Interesting Wine Facts
Wine Ratings
95-100: Classic (A Great Wine)
90-94: Outstanding (Superior Character)
85-80: Very Good (Special Qualities)
80-84: Good
70-79: Average
Chardonnay (Shar-Doe-NAY)
Chardonnay is the champion of the white wine table in America. It is a medium-bodied, crisp, dry and elegant wine. Just 30 years ago, there were only a few hundred acres of Chardonnay scattered throughout California and only a dozen or so wine-makers that took this grape seriously enough to squeeze it into wine.
The Fruit flavors most closely associated with Chardonnay are apple, pear, melon, fig, lemon and grapefruit, and spice. Since virtually all of the finest Chardonnays are fermented and aged in small French oak barrels, descriptors like wood, toast, butter, vanilla, and smoke are closely linked to the Chardonnay flavor.
A great Chardonnay should continue to echo the same sharply focused, richly concentrated fruit that was tasted with the first sip. If there is oak present, it should be in balance with fruit and acidity, more like seasoning than a dominant flavor. Fine Chardonnays need lively acidity to provide structure and sustain the flavors as well as the life of the wine.
Australian Chardonnay (Shar-Doe-NAY)
Australia produces a large quantity of Chardonnay wine. Australian Chardonnays typically have more noticeable tropical fruit flavors such as pears, oranges, and melons, and a heavier oak taste than the usual California Chardonnays.
Shiraz (Sher-OZ)
Shiraz is considered Australia's greatest red wine. It is usually more full-bodied, richer and with softer tannins than most Cabernet Sauvignons.
Sauvignon Blanc (So-Vin-YAWN Blonk)
This very popular white grape is second only to Chardonnay for the production of quality, dry white table wines in California. The grape produces wines with a distinctive grassy, herbal quality, usually with a bounty of natural grape acidity.
Pinot Noir (Pee-No-Nwar)
A light to medium-bodied dry red wine. known for it's elegance rather than its power. It often displays exotic bouquets filled with oriental spices, subtle cherry and plum.
White Zinfandel (ZIN-Fan-Dell)
The red Zinfandel grape is used to make the extremely popular California white Zinfandel wine. It is a sweet blush color wine, made by removing the skins of the red Zinfandel grapes during fermentation, after the wine has achieved its blush color.
Red Zinfandel (ZIN-Fan-Dell)
Red Zinfandel is a medium to full-bodied dry red wine. The Zinfandel grape is grown exclusively in California and is the most widely planted red wine grape in California, with 34,000 acres (just slightly ahead of Cabernet Sauvignon).
Riesling (REEZ-Ling)
Dry to very sweet white wine, with intense, pure fruit (apple, peach, and apricot) aroma and ripe, refreshing fruity flavors. Most American versions are slightly sweet. Late Harvest Riesling is heavier and thicker and considered a dessert wine.
Cabernet Sauvignon (Cab-Ber-NAY So-Vin-YAWN)
The Cabernet Sauvignon grape has been a part of California's wine making heritage for 150 years. The first vines were grown in Southern California in the 1830's by Jean Louis Vignes, a Bordeaux native imported Cabernet cuttings and planted them in what is now the heart of Los Angeles.
Cabernet Sauvignon is a full-flavored dry red wine which, when picked at optimum ripeness, offers a broad array of intense rich flavors such as jammy black currants, chocolate and herbs.
Cabernet, along with California's wine makers, likes oak. When Cabernet is aged in small oak casks, it takes on additional flavors such as toast, vanilla, and cedar along with wood tannins that can add structure to the wine.
Meritage (Mar-ah-taag)
In the United States when a variety of grapes are used to blend a wine it is called a Meritage. In France it is called a Bordeaux. There are red Meritages or white Meritages.
Merlot (Mair-LO)
In California, Merlot has come into fashion during the last two decades. During the Cabernet planting boom of the early 70's. Merlot was planted as a blending grape to round out, soften and add some complexity to Cabernet. As the vines matured, Merlot proved itself capable of yielding a wine that could stand on its own, and, by the later 70's, California and Washington state wineries had added a new name to their list of offerings.
The most critically acclaimed wines are medium-deep red to dark in color, and have openly fruity aromas and flavors, often tinged with herbaceous, tea-like, orange-rindy, currant and/or cherryish notes. Merlot wine is a medium-bodied dry red wine which almost always softer, rounder and more supple than Cabernet in their youth, yet it remains much of the latter variety's tendencies toward richness and complexity.
Bordeaux (Bor-Doe)
Bordeaux, near the southwest Atlantic coast of France, is the Country's largest quality wine region. The predominant red grape varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon and merlot, with Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Malbec playing supporting roles.
Chianti (Key-ONT-Tee)
A dry red wine made with a blend of Sangiovese, Canaiolo, and Trebbiano grapes, with soft raspberry, chestnut and tobacco flavors, medium body and a fine finish. Chianti Classico Reserva, which must be aged for more than 3 years, is considered the best Chianti.
Valpolicella (Vahl-POH-Leh-CHELL-Ah)
A ruby wine from Veneto, one of Italy's largest wine producing regions, with delicate bouquet and a tart taste.
Amarone (Ah-ma-ROH-nay)
"Amarone" refers to a wine making process used in Valpolicella where only the ripest bunches of grapes are selected, then spread out on mats and left to dry, until they are virtually raisins. When fermented to dryness, these super ripe grapes produce a heady, nearly bittersweet wine. Amarone is an excellent choice for hearty meat.
Pinot Grigio (Pee-No GREE-Jee-Oh)
A very popular dry white wine with rich citrus and herbaceous flavors, easy to drink, similar to Sauvignon Blanc, but softer, more delicate and not as grassy. Crisp, refreshing, often assertive wine with flavors of pear, quince, and anise.
Barolo (Bah-ROLE-oh)
Barolo is a village in Italy's Piedmont (foothills of the Alps bordering France), and home to one of the country's most renowned red wines. Made from Nebbiolo grapes, Barolo must be aged a minimum of 2 years in oak casks and spend 1 year in the bottle before being sold.
Barbaresco (Bar-Bah-Resk-oh)
Barbaresco is a neighbor of Barolo in Italy's Piedmont, whose red wines made from Nebbiolo, can reach levels of quality similar to its more famous neighbor. Of all the Piedmont villages that make wine from Nebbiolo, Barbaresco and Barolo are universally considered the best.
Barbera (Bar-BEAR-Ah)
Barbera, along with Sangiovese, is Italy's most widely planted red grape variety. It is particularly successful in Piedmont, where it produces good, savory, wine with high acidity. Despite its secondary standing to Nebbiolo in the Piedmont, Barbera is the wine most often enjoyed by the local population. In Piedmont, the name of the grape is attached to the village of its origin, hence "Barbera d' Alba," or "Barbera d' Asti."
Dolcetto (Doll-CHET-oh)
Dolcetto is the Piedmont's earliest ripening and easiest drinking red wine. As with Barbera, the name of the grape is attached to the name of the town it's grown near (Dolcetto d' Alba or Dolcetto d' Asti). Dolcetto is made most often for immediate consumption.
Super Tuscan
An Italian blend in which Cabernet Sauvignon is the grape most often used to blend with Sangiovese, but the fact is, there are no rules. Some Super Tuscans also use Merlot, or Syrah, often in higher percentages than Sangiovese, or to the exclusion of Sangiovese altogether. While style varies, the common denominators seem to be small production, rich fruit and thick texture.