WINE BASICS
A beginner’s guide to the world’s most popular white and red wines, including their unique identifying features
KEY | Grape name: Most common tasting notes (Most popular regions)
WHITE WINE
- Chardonnay: Apple, pineapple, vanilla, butter (France – Burgundy – Pouilly-Fuisse, Chablis)
- Sauvignon Blanc: Pungent, sharp, tart, zesty, cut grass, asparagus, wet chalk, grapefruit (New Zealand; France – Loire – Sancerre, Pouilly-Fume, Touraine)
- Riesling: Aromatic, slightly sweet, citrus, apricot, white flowers, petrol (France – Alsace; Germany – Mosel valley)
- Pinot Grigio: Lime-lemon, pear, peach, bitter almond, heady perfume (France – Alsace; Italy – Friuli)
RED WINE
- Cabernet Sauvignon: Dark fruit (blackcurrant, black cherry, blackberry), cedar / oak (Bordeaux – Medoc, Graves)
- Merlot: Red fruit (cherry, plum, raspberry), vanilla, spice, soft / chocolatey finish (France – Bordeaux – St. Emilion, Pomerol)
- Pinot Noir: Raspberry, cherry, violets, mushrooms, forest floor (France – Burgundy)
- Syrah / Shiraz: Red and black fruit (black cherry, plum), bacon, smoke, leather, black pepper, rich and dense (France – Northern Rhone – Hermitage, Cote Rotie; Australia)
- Grenache: Candied strawberry, raspberry, plum, cinnamon (France – Southern Rhone – Cotes-du-Rhone, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)
- Tempranillo: Red fruit (cherry, strawberry), fig, cedar, tobacco (Spain – Rioja, Ribera del Duero)
- Nebbiolo: Rose, cherry, leather, pale and translucent (Italy – Barolo, Barbaresco)
- Sangiovese: Cherry, red plum, fig, tomato, oregano, earthy, tangy (Italy – Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino)
- Gamay: Red fruit, violet, peony, earthy, fruity, light, low tannin (France – Beaujolais)
OTHER TYPES
- Champagne (France): Made from Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay grapes
- Cava (Spain): Made from Macabeo, Xarel-lo, Parellada grapes
- Prosecco (Italy – Veneto): Made from Glera grape
- Sherry (Spain – Jerez) [Manzanilla, Fino, *Equipo Navazos]: Made from Palomino Fino grape, then fortified with neutral grape spirit
BLENDS
- Red Bordeaux blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, with smaller portions of Malbec and Petit Verdot
- White Bordeaux blend: Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, with a splash of Muscadelle
- Côtes du Rhône blend ‘GSM’: Grenache (adds candied fruit, raspberry, cinnamon spice and red grapefruit flavours), Syrah (adds the darker fruit flavors of blueberry, plum and black olive), and Mourvèdre (adds tannin structure / bitterness and floral aromas)