The Cork Guy
EDMOND — Well, the Cork Guy was thinking this week we should probably look at the different kinds of grapes that are produced to make wine. There are many varieties, however there really are only a few that you need to know, for the most part.
These varieties probably are used to produce more than 90 percent of the wine consumed in the world. Reviewing these will also let you know what kind of flavors are predominant and therefore will help you choose a wine that best suits your palate, or best matches a meal to which you are pairing the wine.
There are two basic kinds of grapes, red ones and white ones, although some white wines are produced from red grapes by removing the skins. White zinfandels or blush wines leave a part of the skin on the grape to give it its pink coloring and fruity flavor.
There is a simple fact that I have learned speaking with the mentors I have encountered on this journey of acquiring knowledge about wine. It is that grape varieties or the blending of grapes is the single most important part of constructing fine wines. The table attached will give you a better understanding of the structure of each grape, flavor and its best uses.
These wines will stand on their own, when they are the predominant grape. As mentioned in a previous column, countries and regions set standards for how much of one variety of grape needs to be in the bottle in order for that wine to be called the name of the grape. This ranges from 75 percent to 85 percent depending on the country or region in which the wine was bottled. This is where blending takes place. For example, a California Chardonnay may contain 75 percent Chardonnay grapes and have a mixture of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon making up the rest of the blend to bring out certain characteristics in the wine — drier, sweeter, oakier, smoother or other desired qualities. If the wine has less than 75 percent Chardonnay in the bottle it will be referred to as a white table wine.
Therefore, the next time you are at your favorite wine retailer read the bottle. Most vintners will give you a breakdown of the grapes used in the blend. However, the real proof of a great wine is a combination of percentages and hand-picking the grapes for the best quality.
