Major Grape Varietal Characteristics - White Varietals by jGibney It has been my pleasure to enjoy some of the greatest wines produced. I have traveled to 38 countries to date. Each country visited has been a great experience in itself. But when I can also visit the vineyards and wine producers this is the top. I have stood in some of the greatest vineyards. Discussed wine with the best of the best producers. What I came away with from each discussion and visit is that the grape varietal along with the land and the winemaker make up over 80% of what we as the public and general wine tasters call the taste of wine.
Here are five different white grape varietals that you are sure to meet in your adventure of tasting wine. The flavors, aromas, body styles of these classic wines with benchmarks of each grape will assist you in understanding the characteristics of these white varietals.
Chardonnay Varietal
Flavor - Vanilla (from oak barrel fermenting and aging), butter (yes, butter is correct), butterscotch, buttered toast, tropical fruit, lemon, melons, hazelnut, green apples.
Texture or Body - Full-bodied, creamy, round, lush.
Benchmark Wines - Beringer and Kendall Jackson.
Chein Blanc Varietal
Flavor - Apricot, peaches, pear, melon, canned fruit, lemon.
Dry to semi-sweet (some with as much as 6% residual sugar)
Texture or Body - Soft, lush and round. Medium to light bodied.
Benchmark Wines - Pine Ridge and Charles Krug.
Gewurztraminer Varietal
Flavor - Flowers, lichee nut, fruit cocktail, spicy fruit. Preception of sweetness due to amount of forward fruit, no residual sugar.
Texture or Body - Hard edged, lively. Light to medium bodied.
Benchmark Wines - Off Dry - Château Saint Michelle and Fetzer. Dry - Adler Fels.
Riesling Varietal
Flavor - Light perfumed aroma, melon, apple, peach, apricot, minerals, honeysuckle. Imports are usually dry though many new producers are now making their style dry. Can be produced dry to sweet dessert wines.
Texture or Body - Light bodied, delicate, high acidity with low alcohol average 10%.
Benchmark Wines - Off Dry - Columbia Crest. Dry - Hogue.
Sauvignon Blanc Varietal
Flavor - Herbs, earth flavors, grass, forest, olives, hay, pine needles, grapefruit,lemon-lime, smoke. Some wines may be barrel fermented which takes the edge off and rounds out the wine.
Texture or Body - Lively, medium bodied, linear.
Benchmark Wine - Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc.
This is to aid you in your tastings and note taking. It will also help when you are look at wine labels. You will see some of these very words listed to describe the wine you intend to purchase. Tip: write the words from the label on the bottle onto your tasting sheet then compare with what you think how the wine tastes.
