Albariño
The great white grape of Galicia in northeastern Spain, which shows many characteristics of the riesling,
but with a bit of honeysuckle in the nose that’s more reminiscent of viognier.
Barbera
Aggressive high-acid Piemontaise red wine varietal, more suited to red sauce or red meat than to simple
sipping.
Barbera
Not as well-known as other red wine grapes, it can be a flavorful and rich wine for everyday
consumption with aromas of blackberry, black cherry, black raspberry, and black plum. Mainly grown in
Italy, Argentina, and California, it is often over-cropped which leads to a thin, acidic wine. It pairs best
with pizza and poultry.
Brachetto
A red Muscat variety producing slightly fizzy low-alcohol dessert reds in Piemonte
Cabernet Franc
Very useful Bordeaux blender, softens the cabernet sauvignon in Médoc blends. Stands alone as a soft,
luxuriant, chocolatey red in CA, food-friendly middleweight in France’s Anjou and Tourane.
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is a red wine grape variety similar to and a parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. A cross of it
with Sauvignon blanc resulted in Cabernet Sauvignon.
Cabernet Sauvignon
The great red grape of the Médoc, makes pretty decent wine in California and Australia, as well.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Being less than 600 years old, this is a relatively newcomer to the wine grape world; however, it is easily
the most famous red wine grape today. Its base is in Bordeaux, France. Other names that Cabernet
Sauvignon has been or is known by include: Petit Cabernet, Petit Vidure and Vidure, and in Italy, Uva
Francese. It pairs best with roast beef, venison, lamb, and highly-fragrant cheese.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is a variety of red grape mainly used for wine production, and is, along with
Chardonnay, one of the most widely-planted of the world’s grape varieties.
Cabernet Sauvignon
The Legend of Cabernet Sauvignon. The oldest recorded reference to Cabernet Sauvignon comes from
the 18th Century and Chateau Mouton. Baron de Brane ripped up the white varieties and planted a red
variety called Vidure. Vidure comes from the French words Vigne Dure or hardy vine in reference to the
tough nature of Cabernet Sauvignon. The name is still used today in some parts of the Bordeaux where
over 50% of the Merdoc and Graves districts are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon. The massive spread of
Cabernet Sauvignon came in the 1800’s when it was used to replant the phylloxera ravaged vineyards of
Europe.
Carignane/Cariñena
Southern France & California for the first spelling, and Spain for the second, ripens rather well, full body.
Chambourcin
Hybrid varietal planted on the east coast USA; some pleasant aromatics, blends decently with pinot noir.
Champagne
The pressure in a bottle of Champagne is about 90 pounds per square inch. That is about 3 times the
pressure in your automobile tires
Chardonnay
Charter member of the champagne trio, where it absolutely shines as a stand-alone and a blender. Great
white burgundies, not-so-great-but-still-yummy white burgundies, honking big California and Australian
whites...
Chardonnay
Chardonnay most likely originated in a village called Chardonnay in Mâconnais in the southern portion
of France’s burgundy region. The name comes from ‘cardonnacum’ that is known as the ‘place full of
thistles’.
Chardonnay
One of the world’s finest white wine grapes, it is planted all over the world, although the classic growing
region is Burgundy, France. It is one of the three grapes used for making Champagne. It pairs best with
seafood, fish or poultry.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make a white varietal wine. It is believed to be
named after the village of Chardonnay in the Mâconnais region of France.
Chenin Blanc
Number one great white of the France’s Loire valley, long-living whites both dry and moelleux from
Coteau de Layon and Vouvray, (also good value sparklers) and august dry white from Savennieres.
Chenin Blanc
At its best in the Loire Valley of France, this white wine grape ranges in style from intensely flavored
sweet wine to very dry table wine. Although not very well-known in the U.S., the Vouvray and
Savennières are superior appellations from the Loire Valley. It pairs best with appetizers, trout, white
fish, and chicken.
Chianti
Chianti hails from Tuscany, it is a geographic region with a long history for wine. It is made with a
blending of Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes. Much of it is built to age and will
improve in a well-cellared bottle for ten or twenty years.
Cinsault
Cinsault (pronounced “san-so”) is a red wine grape, whose heat tolerance and productivity make it the
fourth most widely-planted grape variety in France.
Cork
The oldest and most productive cork tree on record is the Whistler Tree in Portugal. The countless birds
living in the tree’s branches led to the name; the Whistler Tree. The tree is over 213 years old and has
been producing cork since 1820. Each harvest produces cork for over 100,000 wine bottle corks. Not bad
when you consider the average tree accounts for around 40,000.
Counoise
Counoise is a red wine grape grown primarily in the Rhône valley. It is also known as Aubun and is a
sometimes
Dom Perignon
The 17th century Benedictine monk, Dom Perignon, is credited with discovering the cork as a means to
seal wine and champagne bottles. He is also credited with discovering the process of making
champagne. It is said that upon his first taste of champagne he cried, “Come quickly, I am tasting stars.”.
Dunkelfelder
German red, not invariably awful, but rarely of interest.
French Colombard
Southern French, also used for brandy, widely planted for California jug-whites.
Fumé Blanc
Fumé blanc is a California wine similar to an oaked Sauvignon blanc. Fumé blanc which may be used as a
synonym for Sauvignon blanc in the US.
Gewürztraminer
German name, Italian origins (Termin); produces spicy (würzig) aromatic whites in France’s Alsace
region. Big wines - lots of flavor if occasionally simple.
Gewürztraminer
One of the most distinctive of all the wine grapes. This is perfect as a before-dinner drink, sensitizing the
palate and encouraging the appetite. It can range in style from dry to mildly sweet and is very smooth. It
pairs best with turkey, veal, pork, and fully-ripened cheeses.
Graciano
Spanish red varietal (small black grapes in Rioja and Navarra) producing high acid juice, blends nicely
with tempranillo.
Grapes
The average number of grapes it takes to produce a bottle of wine: 600.
Grenache
Grenache is a red grape variety grown primarily for winemaking. It is usually blended with other
varieties, rather than made into a varietal wine.
Grenache Blanc
Côtes-du-Rhône white varietal. Easy ripeness and alcohol makes it popular among growers.
Grenache/Garnacha
Prolific easy-ripening red popular in southern Rhône and Spain.
Lemberger
Red German varietal, (Austria’s Blaufrankisch) some tasty wines, some merely quirky. Not so
distinctively aromatic as the homophonous formaggio.
Malbec
Malbec creates an intense, inky red wine often used in blends. The main aromas from a rich Malbec
include: cherry, plum, raisins, coffee, chocolate, leather and raspberry. The key flavours a nice Malbec
exhibits include: plum, cherry, chocolate, dried fruits, and balsamic. Ageing in oak releases the vanilla
aromas and flavours.
Malbec
Malbec is a black, mellow grape variety originally grown in France, in the Loire Valley and Cahors. It has
been long known as one of the six grapes used in the blending of red Bordeaux wine,
Mead
In ancient Babylon, the bride’s father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead (fermented honey
beverage) he could drink for a month after the wedding. Because their calendar was lunar or moonbased, this period of free mead was called the “honey month,” or what we now call the “honeymoon”.
Melon de Bourgogne
The grape of Muscadet. Also much of what’s been called pinot blanc in Califonia.
Merlot
Source of the rare and precious Pomerol (and St. Emilion) in Bordeaux, along with a lot of nondescript
soft reds from California and sometimes from Australia. Occasionally interesting as an Italian, from
Tuscany, Friuli and elsewhere.
Merlot
The most famous producer of French merlot wines is Chateau Petrus, whose 1990 bottling sells for
about $1,700 a bottle.
Merlot
The most famous producer of French merlot wines is Petrus, whose 1990 bottling sells for about $1,700
a bottle! Often described as soft and plump, it is a descendant of the Cabernet Franc grape and often
confused with its close relation to Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s best paired with game, beef, and cheese.
Merlot
Merlot is a red wine grape that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. Merlot is
produce mainly in France, Italy, and California
Merlot
Ripe Merlot gives you lots of fruit flavours; plums, cherry, raspberry, mint and subtle spice. However
unripe Merlot, goes towards herbaceous green flavours. It’s great with rich dishes, pasta, meats and
even chocolate.
Mourvedre
Mourvèdre is a variety of wine grape grown around the world. Mourvèdre is more than capable of
generating vin de table with a great degree of finesse.
Müller-Thurgau
German crossing of riesling and sylvaner, rarely distinguished.
Muscat
Grand Cru Alsace, bright spritzy Portuguese, grand and viscous Australian fortified dessert.
Muscat
The Muscat grape is the world’s oldest known grape variety.
Muscat
Muscat is the only grape to produce wine with the same aroma as the grape itself. Sweet fortified
Muscats have a classic rich nose of dried fruits, raisins and oranges. Muscat has been called “the grape
of the bees” because of its strong perfume.
Muskateller
Dry, spicy, tropical-fruit-toned whites from Austria and Germany.
Nebbiolo
The grape is thought to derive its name from the piedmontese word nebia which means fog. The grape
is used to make wines such as Barolo, and Barbaresco.
Nebuchadnezzar
It is the largest wine bottle and holds 15 litres or 120 glasses of wine. Nebuchadnezzar, originally nabukudurri-usur meaning ‘Nabu protect the boundary’ became King of the Chaldean Empire in 604 BC
Negromaro
Southern Italian red - name means “black and bitter.” Any questions?
Petit Verdot
Petit verdot is a variety of black grape used in the production of red wine, principally in classic Bordeaux
blends. This grape is only found in any quantity in the Médoc region of Bordeaux.
Petite Sirah
A blender essential for making Zinfandel into great wine. Occasionally interesting as a varietal, now
thought to be a loose confederation of some half-dozen minor French types planted together as a field
blend in Sonoma, mostly 100 years ago.
Pinot Auxerrois
Crisp Alsace whites, communicating interesting mineral tones.
Pinot Blanc
Light bodied gently spiced whites from Alsace, occasionally masquerades as Weissburgunder in
Germany where it makes big fat wines.
Pinot Gris
This is typically dry white wine, but can vary widely in taste depending on where it is grown. In Italy, it
tends to be a very simple, light, crisp wine, whereas in Alsace, it is fuller and more dramatic. It’s also
known as Pinot Grigio in Italy and Grauburgunder in Germany. It pairs best with mildly spicy foods,
salads, and sandwiches.
Pinot Gris / Pinot Grigio
Produces whites both sublime and ridiculous in Alsace and Italy. Very fleshy and masculine in the
former, light and dry in the latter. Planted in Oregon, where it produces some of the most interesting
American whites, very much after the Alsace model. The Germans usually call it Grauburgunder - they
plant it in the south, in Baden, Franconia, the Pfalz.
Pinot Meunier
Thusly named because the plant looks like the miller (Le Meunier) has been dusting the leaves with
flour. Germans call it Müllerrebe for the same reason. Important third in the trio of champagne
varietals, where it’s a sponge for soaking up terroir.
Pinot Noir
The brilliant - if occasionally difficult - red grape of Burgundy. Does well in California, Oregon, Germany,
occasionally in Victoria. A standout in Champagne.
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is a variety of red grape used commonly in winemaking. the grape is chiefly associated with
the Burgundy region of France.
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is one of the oldest vine grape varieties known and was named by the noble Pinot family after
the pinecone shape of the grape bunches.
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is one of the oldest vine grape varieties known and was named by the noble Pinot family after
the pinecone shape of the grape bunches.
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is one of the oldest vine grape varieties known and was named by the noble Pinot family after
the pinecone shape of the grape bunches. It is one of the three varieties of grapes used in Champagne,
France to make the world’s most esteemed sparkling wine. It pairs best with lamb, pork, game, grilled
salmon, beef stews, and coq au vin.
Pinotage
South African crossing of cinsault and pinot noir. Interesting aromatic middleweight.
Port
Port gets its name from the country of Portugal. It is usually thought of as a kind of wine, but it is
actually a mixture of wine and brandy. Port starts the same as a wine. Yeast is added to the juice and
then, when the yeast is about halfway through eating the sugar, the winemaker adds brandy (distilled
wine) leading it to have a higher alcohol percentage than other wines.
Primitivo
Southern Italian red genetically resonant with California’s zinfandel.
Riesling
Great white grape of Germany, Austria, Alsace - very much a magnet for earth-tones, even with all of its
glorious fruit - very popular once upon a time in Australia, and occasionally offering interesting wines in
California.
Riesling
The name Riesling means ‘Russ’ - dark wood and this along with the grooved bark gives the resultant
root word ‘rissig’.
Riesling
The legend of sweet Riesling. A messenger bringing the official order to start picking was robbed on the
way. By the time he arrived the grapes had rotted, been infected with Botrytis and were given to the
peasants. The peasants brewed their own wonderful wines and the rest is history.
Riesling
Popular among connoisseurs, this grape yields softer, fuller, fruitier wines with less natural acidity, with
the most refined ones coming from cooler climates. Some say it rivals Chardonnay as the world’s
greatest white wine grape. It pairs best with seafood, smoked salmon and trout, duck, goose, or fish.
Rosé
Rosé is a type of wine that incorporates some of the color from the grape skins, but not enough to
qualify it as a red wine. It may be the oldest known type of wine, as it is the most straightforward to
make. The pink color can range from a pale "onion"-skin orange to a vivid near-purple, depending on the
grape varieties used and winemaking techniques.
Roter Veltliner
Wachau-region rarity from Austria. White wine, despite the red label.
Ruländer
Name used in Germany for the grauburgunder (pinot gris) when it yields a dessert wine. Ruland was the
guy who brought the grape to Germany from Burgundy.
Sangiovese
One of the most famous grapes in Italy, its best cultivations produce the great Chianti and Brunello di
Montalcino wines. It is typically a very dry red wine with a smooth feel and aromas of cherry and orange
peel. It pairs well with salami, ham, veal, and stronger-tasting poultry.
Sangiovese/Prugnolo
The great red grape of Tuscany - Chianta, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and (as sangioveto grosso)
Brunello.
Sauvignon Blanc
Crisp dry whites on the Loire and from New Zealand, frequently overoaked pseudochards in California,
surprisingly good in Austria’s Steiermark.
Sauvignon Blanc
The word ‘sauvignon’ comes from the French word ‘sauvage’ meaning wild which is a fitting descriptor
for the intense fruit and aroma of this wine. It’s often blended with the milder Sémillon grape to counter
this intensity. It pairs best with turkey, chicken, duck, shrimp, shellfish, cheese and green salad.
Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. It
is now planted in much of the world’s winelands.
Scheurebe
1916 crossing of Riesling and Sylvanner - German whites both dry and sweet with magnificent tropical
fruit aromas, burgundian texture.
Schwarzriesling
Franconian name for Müllerrebe, which is German name for pinot meunier.
Scuppernong
Slightly obscene-sounding eastern American wild thing with fabulously proportioned vines and
forgettable wines.
Semillon
Bordeaux white, prime mover of the great dessert wines of Sauternes. Good figgy-aromatic dry whites
from Graves, quite interesting dry whites from Australia, where it also blends well with chardonnay.
Semillon
Semillon was at one time the most widely planted white grape in the world. The thin-skinned Semillon
grape ripens early. It’s easy to cultivate, high yielding and relatively disease resistant, except for Botrytis.
In areas where sweet Semillons are highly prized, pickers go through the vineyard many times and pick
only the Botrytis infected bunches which will yield syrupy sweet wines.
Seppelt
Seppelt is the most expensive current release Australian wine at is $2,500 a bottle.
Sherry
One of the oldest and most wonderful fortified wines made is a Sherry. Sherry comes from a corner of
south-west Spain called Andalusia.
Sherry
The grape stompers of the finest Sherries wore boots with nails in the soles. The nails trap the pips and
stalks and leave them undamaged enhancing the pure grape flavours.
Shiraz
Australian Shiraz is made in two different styles. The big, full, rich, tannin laden wines and lighter fruitier
‘drink now’ styles with lots of blackberry and raspberry.
Shiraz
A legend on Shiraz Grapes. One ancient Persian legend says that Jamshid, a grapeloving king, stored ripe
grapes in a cellar so he could enjoy grapes all year long. One day he sent his slaves to fetch him some
grapes. When they did not return he decided to go to the cellar himself only to find that they had been
knocked out by the carbon dioxide gas emanating from some bruised fermenting grapes. One of the
king’s rejected, distraught mistresses decided to drink this poisoned potion, only to leave the cellar
singing and dancing in high spirits. The king realised that this fruity liquid had the wonderful and
mysterious power to make sad people happy.
Syrah
This is the chief grape in the Rhône Valley’s finest wines and rivals Cabernet in California. Also known as
Shiraz in Australia and South Africa, it is arguably the best red wine grape in Australia. It is often referred
to as a virile rustic, yet refined wine. It’s best paired with dark-meat poultry, red meats, venison, and
highly fragrant cheese.
Syrah
Syrah, also called Shiraz, is a grape variety widely used to make a dry red table wine. Syrah is often
vinified on its own, but is also frequently blended with other grape.
Syrah/Shiraz
Oh boy! The great longliving reds of the northern Côtes-du-Rhône, frequently impressive in California,
interesting in Italy, Spain and Argentina - as Shiraz the benchmark for Australian red wine, where it
shows a variety of styles, from soft and fruity to world-class profound. Also grown in South Africa.
Tempranillo
The great red grape of Spain, seen in many guises (Cencibel, Tinta del Pais, Tinto Fino, Tinto de Toro, et
al) from the more delicate medium-bodied traditional Riojas to the rich, full bodied, more Bordeaux-like
Ribera del Dueros to the powerfully ripe Toros.
Tokay
The Legend of Tokay. In the mid 17th century, in Slovakia, the fall harvest of Tokay grapes was
postponed fearing an attack from the Turks. This left the grapes vulnerable to a humidity-loving fungus
called botrytis. The rotten and shriveled grapes were picked, crushed, and added to the must made from
unaffected grapes
Trebbiano
Italian of many uses (ugni blanc in France) including the vin santo of Tuscany.
Two Buck Chuck
Distributed exclusively by Trader Joe’s grocery stores, and in California sell for $1.99. Because of this, the
Charles Shaw wines are affectionately known as Two Buck Chuck. Shaw’s 2005 California chardonnay
was judged Best Chardonnay from California at the 2007 California State Fair Commercial Wine
Competition. The chardonnay received 98 points, a double gold, with accolades of Best of California and
Best of Class.
Ugni Blanc
Used to make Armagnac in Gascony, and to make wine by people who are too impatient to make
Armagnac.
Vidal Blanc
American /French white hybrid of little virtue.
Viognier
Honeysuckle, orange-rind, mango-tinged aromatics. Silky textured white on the northern Côtes du
Rhône, fat and succulent in California.
Viognier
An excellent before-dinner drink, this dry white wine feels very smooth with a lively peach-apricot fruit
aroma. It is one of the few white wine grapes grown in the Rhône Valley of France where a mere 30
years ago it was grown on fewer than 100 acres. Today it has made an astonishing conquest of the wine
world. It pairs best with fruit, nuts, and cheese.
Viognier
Viognier is very ancient grape which originated in Dalmatia. Viognier was once a fairly common grape
now it is rare white grape.
Wine & Chocolate
Daily wine and chocolate boost life expectancy. Ingredients form part of seven food ‘polymeal’ designed
to reduce heart disease risk. A daily meal with seven foods - including wine and chocolate - could cut
heart disease risk by 76 per cent, says a team of Australian researchers.
Wine Barrel
The wine barrel was traditionally used for storage and transportation of goods. Now it’s almost
exclusively used in the production of fine wines and spirits. The barrel is traditionally referred to as a keg
when empty and cask when full.
Zinfandel
The great American success story. Spicy rich complex wines, particularly in Sonoma; hulking monolithic
offerings from Amador and elsewhere in the Sierra Nevada range.
Zinfandel
Although almost exclusively grown in California, it has its origins in Croatia. This grape derives from the
same species as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir and can make a wide variety of wines from
white to sweet Port-style. It pairs well with meat, duck, and strongly-flavored cheeses.
Zinfandel
Zinfandel is a red-skinned wine grape. Commonly referred to as “Zin”, it is popular in California for its
intense fruitiness and lush texture.
Zweigelt
Austrian red, the source of many easy-quaffers, but with a bit of what almost might be considered pinot
noir character.