Reds…
Cabernet
Sauvignon: (red Bordeaux)
Produces long-lasting, deeply colored red wines that
are astringent when young but mellow with age. As red
Bordeaux, particularly from the Medoc and Graves regions,
the wines are leaner and more elegant than Cabernets
grown in California, Australia or Chile.
Noted Flavors: Cedar and black currant
Pairs
well with: Full-flavoured red meats such as steak,
roasts, lamb, duck, game birds.
Cheese: mature hard & ripe soft
Vegetables: onions, shallots, carrots, green beans
Herbs & Spices: garlic, rosemary, thyme, dil,
bay leaf, sage
Gamay:
(Beaujolais)
The grape of Beaujolais. Makes a light, fruity wine
that can be consumed young, especially when chilled.
When blended with Pinot Noir in Burgundy, the wine is
called Passe-tout-Grains. Noted flavors: Cherry, pepper
Pairs
well with: Light meats such as ham, sausages,
hamburger, pizza
Cheese: light cream, Gouda
Vegetables: tomatoes, beets, carrots, peppers
Herbs & Spices: ginger, mild chili, cinnamon,
allspice, nutmeg
Merlot:
Very similar to Cabernet Sauvignon but softer, fruitier
and faster-maturing. In Bordeaux and in many other regions,
including California, it is blended with Cabernet to
make the wine rounder. Merlot predominates in St. Emilion
and Pomerol, producing dark, full-bodied wines. Noted
flavors: Blackberry, black currant
Pairs
well with: Lamb, venison, game, turkey, meat casseroles
Cheese: hard cheeses
Vegetables: eggplant, zucchini, squash
Herbs & Spices: oregano, thyme, rosemary
Nebbiolo:
Grown extensively in Piedmont and other northern Italian
provinces, Nebbiolo produces the long-lived, somewhat
austere Barolo and Barbaresco with their characteristic
bitter finish. Noted flavors: Truffle, tar, roses
Syrah:
Makes the powerful, rich dry wines of the Northern Rhone
(Hermitage, Cote Rotie) and is a constituent in the
bled of Chateauneuf-du-Pape and the wines of the Southern
Rhone. Ages well. Also grown successfully in California.
In Australia, it is called Shiraz where it makes a varietal
wine and is also blended with Cabernet Sauvignon. Noted
flavors: Blackberry, pepper.
Pairs
well with: Highly spiced meat dishes, game, garlicky
casseroles
Cheese: mature cheeses, blue cheese
Vegetables: ratatouille, peppers
Herbs & Spices: garlic, black pepper, hot peppers,
cilantro
Tempranillo:
The major red grape of Spain where it is also called
UII de Llebre. Has long aging capabilities and produces
wines that remind you of both red Burgundy and red Bordeaux.
Basic flavors: Strawberry, spices.
Zinfandel:
Native to California, this grape is used to produce
off-dry blush wines for immediate consumption as well
as powerful dry reds for aging and port-like dessert
wines. Noted flavors: Blackberry, raspberry, spices,
pepper.
Pairs
well with: Rich meat dishes, venison, game, roast
turkey, spicy pastas
Cheese: mature cheeses, blue cheese
Vegetables: eggplant, peppers
Herbs & Spices: garlic, pepper, fennel, cilantro
Pinot
Noir:
A notoriously fickle grape. When fully ripe makes exquisite
wines in Burgundy that age almost as long as red Bordeaux.
Also successfully grown in Oregon and California. Extensively
used in the production of Champagne (where it is blended
with Chardonnay). When used by itself, it is called
blanc de noirs - a white wine from black grapes.
Noted flavors: Raspberry, strawberry.
Pairs
well with: Grilled meats, game birds, veal, roast
chicken, rabbit, salmon
Cheese: soft cheeses
Vegetables: tomatoes, mushrooms, beetroot, truffles
Herbs & Spices: basil, cilantro, chervil
Sangiovese:
(Chianti)
The major grape in Chianti (along with Canaiolo) although
now Italian producers are beginning to make it a varietal
wine. It is 100 percent in Brunello di Montalcino and
constituent of Vino Nobile DI Montepulciano. Highly
acidic and tannic. Noted flavors: Cherry, truffle
Pairs
well with: Casseroles, spicy sausage, tomato-based
meat dishes, pasta, pizza
Cheese: parmesan
Vegetables: tomato, mushrooms, truffles
Herbs & Spices:oregano, thyme, marjoram
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Whites...
Chardonnay:
Makes a dry wine whose range of flavors depends on where
the grapes were grown and how long the wine stayed in
oak, if at all. Chardonnay will be labeled as such in
most regions other than France where it is named after
the village where it was grown. Examples: Chablis, Meursault,
Montrachet, Pouilly-Fuisse. Champagne also uses Chardonnay
in the blend and exclusively as Blanc de blancs Champagne.
Noted flavors: Cool climate - apple, vanilla, nutty.
Warm climate - tropical fruits, smoky, spicy.
Pairs
well with: Fish, shellfish, deep-fried fish, poultry,
rabbit, veal, pork, creams sauces, egg dishes, snails
Cheese: soft cheeses
Vegetables: potatoes, carrots, onions, leeks, squash,
celery, corn, mushrooms
Herbs & Spices: basil, tarragon, chervil, marjoram,
mace
Chenin
Blanc:
The wines can range from very dry to off-dry to sweet
as well as sparkling. Best known as Vouvray and Saumur
(villages in the Loire Valley). Also grown in California
which makes a softer, less acidic wine, and in South
Africa where it is frequently called Steen. Noted flavors:
Pear, apple.
Pairs
well with: Shellfish, sole, chicken, pork, light
cream dishes, soy dishes
Cheese: Swiss, gruyere, emmenthal, St. Andre
Vegetable: corn, sweet peppers, carrots, cauliflower
Herbs & Spices: basil, dill, mint, tarragon, caraway,
nutmeg
Gewurztraminer:
The most unforgettable of grapes. Grown in Alsace and
Germany, and throughout Europe as Traminer, the wines
have an exotic perfume of lychee nuts, rose petals and
sometimes red peppers. They suggest sweetness on the
nose, but the best (from Alsace) are dry. Also produced
in Oregon, California and Ontario. Gewurz is German
for spicy, and Traminer means from the town of Tramin
where the vine was first propagated. Noted flavors:
Lychee, rose petals.
Pairs
well with: Oriental dishes, Thai, Japanese, light
curries, smoked fish
Cheese: Munster, Limburger
Vegetables: asparagus, Spanish onion
Herbs & Spices: ginger, mace, cinnamon, nutmeg
Muscat
(white,
less commonly black):
Although it is made as a dry wine in Alsace and sometimes
in Australia, Muscat wines are generally sweet and rich.
They are usually grown in warm climates; the hotter
they are, the sweeter the wine will be, culminating
in the Muscat of Samos (Greece). Black Muscat is invariably
a sweet dessert wine. Noted flavors: Grapey, aromatic.
Pinot
Blanc:
Similar in character to the Chardonnay, it is generally
broader in flavors. Grown extensively in Alsace. The
Italians call it Pinot Bianco, and it is widely used
in sparkling wines. In Germany it's the Weissburgunder.
Generally low in acidity. Noted flavors: Apple, peach.
Pinot
Gris:
One of the most underrated of grapes, grown mainly in
Alsace where it is called Tokay-Pinot Gris. In Italy
it's called Pinot Grigio; in Germany and Austria, Rulander.
Full-bodied white with lots of flavor. Some of the best
come from Oregon. Noted flavor: Peaches.
Riesling:
Perhaps the most versatile white wine that can range
in style from steely dryness to honeyed sweetness. The
bouquet is floral with a freshness from the acidity.
It grows best in cool climates and reaches its apogee
in Germany. Best wines come from Mosel and Rheingau
in Germany, Alsace and Washington State. Noted flavors:
Dry - lime, grapefruit. Sweet - honey, apricot.
Pairs
well with: Fish, shellfish, game birds, pork,
veal, Thai dishes, Chinese food
Cheese: Edam, emmenthal
Vegetables: tomato, peppers
Herbs & Spices: cloves, basil, sage, lemon grass
Sauvignon
Blanc:
This grape smells of grass, pea pods and elderberries.
It is best known for the wines of the Loire, Sancerre
and Pouilly-Fume. It grows well in California too. In
Bordeaux it is blended with Semillon to produce such
wines as Entre-Deux-Mers. Generally dry and crisp, it
can make a sweet late harvest wine with good acidity.
Noted flavors: Gooseberry, fig
Pairs
well with: Shellfish, fish, chicken, spicy sausage,
prosciutto, vegetarian dishes
Cheese: goat, feta
Vegetables: avocado, green beans, peas, asparagus,
artichoke, peppers, fennel, salads
Herbs & Spices: oregano, thyme, chives, dill,
basil, cilantro, capers, chili's
Semillon:
Not often used as a varietal, this grape is generally
blended with Sauvignon Blanc to make dry white Bordeaux.
Similar in style to Sauvignon Blanc, but more floral
and not as herbaceous. Semillon is the major grape in
the sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac. Noted flavors:
Fig, green plum.
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