Facts about wine grapes
The types of grapes used to make a wine are probably the single
most important factor in the taste of the wine. However, the
flavors of a wine are also affected by how old the vines are, what
types of soils the vines are grown in, exposure to sunlight,
climates and microclimates, how the grapes are handled and
fermented, types of yeast used, whether the wine is aged in wood,
etc.
The common
grapevine of the Old World is Vitis
Vinifera, native of Central Asia, now cultivated world
wide, but brought to prominence originally in France, particularly
Bordeaux, and the Rhone. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot,
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, etc., are all examples of
Vitis Vinifera.
One of the main
North American vine species, Vitis
labrusca is found primarily in Canada and the
northeastern United States, although some grapes of this species
are grown in South America. The Concord variety is the best known,
followed by the Catawba and the Delaware. Grapes from this species
have a pronounced musky, grapey, foxy quality that clearly
separates it from Vitis Vinifera.
Major red wine grapes of the world
|
|
Type of Grape |
Where they grow best, & emerging areas. |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
Bordeaux, France
California; Chile |
Cabernet
Franc |
Bordeaux, France |
Pinot Noir |
Burgundy, France
California; Oregon
Champagne, France |
Zinfandel |
California |
Merlot |
Bordeaux, France
California
Washington State
Chile |
Syrah/Shiraz |
Rhone,
France
Australia
California |
Gamay |
Beaujolais, France |
Malbec |
Bordeaux, France
Chile |
Grenache |
Rhone,
France
Spain
Australia |
Nebbiolo |
Piedmont, Italy |
Sangiovese |
Tuscany, Italy |
Tempranillo |
Rioja,
Spain |
Petite Syrah |
California |
Major white wine grapes of the world
|
|
Type of Grape |
Where they grow best, & emerging areas. |
Chardonnay |
Burgundy, France
Champagne, France
California
Australia
Argentina
New
Zealand |
Sauvignon Blanc |
Loire
Valley, France
Bordeaux, France
New Zealand
California |
Riesling |
Germany
Alsace,
France |
Chenin Blanc |
Loire
Valley, France |
Gewürztraminer |
Alsace,
France |
Pinot Grigio
/Pinot Gris |
Italy
Alsace, France |
Semillon |
Bordeaux (Sauternes), France
Bordeaux (w/Sauvignon blanc), France
Australia |
Viognier |
Rhone,
France
California |
Albariño |
Spain |
Roussillon |
Rhone,
France |
Growing Conditions
Grapes, although primarily a temperate-zone plant, can be grown
under semitropical conditions. They are not adapted to the cooler
parts of the temperate zone, where growing seasons may be too
short to allow the fruit to reach maturity or where low winter
temperatures (less than -7 C [20 F]) may kill the vine or its
fruitful buds. Vitis vinifera is more susceptible to damage from
winter conditions than is Vitis labrusca.
Climate
strongly influences the composition of mature grapes. A major
cause of the variation among grapes from different areas is the
differing quantities of heat received by the vines during the
growing season. Other important factors include differences in
night and day temperature, hours of sun, and soil temperature.
Grapes begin their growth cycle in the spring when average daily
temperature is about 10 C (50 F). To reach maturity, they require
a certain amount of heat above 10 C during the growing season.
This amount of heat, called the heat summation, is calculated by
totaling the number of degrees of average daily temperature over
10 C for each day of the growing season. A heat summation of about
1,800 is required for successful growth. If the heat summation is
less than required, the grapes will not ripen; they will reach the
end of the growing season with insufficient sugar and too much
acidity. This condition, frequently occurring in the eastern
United States, Switzerland, and other cool regions, can be
corrected by adding sugar to the crushed grapes. Where the heat
summation is much greater than required, as in the central valley
of California, the grapes mature earlier, with high sugar levels,
and with less acidity and color than those produced under cooler
conditions.
Factors
influencing the heat summation of a vineyard and, therefore, grape
composition include exposure (in Europe, best from the east), air
drainage (preferably from the slopes to the valley), soil
temperature (above 10 C during the growing season), and soil
moisture content (not too dry at any time and not waterlogged for
more than short periods). Seasonal conditions also can be
critical, especially in regions of low heat summation, as found in
parts of France and Germany. When the growing season in such areas
is warmer than usual, the fruit produced is riper and better
balanced than is usual in cool seasons. In warm regions the
sweeter dessert wines may benefit from somewhat low heat
summation, resulting in less berry raisining (moisture loss) and
giving the fruit better color and acidity than is achieved when
the growing season is excessively warm.
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