Have you ever had a Burgundy wine? How about a Pinot Noir? Is there a difference? Answer: No. The varietal is the same! There is a simple explanation for it and it is actually a lot more simple to understand than you may think.

             In the world of wine, there are 2 main ways to look at the way it is labeled. 1. By region, and 2. by grape varietal. The “new world” way of doing this is by grape varietal, and it is what we are most used to in the United States and South America. The “Old world” way of wine reference is to label it by region. Meaning, the region in which the grape was grown.

 

             So, when someone says: “I love pinot noir…” it is synonymous with saying: “I love burgundy wine…” I have listed some of the main regions in France that you may see on a bottle and have wondered what kind of grape is actually in there?

 

· Burgundy:   (Pinot Noir) This is a fairly large region in France that houses several appellations. Its primary grape production is pinot noir and Chardonnay. If you prefer burgundy (or Burgogne), it is basically like saying you are a fan of pinot noir wine.

· Chablis: (Chardonnay) The Chablis wine hails from the village of Chablis in the burgundy region. It is its own area where the grapes used are grown best in the limestone soil of the area.

· Bordeaux: (Cabernet sauvignon blends) This region is near the coast of the Atlantic ocean in southwest France. Bordeaux wines are traditionally a blend of several different grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. In addition to these, there are wines known as white Bordeauxs. They are primarily: Sauvignon Blanc, and Semillon. There is also a sub-division of Bordeaux where the dessert wine, Sauternes is produced.

· Champagne: (Blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier) This one is commonly misused to describe ANY sparkling wine. Actually, this region of northeastern region of France produces the 3 varietals most commonly used in this wine, and it is governed by laws created by the European Union to keep the integrity of the product. Refer to our past issues to learn more about sparking wine.

 

 

Champagne region vineyard (Courtesy wwweb)

             Italy’s wines are similarly produced and labeled. Americans are used to looking for the grape varietal when selecting wine, and in Italy the region would be more prevalent of a selection tool to the buyer. Here are some examples:

 

· Chianti: (key-ahn-tee) This is a robust red wine that is made in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is made primarily from the Sangiovese grape, but Italians and or wine sommeliers would refer to a genuine wine like this as a Chianti. The other grapes sometimes used in this blend are:Canaiolo, and Malvasia Bianca.

· Asti, or Asti Spumante: This wine is a low-alcohol, sweet wine produced in the Piedmont region of Italy. Moscato Bianco grapes are used, and it is typically served with dessert.

· Super Tuscan: This wine category was created in the late 60’s. It differs from a regular Tuscan wine by using different percentages of Sangiovese, and including other grape varietals to make the final product. Typically Cabernet Sauvignon is used in conjunction with the Sangiovese grape.

 

 

Italian vineyards (courtesy wwweb)

Courtesy wwweb