Torrontés is the name for a grape that exists around Galicia in Spain, and in Argentina, although they are not actually the same grape. In Spain, the grape shows up in white wines from Ribeiro. In Argentina, there are actually three different strains-- Torrontés Riojano, Torrontés Sanjuanino, and Torrontés Mendocino, of which Riojano is the most important for export purposes. Torrontés Riojano at its best is aromatic and full bodied with high acidity, somewhat similar to Muscat. At its worst it can have very high alcohol and taste bitter. It is extremely well adapted to the high altitiude arid conditions often found in Argentina.
On March 27, 2008,
in Torrontés, wine geeks,
by ngorevic
Viognier is a wine that is becoming more popular. It has the potential to be full-bodied like Chardonnay, but with much more aromatic fruit characteristics. The tricky thing about Viognier is that the grape has a tendency to attain very high sugar levels, which results in a wine very high in alcohol (During fermentation, sugar is converted into alchohol). When this kind of sugar level develops before the fruit characteristics have developed, the wine produced ends up being out of balance-lots of alcohol and very little flavor. This tendency towards high sugar levels requires an expert winemaker who knows exactly how to handle them. Viognier is sometimes aged in oak, but the contact with air resulting from the oak aging process can potentially destroy those subtle hints of fruit.
The best Viogniers are made in Condrieu and Château Grilllet, two very small areas in the northern Rhône valley. These are wines that have delicate floral aromas, soft textures, an mineral flavors. Viognier is also made successfully in the south of france, California, and Australia. Viognier is almost always a wine meant to be drank young.
The Pinot Gris grape's traditional home is in Alsace, a region in France. But you're beginning to see, everything that's done in France is copied throughout the world. Pinot Gris pops up in Tasmania, New Zealand, and in the United Stated Pacific Northwest. The dry wines made from Pinot Gris usually have low acidity and high alcohol. The wines have notes of exotic tropical fruit, like mango, melon, or banana. Occasionally the grapes are botrytized to maka sweet dessert wine.
In Italy, Pinot Gris is called Pinot Grigio, and they have a different take on winemaking with the grape. They harvest the grapes earlier to make a wine higher in acid, and without as many fruit essences. This is a simple, light, crisp, refreshing wine. This style has become increasingly copied throughout the world as well.
Sauvignon Blanc is another white grape which is grown in France (Bordeaux and the Loire Valley) and throughout the New World. It can make a very aromatic white wine, and is usually dry. In cooler climates, the wine often takes on what wine people call an herbaceous quality. There are lots of words used to describe this herbaceous quality, such as grassy, vegetal, green pepper, asparagus, or even cat's pee. Yes, cat's pee! As an owner of a cat with a problem, I can tell you that it doesn't actually smell that foul. It smells more like a subtle hint of ammonia. It also often has some elements of fruit, like citrus or passion fruit. In warmer climates, the vegetal qualities often fail to develop, and a simpler peach or grapefruit flavored wine develops.
Sauvignon Blanc is usually aged in stainless steel, but does age in oak in some areas. Most notable among these areas is Pouilly-Fumé. This area is not be confused with Pouilly-Fuissé, which is a Chardonnay area. Confused yet? This is one of those things you just have to memorize. I find it helpful to remember that if you see Fumé, you know it's Sauvignon Blanc. Fumé means smoked in French, which refers to the oak used in the aging process. Oak, as I'll get into further detail later, can often add a smoky element to the taste of wine because the barrels are toasted during the cooperage process. When Sauvignon Blanc is aged in oak in Napa, it's called Napa Fumé Blanc, which is an attempt to copy the French style and labeling term.
Sauvignon Blanc wines are mostly made to be drunk young, when they are fruity and fresh. In the Loire Valley and in Bordeaux, however, the wines can age up to 15 years in the bottle. During this aging process, the vegetal notes develop and the fruit notes fade, which many people find very desirable. This happens in the Sancerre area of the Loir Valley, and as a result are very popular and therefore quiet expensive.
Riesling is another white grape that is planted all over the world. It's traditional homeland is in Germany, and the Alsace region of France. It can come in many different styles, including dry, off-dry, sweet, and luscious (that's what you call something when it's the sweetest a wine could possibly get). In Germany they make some outstanding dessert wines from Riesling called Trockenbeerenauslese, which means the grapes were hand picked very late after the sugars have concentrated to a very high degree. Many of these wines are also botrytized, a fascinating process I'll describe in detail later. Riesling has a distinctive aromatic character to it, that you will recognize easily after you've had it a few times.
Riesling's claim to fame is it's ability to ripen very late, even in very cold conditions. In cooler climates, like in Germany and Alsace, Riesling is often not picked until October or early November. There it has flavors of grape and apple, and will have high acidity. Many people enjoy Riesling with food because of this high acidity. In warmer climates like Australia, however, Riesling can often ripen quite early, which can dull its flavor and acidity. Here, Riesling will tend towards more lemon and lime flavors. There are some very nice Rieslings to be found here, but they are all grown in areas closer to the water where the temperatures are much cooler.
In the wine world, Riesling has something of a cult following. It's fruity and flowery aromas are seductive to those that enjoy it. In case you couldn't tell, I'm one of those people! It also has something for everyone, because of the range of sweetness it can offer. But for some reason it never really seems to catch on the way Pinot Noir has since the movie "Sideways." Therefore, it is often very undervalued.
Because of its high acidity, Riesling can age in the bottle very well, especially when it's from Germany or Alsace. The wines can pick up accents of petrol (gas) in the aroma, which sounds disgusting, but it's really not, and it never tastes like gasoline anyway, so don't worry.
Chardonnay is one of the most widely grown and vinified wines in the world. This is because you can grow it in almost any climate where grapes can be grown. It's named after a town in the Mâconnais in France. Chardonnay is a very neutral grape to begin with, it doesn't have a lot of aroma, so the winemaker often uses a lot of techniques to affect the flavor and aroma of the wine. These include Malolactic Fermentation, Lees Stirring, and aging in oak barrels. Don't worry, I'll explain what those are later. Chardonnay is also one of the key grapes used to make Champagne.
In colder climates, Chardonnay will usually have lighter or medium body, flavors of green fruits, like green apple, and lots of acidity. In warmer climates, Chardonnay can take on more exotic notes, such as tropical fruit flavors like pineapple. In those areas, the wine will often be lower in acidity, contain higher levels of alcohol and be much fuller in body.
In the United States, the Chardonnay grape is what most people think of when they think of white wine. There have been times when Malolactic Fermentation and techniques like oak chipping were taken quite far, so that it tasted like a stick of butter or a piece of wood. Currently however, these techniques are used more sparingly.
Chardonnay from most parts of the world is a wine to be drank young. In the Burgundy region of France, however, Chardonnay can age phenomenally in the bottle, developing very complex nutty characteristics. Why does this only happen in France? No one really seems to know. None of those wines will come cheap, in case you were wondering.
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