Each wine and wine varietal has unique features and characteristics. Explore our glossary below by clicking on the variety you are interested in to find out more:
White Wine:
Chardonnay:
Rich is the word that best both describes chardonnay and explains its popularity. Its distinct ripe fruit aroma is delicate and often difficult to characterize, but easier to recognize.
Apples, ripe stone fruit or tropical fruits are often primary aromas, with nuts and supporting wood notes (oak). Its delicacy is such that even a small percentage of another varietal blended into a chardonnay will often completely dominate its aroma and flavor. Oak can be dominant in youthful chardonnay if the wine has been fermented or aged in new barrels or for too long in seasoned ones, but with premium wines, this will integrate well with the wine, over time.
This delicacy also allows chardonnay to absorb the influences of both the vinification technique and appellation of origin.
In the Chablis region of France, it is the only grape permitted and it renders a "crisp, flinty, minerally" wine. In the Meursault appellation of Burgundy, chardonnay takes on a lush, ripe, "fleshy", "buttery" quality. Even in quality sparkling wines and Champagne, it is the major white varietal used.
California chardonnay is every bit as variable and possibly even more exciting because of the effusive varietal quality it develops there. In spite of this variety in style, premium chardonnay is unmistakable in the mouth because of its impeccable sugar/acid balance, its full body, and its weighty, rich style.
Researchers at the University of California at Davis used DNA profiling in 1999 to prove that chardonnay originated as a cross of an obscure, ancient, and nearly extinct variety called gouais blanc with a member of the "pinot" family, quite likely pinot noir (although ampelographic research has not yet been able to pinpoint this).
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Gewürztraminer
Sounds like guh-VOORTS-truh-MEE-ner, sometimes referred to as Gewürz, is an aromatic white wine grape variety that performs best in cooler climates. Gewürztraminer is one of the most pungent, aromatic wine varietals - easy for even the novice taster to recognize by its heady, aromatic scent
The variety has high natural sugar and the wines are usually off-dry, with a flamboyant bouquet of lychees. Dry Gewürztraminers may also have aromas of roses, passion fruit and floral notes. It is not uncommon to notice some spritz (fine bubbles on the inside of the glass).
Its aromatic flavours make Gewurztraminer one of the few wines that is suitable for drinking with Asian cuisine. It goes well with Munster cheese, and fleshy, fatty (oily) wild game. Smoked salmon is a particularly good match.
While the French have achieved the greatest success with this grape (in Alsace in particular) and its name may be German, the history of Gewürztraminer began in Italy's Tyrollean Alps, near the village of Termeno (Tramin) in Alto Adige.
Since the Middle Ages, the parent variety traminer has grown there. Traminer also is grown widely throughout Eastern Europe, but neither abundantly nor very successfully. With hardly any of the characteristic of its spicy offspring (Gewürz is German for spice), traminer berries are pale green and make much less interesting or appealing wine, hardly scented at all.
Like pinot noir, however, traminer vines do have a propensity to mutate. One of these mutations, a few centuries ago, resulted in a vine that produces dark pinkish-brown, spotted berries and makes very distinctive and heady wine. And thus we have Gewürztraminer.
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Pinot Gris
Pinot gris (or pinot grigio, as it is known in Italy) probably is the best-known "white" variant-clone of pinot noir. Ripe pinot gris grapes may be described as having colors from bluish-grey to light pinkish-brown. Clusters with a variety of colors are not unusual.
The word "Pinot", which means "pinecone" in French, could have been given to it because the grapes grow in small pinecone-shaped clusters. The wines produced from this grape also vary in color from a deep golden yellow to copper and even a light shade of pink. The clone of pinot gris grown in Italy is known as pinot grigio.
The variety can attain a very high level of sweetness, but will begin to lose acid rapidly when near to fully ripe. Sometimes it is used to add richness and to lighten, when blended with pinot noir.
Some pinot gris is grown in Burgundy, where it may be called pinot beurot and in Germany, it is known as ruländer. But, it is of little commercial significance in either locale.
Friuli, in Italy, produces the largest quantity, but only two appellations really have pinot gris stars in the wine quality galaxy: Alsace, France, the traditional home of Pinot Gris appreciation and Oregon, the newest pinot gris area to come to light. (Other new world countries are catching up very quickly though, in particularly New Zealand with it's similar climate to Alsace).
In Alsace, the pinot gris grape is called tokay d'Alsace (no relation to the Hungarian Tokay). The Alsatians value it as a full-bodied wine that can stand up to food without introducing any flavors of its own. In Italy, pinot grigio can be quite distinguished, coming from some producers, especially in the Friuli region, who devote attention to growing and vinifying. Unfortunately for its reputation, there are many other Italian Pinot Grigio makers that overcrop and harvest early to produce crisp, but vapid wines.
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Riesling
Riesling is a white grape variety which originates in the Rhine region of Germany. Riesling is an aromatic variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed aromas as well as high acidity.
It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling white wines. Riesling wines are usually varietally pure and are seldom oaked. As of 2004, Riesling was estimated to be the world's 20th most grown variety at 48,700 hectares (120,000 acres), but in terms of importance for quality wines, it is usually included in the "top three" white wine varieties together with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Riesling is a variety which is highly "terroir-expressive", meaning that the character of Riesling wines is clearly influenced by the wine's place of origin.
In 2006, Riesling was the most grown variety in Germany with 20.8% and 21,197 hectares (52,380 acres), and in the French region of Alsace with 21.9% and 3,350 hectares (8,300 acres). There are also significant plantings of Riesling in Austria, northern Italy, Australia, New Zealand, United States, Canada, China and Ukraine. In the countries where it is cultivated, Riesling is most commonly grown in cooler regions and locations.
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Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France.
The grape gets it name from the French word sauvage ("wild") and blanc ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in western France. It is now planted in many of the world's wine regions, producing a crisp, dry, and refreshing white varietal wine. Conversely, the grape is also a component of the famous dessert wines from Sauternes and Barsac.
Sauvignon Blanc vines tend to be quite vigorous growers, so it is especially important to manage the canopy by careful pruning and even by thinning leaves and shoots to direct the plant's energy towards ripening the fruit. Unrestrained growth and over-cropping result in neutral-tasting wines of little interest.
The varietal identity of Sauvignon Blanc is typically similar to grass, bell-pepper, or grapefruit in nature. New Zealanders liken it to "gooseberry", but that is not a familiar smell or flavor to most Americans. Quite often Sauvignon Blanc picks up an aggressive "catbox" odor when the grapes lack sun exposure or are harvested under ripe. Clonal selection and viticultural practices that expose the grapes to more sunlight produce wine that is more melon-like in aroma. Development of more robust clones has helped production levels, which were irregular in humid climates, due to this variety's propensity to develop "powdery mildew" and "black rot".
Sauvignon blanc is widely cultivated in France, New Zealand and California. Depending on climate, the flavor can range from aggressively grassy to sweetly tropical. Wine experts often use the phrase "cat's pee on a gooseberry bush" as a favorable description of Sauvignon blanc from the Loire Valley and New Zealand.
Sauvignon blanc, when slightly chilled, pairs well with fish or cheese, particularly Chèvre (goats cheese). It is also known as one of the few wines that can pair well with sushi.
Along with Riesling, Sauvignon blanc was one of the first fine wines to be bottled with a screwcap in commercial quantities, especially by New Zealand producers. The wine is usually consumed young, as it does not particularly benefit from aging.
Dry and sweet white Bordeaux, typically made with Sauvignon blanc as a major component, is the one exception.
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Sémillon
Sémillon, which is relatively easy to cultivate, consistently produces six to eight tons of grapes per acre from its vigorous vines. It is fairly resistant to disease, except for rot. The grape ripens early, when, in warmer climates, it acquires a pinkish hue. Since the grape has a thin skin, there is also a risk of sunburn in hotter climates; it is best suited to areas with sunny days and cool nights.
The Sémillon grape is rather heavy, with low acidity and an almost oily texture. It has a high yield and wines based on it can age a long time. Along with Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle, Sémillon is one of only three approved white wine varieties in the Bordeaux region. The grape is also key to the production of sweet wines such as Sauternes.The history of the Sémillon grape is hard to determine.
Sémillon is widely grown in Australia, particularly in the Upper and Lower Hunter Valley north of Sydney, where for a long time it was known as "Hunter River Riesling". Four styles of Sémillon-based wines made there: a commercial style, often blended with Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc; a sweet style, after that of Sauternes; a complex, minerally, early picked style which has great longevity; and an equally high quality,dry style, which can be released soon after vintage, as a vat or bottle aged example. (Hunter Valley Semillon is never matured in oak.)
The latter two styles were pioneered by Lindemans, Tulloch, McWilliam's Mount Pleasant, Drayton's and Tyrrell's, and are considered unique to Australia. Most examples of these bottle-aged Hunter Semillons exhibit a buttercup-yellow colour, burnt toast or honey characteristics on the nose and excellent complex flavours on the palate, with a long finish and soft acid.
Young Hunter Valley semillon is almost always a dry wine, usually exhibiting citrus flavours of Lemon, Lime or Green Apple. Cooler year Hunter Semillons seem to be the most highly sought after, with some of the 1974 and 1977 vintages still drinking well. The newer, fruit accentuated styles are championed by the likes of Iain Riggs at Brokenwood and The Rothbury Estate. Sémillon is also finding favour with Australian producers outside of the Hunter Valley in the Barossa Valley and Margaret River regions
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Viognier
Viognier seemed literally an endangered variety only a few years ago, but seems to be recovering worldwide in both popularity and acreage.
The origin of Viognier is not completely known with several theories abounding. Most experts agree that Viognier is an ancient grape that may have originated in Dalmatia and was brought to Rhône by the Romans.
One legend states that the Roman emperor Probus brought the vine himself to the region in AD 281. Another legend has the grape packaged with Syrah on a cargo ship navigating the Rhone River en route to Beaujolais when it was captured by a local group of outlaws known as culs de piaux near the site of present day Condrieu.
In 2004, DNA profiling conducted at University of California, Davis showed the grape to be closely related to the Piedmont grape Freisa and to be a genetic cousin of Nebbiolo.
Viognier was once a fairly common grape, though it is now a rare white grape grown almost exclusively in the northern Rhône regions of France. Around the 1960s, the grape was almost extinct when there were only eight acres in Northern Rhône. The popularity of the wine, as well as its price, has risen and thus the number of plantings have increased. Rhône now has over 740 acres (3 km²) planted.
Its newest realm, California, has 2,001 acres as of 2002 (although a considerable portion is not yet mature enough to bear a commercial crop) and there are also relatively new plantings in Australia, New Zealand and Brazil, as well as other U.S. plantings.
The major drawback of the viognier grape is that it is a very shy producer and somewhat difficult to grow (due to it's propensity to powdery mildew). Like many other varietals, viognier must be harvested at its peak of maturity in order to display its unique aroma and flavor character. The grape's tendency to develop high sugar but low acid can result in wines with neutral, merely vinous flavors and high alcohol. These cultivation problems and producer desires to capitalize on the grape's somewhat rarity combine to make many Viognier wines relatively expensive.
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Red Wine:
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major varieties of red wine grape in Bordeaux. It is mostly grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but is also vinified alone, particularly in Chinon in the Loire. It is even made into ice wine in Canada.
Cabernet Franc is lighter than Cabernet Sauvignon (of which it is a parent), contributing finesse and a peppery perfume to blends with more robust grapes. Depending on growing region and the style of wine, additional aromas can include tobacco, raspberry, and cassis, sometimes even violets. The Cabernet franc wine's color is bright pale red.
Cabernet franc vines bear thinner-skinned, earlier-ripening grapes with lower overall acidity, when compared to cabernet sauvignon. It is also lighter, often adding finesse and a peppery perfume when blended (with cabernet sauvignon).
Yields are similar, although cabernet franc normally buds and ripens somewhat earlier. Consequently vineyards in climates where rain is a harvest-time threat often plant this grape, in place of or in addition to cabernet sauvignon. Cabernet franc vines survive cold winters better than cabernet sauvignon, but are more susceptible to being damaged by Spring frosts.
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Cabernet Sauvignon
The king of grapes for it's ability to age, blue-chip investment potential, power and elegance. It is the most widely planted and significant among the five dominant varieties in the Medoc district of France's Bordeaux region, as well as the most successful red wine produced in California.
Cabernet Sauvignon is a variety of red grape mainly used for wine production, and is, along with chardonnay, one of the most widely-planted of the world's grape varieties.
While Cabernet Sauvignon can grow in a variety of climates, its suitability as a varietal wine or as a blend component is strongly influenced by the warmth of the climate. The vine is one of the last major grape varieties to bud and ripen (typically 1-2 weeks after Merlot and Cabernet franc) and the climate of the growing season affects how early the grapes will be harvested.
Many wine regions in California give the vine an abundance of sunshine with few problems in ripening fully, which increases the likelihood of producing varietal cabernet wines. In regions like Bordeaux, under the threat of incremental harvest season weather, Cabernet Sauvignon is often harvested a little earlier than ideal and is then blended with other grapes to fill in the gaps.
The principal grape in many Bordeaux wines, cabernet sauvignon is grown in most of the world's wine regions, although it requires a long growing season to ripen properly and gives low yields. Many of the red wines regarded as among the world's greatest, such as Bordeaux, are predominantly made from cabernet sauvignon grapes.
World-class examples can improve for decades and remain drinkable for a century. The particularly thick skin of the cabernet sauvignon grape results in wines that can be high in tannin which provides both structure and ageability.
This varietal, while frequently aromatic and with an attractive finish, also tends to lack mid-palate richness and so is often blended with lower tannin, but "fleshy" tasting grapes, particularly merlot and, especially in Australia, shiraz / syrah. cabernet franc is often used in blends with cabernet sauvignon to add aromatics.
As a group, cabernet sauvignon wines are generally full-flavored, with a stronger flavor than merlot for instance, and with a smooth and lingering "finish". With age, its distinctive black currant aroma can develop bouquet nuances of cedar, violets, leather, or cigar box and its typically tannic edge may soften and smooth considerably.
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Malbec
One of the traditional "Bordeaux varietals", malbec has characteristics that fall somewhere between cabernet sauvignon and merlot. A mid-season ripener, it can bring very deep color, ample tannin, and a particular plum-like flavor component to add complexity to claret blends.
The malbec grape is a thin skinned grape and needs more sun and heat than either cabernet Sauvignon or merlot to mature. It is a "midseason ripener and it can bring very deep color, ample tannin, and a particular plum-like flavor component to add complexity to claret blends."
As a varietal it creates a rather inky red (or violet), intense wine, so it is also commonly used in blends, such as with merlot and cabernet cauvignon to create the renowned Bordeaux "claret" blend. Other wine regions use the grape to produce Bordeaux-style blends.
The grape also needs a high differential between day and evening temperatures. The varietal is sensitive to frost, has a proclivity to shatter or coulure. The grape is also blended with cabernet franc and gamay in some regions such as Loire Valley.
The malbec grape is a thin-skinned grape and needs more sun and heat than either cabernet sauvignon or merlot to mature. It ripens mid-season and can bring very deep color, ample tannin, and a particular plum-like flavor component to add complexity to claret blends.
It is known in much of France as Côt Noir or Auxerrois. There are in fact hundreds of local synonyms, since Malbec at one time was widely planted all over the country.
Although plantings in the Medoc have decreased by over two-thirds since the mid-twentieth century, Malbec is now the dominant red varietal in the Cahors area. The Appellation Controlée regulations for Cahors require a minimum content of 70%.
Malbec truly comes into its own in Argentina, where it is the major red varietal planted. Much of the Malbec vines there were transplanted from Europe prior to the outbreak of phylloxera and most is therefore ungrafted, on its own roots. Sadly, over the years, the bug has infested Argentina, too, and vineyards are being replanted on resistant rootstock.
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Merlot
Merlot (pronounced 'mur-LOH' (English) or 'merr-lo' (French)) is a red wine grape that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines.
Merlot-based wines usually have medium body with hints of berry, plum, and currant. Its softness and "fleshiness", combined with its earlier ripening, makes Merlot an ideal grape to blend with the sterner, later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon which tends to be higher in tannin.
This flexibility has helped to make it one of the most popular red wine varietals in the United States and Chile. Merlot is by far the most widely planted grape of the entire Bordeaux region and third, behind carignan and grenache as the most planted black variety in France.
However, it has a starring role in only one region, historically, north of Bordeaux's Gironde River, where it is the basis of the wines of St. Emilion and Pomerol. Château Petrus, which has risen in consumer stature in the past three decades, is over 90% Merlot.
South of the Gironde, however, merlot usually plays a supporting role in typical Medoc blends with cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc as an example Château Palmer (of Margaux) in the medoc is about 60% Merlot.
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Montepulciano
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is a type of wine grape as well as a type of red wine made from these same grapes in the Abruzzo region of east-central Italy.
Up to 10% Sangiovese is permitted to be added to the blend. It is typically a fruity, dry wine with soft tannins, and as such is often consumed young. If aged by the winery for more than two years, the wine may be labelled "Riserva."
This wine should not be confused with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, a Tuscan wine made from Sangiovese and other grapes, but not the Montepulciano variety. It is blended with the grape Ciliegolo to make the wine Torgiano.
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Petit Verdot
Petit verdot is a variety of red wine grape, principally used in classic Bordeaux blends. It ripens much later than the other varieties in Bordeaux, often too late, so it fell out of favour in its home region.
When it does ripen, it is added in small amounts to add tannin, colour and flavour to the blend. It has attracted attention among winemakers in the New World, where it ripens more reliably and has been made into single varietal wine.
It is also useful in 'stiffening' the mid palate of cabernet sauvignon blends. When young its aromas have been likened to banana and pencil shavings. Strong tones of violet and leather develop as it matures.
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Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is often described as being a "difficult" grape, to grow, to deal with in the winery, and to find truly great examples of, but fans are passionate about this veriety, as sensually expressed by the dialogue between Miles and Maya in the 2004 movie "Sideways."
Pinot Noir is one of the oldest grape varieties to be cultivated for the purpose of making wine. Ancient Romans knew this grape as Helvenacia Minor and vinified it as early as the first century AD. Recognized worldwide as a great wine grape, pinot noir has many alias and is grown in many countries.
The tremendously broad range of bouquets, flavors, textures and impressions that Pinot noir can produce sometimes confuses tasters. In the broadest terms, the wine tends to be of light to medium body with an aroma reminiscent of black cherry, raspberry or currant. Traditional red Burgundy is famous for its fleshy, 'farmyard' aromas, but changing fashions and new easier-to-grow clones have favoured a lighter, fruitier style. The grape's color when young, often compared to that of garnet, is often much lighter than that of other red wines. However, an emerging style from California and New Zealand highlights a more powerful, fruit forward and darker wine that can approach syrah in depth.
It is also used in the production of Champagne (usually along with Chardonnay and Pinot meunier) and is planted in most of the world's wine growing regions for use in both still and sparkling wines. Pinot noir grown for dry table wines is generally low-yielding and often difficult to grow well. Pinot noir grown for use in sparkling wines (e.g. Champagne) is generally higher yielding.
The reputation that gets pinot noir so much attention, however, is owed to the wines of Burgundy (Bourgogne), France. For most of wine history, this two-mile-wide, thirty-mile-long stretch of hills, called the Côte d'Or ("Slope of Gold"), is the only region to achieve consistent success from the pinot noir vine.
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Rosé
Rosé wines, often referred to as Blush wines or written Rosé, are wines which are not truly red, but have enough of a reddish tinge to make them assuredly not white.
The actual color varies depending on the grapes involved, and often may seem to be more orange than pink or purple. Rosé wines may be produced in a number of different ways, depending on the desired results. Most Rosé wines are the result of crushing the red grapes used rather early on, so that they are not able to impart their color – or much tannin – to the final wine. These wines are in most respects white in character and flavor, with only the tinge of red and some subtle taste differences belying the difference.
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Shiraz/Syrah
Shiraz in Australia, Canada and Sout Africa or Syrah as it is known in France, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand and most of the United States.
In Australia it used to be called Hermitage up to the late 1980s. It should not be confused with Petite Sirah, a synonym for Durif, which is a different type of grape.
Syrah is the offspring of two obscure French varieties, Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche. (Dureza, native to the Ardèche, Mondeuse Blanche "White Mondeuse", native to the Savoie). The grape also has many other synonyms that are used in various parts of the world including Antourenein Noir, Balsamina, Candive, Entournerein, Hignin Noir, Marsanne Noir, Schiras, Sirac, Syra, Syrac, Serine, and Sereine.
Syrah is the only grape used to make the famous Rhône wines of Côte Rôtie and Hermitage, but also forms the backbone of most Rhône blends, including Chateauneuf du Pape.
Although cultivated since antiquity, competing claims to the origin of this variety gave credit to it either being transplanted from Persia, near the similarly-titled city of Shiraz or to being a native plant of France. Starting in 1998, combined research of the University of California at Davis and the French National Agronomy Archives in Montpellier proved syrah is indeed indigenous to France. DNA profiling proved syrah to be a genetic cross of two relatively obscure varieties, mondeuse blanc and dureza.
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Champagne:
Champagne is a sparkling wine produced by inducing the in-bottle secondary fermentation of wine to effect carbonation. It is named after the Champagne region of France. While the term "champagne" has often been used by makers of sparkling wine in other parts of the world, many claim it should properly be used to refer only to the wines made in the Champagne region. This principle is enshrined in the European Union by Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status.
Champagne is a single Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée. As a general rule, grapes used must be the white Chardonnay, or the black Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier.
The black Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier give the wine its length and backbone. They are predominantly grown in two areas - the Montagne de Reims and the Valée de la Marne. The Montagne de Reims run east-west to the south of Reims, in northern Champagne. They are notable for north-facing chalky slopes that derive heat from the warm winds rising from the valleys below. The River Marne runs west-east through Champagne, south of the Montagne de Reims. The Valée de la Marne contains south-facing chalky slopes.
Chardonnay gives the wine its acidity and biscuit flavour. The majority of Chardonnay is grown in a north-south-running strip to the south of Epernay, called the Côte des Blanc, including the villages of Avize, Oger and Le Mesnil-Sur-Oger. These are east-facing vineyards, with terroir similar to the Côte de Beaune. The various terroirs account for the differences in grape characteristics and explain the appropriateness of blending juice from different grape varieties and geographical areas within Champagne, to get the desired style for each Champagne house.
Most Champagnes are made from a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, for example 60%/40%. Blanc de blanc (white of white) Champagnes are made from 100% Chardonnay. Possibly the most exquisite, and definitely the most expensive of these is grown in a single Grand cru vineyard in Le Mesnil-Sur-Oger for Salon. Blanc de noir (white of black) Champagne is pressed from 100% Pinot Noir or black grapes, using a special quick-pressing, so that the black colour of the skin does not stain the vin de presse (pressed grape juice).
Champagne is typically light in color even if it is produced with red grapes, because the juice is extracted from the grapes using a gentle process that minimizes the amount of time the juice spends in contact with the skins, which is what gives red wine its colour. Rosé wines are produced throughout France by leaving the clear juice of black grapes to macerate on its skins for a brief time. Rosé Champagne is notable as it is the only wine that allows the production of Rosé by the addition a small amount of red wine during blending. This ensures a predictable and reproducible colour, allowing a constant Rosé colour from year-to-year. Champagne is a single Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée. As a general rule, grapes used must be the white Chardonnay, or the black Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier.
The black Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier give the wine its length and backbone. They are predominantly grown in two areas - the Montagne de Reims and the Valée de la Marne. The Montagne de Reims run east-west to the south of Reims, in northern Champagne. They are notable for north-facing chalky slopes that derive heat from the warm winds rising from the valleys below. The River Marne runs west-east through Champagne, south of the Montagne de Reims. The Valée de la Marne contains south-facing chalky slopes. Chardonnay gives the wine its acidity and biscuit flavour. The majority of Chardonnay is grown in a north-south-running strip to the south of Epernay, called the Côte des Blanc, including the villages of Avize, Oger and Le Mesnil-Sur-Oger. These are east-facing vineyards, with terroir similar to the Côte de Beaune. The various terroirs account for the differences in grape characteristics and explain the appropriateness of blending juice from different grape varieties and geographical areas within Champagne, to get the desired style for each Champagne house.
Most Champagnes are made from a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, for example 60%/40%. Blanc de blanc (white of white) Champagnes are made from 100% Chardonnay. Possibly the most exquisite, and definitely the most expensive of these is grown in a single Grand cru vineyard in Le Mesnil-Sur-Oger for Salon. Blanc de noir (white of black) Champagne is pressed from 100% Pinot Noir or black grapes, using a special quick-pressing, so that the black colour of the skin does not stain the vin de presse (pressed grape juice).
Champagne is typically light in color even if it is produced with red grapes, because the juice is extracted from the grapes using a gentle process that minimizes the amount of time the juice spends in contact with the skins, which is what gives red wine its colour.
Rosé wines are produced throughout France by leaving the clear juice of black grapes to macerate on its skins for a brief time. Rosé Champagne is notable as it is the only wine that allows the production of Rosé by the addition a small amount of red wine during blending. This ensures a predictable and reproducible colour, allowing a constant Rosé colour from year-to-year.
The designation Brut Champagne, the modern Champagne, was created for the British in 1876.
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