most vine-friendly climates, including the Rhône Valley, Italy (where it is called moscato) and Austria (where it is called Muskateller).
Typical taste: often sweet and always fruity, with a characteristic grapefruity and musky aroma. Muscat wines are easily recognizable to anyone who has tasted a Muscat table grape.
Pinot grigio
(Pee-no gree-zo) Pinot grigio is the name of the pinot gris variety where grown in Italy.
Food pairings: versatile.
Districts: pinot grigio is planted extensively in the Venezia and Alto-Adige regions of Italy. It is called malvoisie in the Loire Valley. In Germany and Austria pinot gris is known as the Ruländer or Grauer Burgunder where it is used to make pleasant, young, white wines. Similar aliases are used in the german settled regions of Australia. Pinot grigio is also grown in the western coastal regions of the U.S.A.
Typical taste: pinot gris can produce crisp, dry wines with good acid "bite". Alsace Pinot Gris shows aromatic, fruity flavors that improve with a couple of years in the bottle.
Riesling
(Rees-ling)
Food pairings: dry versions go well with fish, chicken and pork dishes.
Districts: the classic German grape of the Rhine and Mosel, riesling grows in all wine regions. Germany's great Rieslings are usually made slightly sweet, with steely acidity for balance. Riesling from Alsace and the Eastern U.S. is also excellent, though usually made in a different style, equally aromatic but typically drier (not sweet). California Rieslings are much less successful, usually sweet without sufficient acidity for balance.
Typical taste in varietal wine: Riesling wines are much lighter than Chardonnay wines. The aromas generally include fresh apples. The riesling variety expresses itself very differently depending on the district and the winemaking. Rieslings should taste fresh. If they do, then they might also prove tastier and tastier as they age.
Gewurztraminer
(Gah-vurtz-tra-meener) A very aromatic variety.
Food pairings: gewürztraminer is ideal for sipping. It can fit Asian food, pork and grilled sausages.
Districts: gewürztraminer is best known in wines from Alsace, Germany, the U.S. West Coast, and New York.
Typical taste in varietal wine: fruity flavors with aromas of rose petals, peaches, lychees, and allspice. A Gewurztraminer seems generally not as refreshing as other types of dry whites.
