Grapes and wine tasting

a workshop by www.ThailandHotelier.com

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About famous Grapes

Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon and its cousin Cabernet Franc are the foundation of red Bordeaux. It has been the most
successful of the classic grape varieties in traveling the world. Basically, Cabernet Sauvignon is planted
everywhere wine is made.

Chardonnay
The most successful white grape in the international spread of noble varieties. Chardonnay became
established as the name and style of California in the wine boom of 1980s.

Chenin blanc
Some of the finest sweet and dry Loire sparkling wines are 100% Chenin Blanc. Australia and South Africa
also produce some lovely dry wines from the same grape.

Gewürztraminer
In German “gewürz” means spice. This grape variety is grown in Alsace, Austria, Italy and of course
Germany. It has a pronounced fruitiness overlaid by aromatic, spicy flavours.

Merlot
Merlot is the key to the great red wines of St-Emilion, Pomerol and Italy. The important role it plays in such
great names as Château Petrus, has led many winemakers from Southern France, California, Chile and
South Africa to successfully experiment with this variety.

Pinot Noir
Infuriating to grow, fascinating to taste, Pinot Noir is the grape of great red Burgundy and light fruity Swiss
wines.

Riesling
The true classic German wine. The variety is perfectly adapted to the cool, steep, river-slope vineyards along
the Rhine and Mosel banks and in Austria.

Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc – fresh, acidic, assertive, yet with enough fruit to be enjoyable – is known world wide. Wines
made of Sauvignon Blanc are featured on the worlds finest wine lists such as Sancerre or the excellent
Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.

Semillon
Semillon is one of the most noble grape varieties, not only is it the main grape for the finest Sauternes, but is
also fermented dry to produce

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Syrah
Syrah is the grape of the great Rhône wines. Australia has taken Syrah, known as Shiraz (The name of the
Persian city where this grape was “born”), with enthusiasm, partly because it was one of the first grapes
planted there.

Tempranillo
Tempranillo is the key grape of most Spanish red wines. Whatever its origins, Tempranillo has established
itself as Spain’s senior red variety with its peppery character.

Zinfandel
This is the classic grape variety grown in California where it produces very full bodied robust red wines which
need time to age

Wine descriptions

Acid / acidity
Gives life and freshness

Alcohol
Gives wine its characteristic “weight”

Aroma
Smell that comes from the grape rather than from ageing in barrel or bottle

Aromatic
Wines from grapes with a particularly pronounced aroma

Body
The combined impression of weight and consistency on the palate, mainly,
but not solely, to the level of alcohol.

Bouquet
General term to describe the smell of wine, but particularly used for smells derived from vinification, and
barrel or bottle age.

Elegant
Finesse, harmony and the absence of harsh impressions

Fine
High quality wine

Finish
Tastes and aromas that linger after the wine has been swallowed.

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Grapey
Used to suggest a taste of fresh grape juice

Green
Unripe, young. Also refers to acidity and tannin

Herbaceous
A smell reminiscent of green plants, or freshly cut grass

Hollow
Empty of flavor and noticeably short

Lean
Used critically, means a lack of ripe fruit

Length/long
The hallmark of a quality wine

Mature
Ready to drink

Mellow
With soft agreeable texture

Nutty
A smell and taste often found in mature white burgundy,

Oaky
Smells and sometimes a slight dryness of texture that is derived from ageing in new oak barrels

Peppery
Smell of ground black pepper

Raw
Harsh impressions from alcohol, acid and tannin in immature wine

Ripe
A sweetness of flavor in wines made from very ripe grapes

Short
Lacking in persistence of flavor on the finish

Smoky
The smell and/or taste to the wine

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Stewed
Like tea brewed too long: dull; vegetal smell; coarse; astringent.

Supple
Soft and gentle, without being flabby

Tannin
Substances from grape skins, seeds, leaves and stems that give red wines its longevity dry and mouth
puckering feel which soften with age and causes settlement over time.

Thin
Dilute and meager in flavor

Tired
Lacking freshness and zest.

Vanilla
The smell and taste most often associated with wines that have been aged in new oak barrel

The Techniques of Wine Tasting

Appearance can tell you a lot about wine. Tilting the glass away from you until it is almost horizontal will
reveal the width and hue of the “rim”. The wine’s clarity, brightness, depth of color and carbon dioxide
bubbles are best seen by looking at it from above, with the glass standing on a table.

Hold the glass against the light or a white background to give a general impression of the color. Then take
your first sniff-before you swirl the wine.
Hold your glass by the stem or by the foot so that you can see the wine clarity. To get the wine moving, most
right-handed people move the glass gently anti-clockwise; left-handers find it easier clockwise. In either case,
very little movement is required.
Swirl the wine in the glass, and hold it up to the light. Examine the ”legs” or “tears”: are they large or small;
slow or fast moving? Which determines the viscosity, weight, alcohol and sugar in the wine.

Sniff the wine before swirling, using short sniffs and deeper ones, very gentle sniffs and much sharper ones.
Concentrate on the smell, and what it reminds you of. Repeat the process immediately after you have swirled
the wine in the glass. Note your thoughts. (When swirling a wine you expose it to oxygen and it could give an
“aging” result. If a young wine is swirled properly it could taste like it is one or two years older.)
Taste the wine by taking a reasonably generous mouthful; “chew” it around your mouth for a few seconds,
then purse your lips and suck some air into your mouth to “aerate” the wine. Note your conclusions, returning
for a repeat sniff if desired.

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From Grape to Glass

The “Ingredients” The “Contents”

of Fresh Grape Juice of Wine
per
per volume
volume
73.5% Water 86% water

carbohydrates, of which
25% 5% - cellulose 12% alcohol (ethyl alcohol)
20% - sugar
organic acids, of which
0.54% tartaric acid
0.8% 1% glycerol
0.25% malic acid
0.01% citris acid

minerals, of which
organic acids, of which
0.025% calcium; 0.01% chloride; 0.025% magnesium;
0.20% tartaric acid
0.5% 0.25% potasium; 0.05% phosphate; 0.005% silicic 0.4%
0.15% lactic acid
acid; 0.035% sulphate; 0.1% others such as iron,
0.05% succinic acid (plus traces of malic acid citric acid)
sodium, copper, aluminium, boron etc.

0.13% tannin and colour pigments 0.2% carbohydrates (unfermentable sugar)

nitrogenous matter, of which minerals, of which

0.05% amino acids 0.02% calcium; 0.01% chloride; 0.02% magnesium; 0.075%
0.07% 0.2%
0.005% protein potassium; 0.05% phosphate; 0.05% silicic acid; 0.02%
0.015% other nitrogenous matter sulphate;

mainly vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin,

Traces 0.1% tannin and colour pigments
pyrodoxine, nicotinic acid etc.

0.045% volatile acids (mostly acetic acid)

nitrogenous matter, of which

0.025% 0.01%amino acids
0.015% protein and other nitrogenous matter

0.025% esters

0.004 aldehydes

0.001% higher alcohols

mainly vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, pyrodoxine,
traces
nicotinic acid etc.

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Champagne is the king of sparkling wines. Although many sparkling wines are made by the famous methode
traditionelle they do not have the quality and elegance of the best champagne. There are many factors which
combine to make this wine unique: the chalky soil and kimmeridgean clay, which not only produce high
quality grapes but can be tunneled to provide the controlled temperature necessary for the maturation and
secondary fermentation inside the bottle; the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes; the skill of the growers who
have to produce perfect fruit in this northern district near Reims and the expertise of the blenders from
Champagne houses in producing their individual styles. A typical blend of grapes might be: Chardonnay 25%-
30%, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier 70%-75%, or 60% Chardonnay with the balance of Pinot Noir and a little
Pinot Meunier according to the house style.

White Bordeaux

Sauternes

The richness of Sauternes can be matched with

chocolate, blue cheese, or its staggering
complexity enjoyed simply unaccompanied.
Red Bordeaux

Red Bordeaux is elegant, having a firm but

feminine style, the finest wine of its kind in the
world, but its characteristic softness and subtlety
come only with bottle age. Although initially quite
heavy in tannin and sturdy in youth, the wines
mature beautifully and later attain a softness and
elegance.

Margaux wines are generally lighter in style than

the rest of the Médoc. The bigger wines come from
Pauillac, St-Julien and St-Estephe where the
greater the wine, the greater the satisfaction from waiting for maturity. Red Graves is quite full, earthy and ages
magnificently. The fullness and softness of the wines of St-Emilion and Pomerol account for their general description as
the ‘Burgundies of Bordeaux’. Although the classification of 1855 promoted the wines of sixty-two vineyards as the
finest growths, there are today many wines, which could certainly be listed alongside them.

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Burgundy

Burgundy is an area rich in history,

gastronomy and wine. Unlike the
great estates of Bordeaux, the
finest Burgundian vineyards are
owned by a proliferation of
smallholders, a direct result of the
revolution. Prior to 1789 the church
owned most of the vineyards in
Burgundy but these were seized
and broken up, the new order being
as much anti-church as anti-
aristocracy. While some of the large
Bordeaux estates were owned by
the aristocracy, many were owned
by the bourgeoisie, who, because
of their long association with the
English, were anti-papist and so
escaped the full wrath of the
revolution. Burgundy’s great
vineyards were further fragmented
by inheritance laws, which divided
the plots of land into smaller and
smaller parcels.

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Rhône
The northern and southern Rhône districts have vastly different soils, climates and grape varieties, and hence
varying styles of wine. They produce wines of the greatest delicacy in the north, while further south the more
robust wines are the perfect partner for meat, game or cheese.

Loire
Often thought as ideal wine for fish and shellfish, these light and summery wines are made from different
grape varieties. The vineyards of Muscadet with the grape of the same name are located by the mouth of the
Atlantic Ocean. The area of Vouvray, known for its fine sparkling and sweet wines, grows the Chenin Blanc
grape. As the river meanders its 600 miles journey, it flows through the red wine regions of Chinon and
Bourgueil where the Cabernet Franc grape is cultivated, ending its journey at its source in the regions of
Pouilly and Sancerre, where fine flinty, smoky wines are made from Sauvignon Blanc.

Alsace
Perhaps French? Since 1919. Perhaps German? From 1870. Once
belonging to the holy Roman and lusted after by the the Austro-
Hungarian empire, all these influences have made the wine from
this picturesque eastern French region aromatic and rich. Its
Gewürztraminer being the perfect partner for asian food, ‘Gewürz’
means spice, and this variety has a characteristic bouquet and
flavour of musky roses and lychees, although it is exotic rather than
strictly spicy.
Similarly, its Riesling can have a wonderful sweetness and
balancing acidity, flowery in youth but maturing to display subtle
oily scents and flavours, absurdly it is grown nowhere else in
France.

French Regional Wines

A culture clash between the new and old world has led to a vast improvement in the quality of wine emerging
from southern France. No longer mass produced by co-operatives, instead we have seen innovation and
enthusiasm spread throughout these areas less restricted by appellation contrôlée laws, producing something
perhaps a little more stylish from the indigenous grape varieties.

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Italy
The renaissance began thirty years ago in Tuscany, the Italian wine industry was revolutionized with the
introduction of foreign grape varieties and production methods.
The country the Greeks referred to as the land of the vine still produces more than 20% of the worlds wine,
but it now has a new dynamism, and so these strong, rich, reds and light, dry whites have become even more
appealing to the rest of the world.

Spain

Spain is now producing some great wine, its not just Rioja. We list slightly less traditional fare from the
Somontano region, and the legendary Vega Sicilia Unico. Even though Spain has more land under vine than
any other, production has been hampered in the past by adverse weather conditions and old fashioned
methods. Now you may find a little less oak and a lot fresher flavours.

Spain

Spain is now producing some great wine, its not just Rioja. We list slightly less traditional fare from the
Somontano region, and the legendary Vega Sicilia Unico. Even though Spain has more land under vine than
any other, production has been hampered in the past by adverse weather conditions and old fashioned
methods. Now you may find a little less oak and a lot fresher flavours.

Austria

Over the last decade, Austria has slowly yet surely begun to establish its own unique wine identity and it
produces some exceptionally fine wines. A scandal in 1985 did put the Austrian government under enormous
pressure to tighten up controls; with the result that Austria now has the most strictly controlled, safest wine
industry in the world.

North America
For nearly 400 years wine has been made in the new world, surviving disease, abject failure and prohibition.
Winemakers were still driven to imitate their old world counterparts, finally succeeding in eclipsing the quality of
their inspiration at a blind tasting in Paris in 1976. Californian wine hasn’t looked back since.

Mexico

It was the Spanish who brought wine to Mexico, the oldest wine-producing country in the Americas. Some
lovely wines are now produced in Baja California with robust and spicy grape varieties ideally suited to their
environment.

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Argentina
Argentina has some of the highest situated vineyards in the world, slowing the ripening of the grapes to give a fuller
character and intensity of colour

Australia

Australia has gained most popularity in the world of wine, but the real revolution started in the 1950’s with
irrigation and temperature controlled fermentation. It took the rest of the world 30 years to catch up with other
less technological advancements, and simpler unrestricted practices; such as labeling by varietal. The whites
can often be fresh or quite oaky and rich, the reds robust and spicy. They are a real reflection of their
country’s harsh and arid environment.

New Zealand
In 1982 the rest of the world bought 12,000 cases of New Zealand wine, by the millennium this had increased
to 2.1 million, a direct result of the international acclaim for its quality, especially of the Sauvignon Blanc
which is now regarded as the definitive benchmark for this varietal. Within New Zealand the wine growing
regions span 1000 miles, resulting in tremendous environmental and climactic contrasts, in fact comparable
to the wine produced by the terrain and weather stretching from Bordeaux to southern Spain.

South Africa

The legendary wine from Constantia became so highly regarded in Europe during the 19th century that it was
bought in preference by the exiled Napoleon and Russian tsars, instead of Madeira, Tokay, or even
Sauternes. An early indication that the Cape could produce wines of great quality, that promise is perhaps
only just now being fulfilled. South Africa’s main wine producing areas are still concentrated in the south-
west, spreading gradually north and eastward from Cape Town.

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