Here is a quick reference to wine varieties and how to pair wine with food. This page describes the different types of wine per district and
variety (riesling, pinot noir, etc.). It does not describe the styles of wines by colour, sweetness, or fizz. Which wine types a cellar could hold is suggested in the
buying guide.
A
variety is the type of grape. It is written here with a
lower-case initial. If only variety is mentioned on the bottle label, then the wine is called
varietal and is named after the grape with a
capital initial (Riesling, Pinot Noir, etc.). A varietal wine primarily shows the fruit: the grape variety dominates the flavour.
Types of white wine grapes
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 (Bourgogne, 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 15 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.
Moscato
(Mos-cato) The moscato variety belongs to the muscat family of grapes - and so do moscatel and muscat ottonel.
Food pairings: Moscato shows best on its own: without food.
Districts: moscato grows in most vine-friendly climates, including Italy, the Rhône Valley (where it is called muscat blanc à petits grains) and Austria (where it is called Muskateller).
Typical taste: often sweet and always
fruity, with a characteristic grapefruity and musky aroma. Moscato wines are easily recognizable to anyone who has tasted a Muscat table grape.
Pinot grigio
(Pee-no gree-zo)
Food pairings: versatile.
Districts: pinot grigio is planted extensively in the Venezia and Alto Adige regions of Italy. Pinot grigio is also grown in the western coastal regions of the U.S.A. It is called malvoisie in the Loire Valley and pinot gris in the rest of France. In Germany and Austria pinot grigio 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.
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.
Gewürztraminer
(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 Gewürztraminer seems generally not as refreshing as other types of dry whites.
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.
Types of red wine grapes
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 (from Bourgogne, 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 it 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 pasta, 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.
