Recognizing the grape variety of a wine is not an easy task, especially if you are not a great connoisseur. There are more than a hundred used in winemaking in France, but only about a dozen represent more than 80% of the vineyard area planted. Thanks to this article, we will give you all the tips to start recognizing grape varieties and determining which ones you like or not.
The basics
To begin, you need to observe the wine’s color. It helps guide us, through its shade, towards the vintage of the drink as well as its maceration time. It can also help directly identify a grape variety, but be careful not to be mistaken because age and terroirs can affect the color.
Next, you move on to the nose, and from now on, we can distinguish 5 families:
- Flowers, fresh fruits, spices
- Candied fruits
- Musk, undergrowth, animal
- Empyreumatic (woody, toasted)
- Fault (vinegar smell, corked wine)
The color and nose give some indications about the grape varieties used in the wine’s making, but it’s on the palate that everything really plays out.
And on the palate, what does it give?
On the palate, we distinguish red wines and white wines by two things: tannins (found in red wines) and acidity level (very present in white wines). These two elements allow each to recognize the grape varieties contained in wines of their respective colors.
Red wines
The main characteristic of red wines is tannins, that is, the astringency they produce. This is the sensation that dries the mouth, making the tongue rough and sticking to the palate. When this sensation is very present, we can say the wine is tannic. Otherwise, the wine is smooth and the tannins are silky.
Regarding grape varieties, we will only talk about the most well-known, as listing them all would be impossible:
- Merlot is characterized by aromas of plum, blackberry, and in rare cases leather and truffle.
- Cabernet Franc by aromas of raspberry, blackberry, licorice, and sometimes green bell pepper.
- Pinot Noir is characterized by aromas of red fruits, especially cherry. With aging, it can develop vegetal or animal nuances.
- Grenache is known for its very pronounced licorice and pepper scents, as well as aromas of strawberry and raspberry.
- For Cabernet Sauvignon, blackcurrant, blackberry, mint, and green bell pepper are easily distinguishable aromas. With aging, it develops aromas of spices and cedar.
- Syrah has aromas of olives, pepper, blackcurrant, and violet.
- Gamay is rather sweet thanks to its aromas of cherry, strawberry, and raspberry.
White wines
For white wines, the process is the same as for red wines, but with one detail... White wines contain very little tannins because they do not macerate with the grape skins. But it is thanks to acidity that you can recognize the grape variety.
For grape varieties, as with red wines, we will only mention the most famous:
- Chardonnay has aromas of green fruits like apple.
- Sauvignon is more about aromas of blackcurrant and citrus.
- Riesling can have aromas of flowers, citrus, and apple. But as it evolves, it acquires aromas of petroleum.
- As for Gewürztraminer, you can detect notes of lychee, spices, and rose.
- Viognier reveals aromas of fresh fruits such as peach or apricot.
- And finally, Chenin leans more towards notes of apricot and apple.
It is important to keep in mind that these aromas are only “theoretical” and provide only clues in the search for the grape variety being tasted. The climates and terroirs can modify the characteristics of certain grape varieties and thus alter their aromas.
Want to taste new grape varieties?
At Domaine du Goût, we have a very wide selection of wines, carefully chosen by our sommelier Thierry Dorge. All you have to do is try to identify the grape varieties at home during your tasting. If you need help or can’t find them, just go directly to the page of your wine to find a sheet detailing all the aromas as well as the grape variety of the wine you are tasting.
