Wines By Grape
Wine is usually made from one or more varieties of the European species, Vitis vinifera. When one of these varieties, such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, or Merlot, for example, is used as the predominant grape (usually defined by law as a minimum of 75 or 85%) the result is a varietal, as opposed to a blended wine. Blended wines are in no way inferior to varietal wines; indeed, some of the world`s most valued and expensive wines from the Bordeaux, Rioja or Tuscany regions, are a blend of several grape varieties of the same vintage.
Wine can also be made from other species or from hybrids, created by the genetic crossing of two species. Vitis labrusca, Vitis aestivalis, Vitis muscadinia, Vitis rupestris, Vitis rotundifolia and Vitis riparia are native North American grapes, usually grown for eating in fruit form or made into grape juice, jam, or jelly, but sometimes made into wine, eg. Concord wine (Vitis labrusca species). Although generally prohibited by law in traditional wine regions, hybrids are planted in substantial numbers in cool-climate viticultural areas.
Hybrids are not to be confused with the practice of grafting. Most of the world`s vineyards are planted with European vinifera vines that have been grafted onto North American species rootstock. This is common practice because North American grape species are resistant to phylloxera. Grafting is done in every wine-producing country of the World except for Chile and Argentina, which have yet to be exposed to the bug.
The variety of grape(s), aspect (direction of slope), elevation, and topography of the vineyard, type and chemistry of soil, the climate and seasonal conditions under which grapes are grown, the local yeast cultures altogether form the concept of ``terroir.`` The range of possibilities lead to great variety among wine products, which is extended by the fermentation, finishing, and aging processes. Many small producers use growing and production methods that preserve or accentuate the aroma and taste influences of their unique terroir.
However, flavor differences are not desirable for producers of mass-market table wine or other cheaper wines, where consistency is more important. These producers will try to minimize differences in sources of grapes and hide any hint of often-unremarkable ``terroirs``, or of climatically under-performing harvest years, by:
- blending harvests of various years and vineyards
- pasteurizing the grape juice in order to kill indigenous yeasts (to be replaced with ``choice`` cultivated yeasts)
- using flavor additives.
This article is based entirely or in part on the
Wines By Grape wikipedia article
and is licenced under the terms of the
GNU Free Documentation Licence.
Contact
If we can be of any assistance please don't hesitate to contact us, or drop by the Rose & Crown during business hours:
email: roseandcrown@alderney.ws
phone: +44 (0) 1481 823414
fax: +44 (0) 1481 823615
The Rose & Crown Hotel
Le Huret,
Alderney
UK Channel Islands
Delivery on Alderney is free :-) we deliver Monday to Saturday between 10am and 1pm.
Please note that we cannot deliver off-island.
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In this categoryVolnay Clos des Chenes 1er Cru 1996 Ch.de Meursau
Soft, fragrant elegant style but with a firm structure. Flavour is long in the mouth. Can be drunk now but will repay keeping for a year or two. [read on...]
Vintage: 1996 Color: Country: France Region: Beaune Code: 44692
Volnay Les Brouillards 2007
This fine red Burgandy has underlined, yet again, that the 2007 vintage may well turn out to be one of the best in recent years. Volnay is between Pommard and Meursault and often produces the best reds of the Cote de Beaune. Structured and silky, with elegance and plenty of delicious Pinot Noir friut, black cherries, redcurrants, cassis, this is certainly the wine to 'cut your teeth on' if you have ever experienced the pleasure of top notch Volnay. [read on...]
A B V: 13% Vintage: 2007 Color: red Country: France Code: 73954
Vosne-Romanee les Malconsorts 1er Cru 97 Frantin
One of the great reds from the Cotes de Nuits, just north of Nuits-St- Georges. Rich, fat, expansive and highly perfumed. This vintage is now drinking well, and will be followed by the 1998 vintage which is equally good but still too young. [read on...]
Vintage: 1997 Color: Country: France Region: Burgundy Code: 20748
Vouvray Cuvee Trie de Vendange 1996 Champelou 5
An extraordinary sweet wine, moelleux, the result of a tri with a high percentage of noble rot and 11% of alcohol, and from an exceptional year. Champalou deliberately kept the alcohol low leaving the balance in residual sugar because that was how the legendary Vouvrays of 1921 and 1947 were made. Honeyed, intense with full flavours of apricot, pineapple and peach. It is gorgeous. [read on...]
A B V: 11% Vintage: 2005 Color: Country: France Region: Loire Code: 44666
Vouvray le Clos du Bourg,Demi Sec 1995 Huet
A truly stunning wine from a great vintage. Very powerful, well rounded long lasting flavour and solid structure. Drinks well now but will last years in old fashioned heavy punted bottle. [read on...]
A B V: 12% Vintage: 1995 Color: white Country: France Code: 35718
Vouvray Marquis de Rochemont 2008
Chenin Blanc vines thrive in the Loire region and Vouvray situated east of Tours produces some of the finest wines in the world from this popular grape This is a fine example and attractively priced too. Just off-dry it has an intense flavour full of exotic tropical fruits and just a touch of crisp acidity to balance these flavours perfectly. This really is a 'must try' for the uninitiated connoisseur. [read on...]
A B V: 12.5% Vintage: 2008 Color: white Country: France Code: 74231
Vouvray, Cuvee Moelleuse 1997 Champelou
A delicious, sweet, full bodied, powerfully flavoured Vouvray with peach, citrus zest and honeyed overtones. [read on...]
A B V: 12% Vintage: 1997 Color: Country: France Region: Loire Code: 44649
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