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Airén Bland
workhorse of La Mancha, Spain: fresh if made well.
Albariño (Alvarinho) Fashionable and expensive in Spain: apricot-scented,
gd acidity. Best in
Rías Baixas; shaping up elsewhere, but not all live
up to hype. Alvarinho in Portugal just as
gd: aromatic Vinho Verde, esp in Monção, Melgaço.
Aligoté Burgundy’s
second-rank white grape. Sharp wine for young drinking, perfect for mixing
with cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) to make Kir.
Widely planted in East Europe, esp Russia.
Alvarinho ALBARIÑO
in Portugal.
Amigne One
of Switzerland’s speciality grapes, traditional in Valais, esp Vétroz. Total
planted:
43ha. Full-bodied, tasty, often sweet but also
bone-dry.
Ansonica See
INSOLIA.
Arinto Portuguese;
the mainstay of aromatic, citrusy wines in Bucelas; also adds welcome zip to
blends, esp in Alentejo.
Arneis NW
Italian. Fine, aromatic, appley-peachy, high-priced grape, DOCG in Roero, DOC
in
Langhe, Piedmont.
Arvine Rare
Swiss speciality, from Valais. Also Petite Arvine. Dry and sweet, elegant,
longlasting
wines with a salty finish.
Assyrtiko Greek;
one of the best grapes of the Mediterranean, balancing power, minerality,
extract and high acid. Built to age. Could conquer
the world…
Auxerrois Red
Auxerrois is a synonym for MALBEC. White Auxerrois is like a fatter, spicier
version of PINOT BL. Found in Alsace, much used in Crémant;
also Germany.
Beli Pinot See
PINOT BL.
Blanc Fumé See
SAUV BL.
Boal See
BUAL.
Bourboulenc This and the rare Rolle make some of the Midi’s best
wines.
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Bouvier Aromatic
grape indigenous to Austria. Esp gd for Beerenauslese and
Trockenbeerenauslese, rarely for dry wines.
Bual (Boal) Makes
top-quality sweet Madeira wines, not quite so rich as Malmsey.
Carricante Italian.
Principal grape of Etna Bianco, regaining ground.
Catarratto Prolific
white grape found all over Sicily, esp in west in DOC Alcamo.
Cerceal See
SERCIAL.
Chardonnay (Morillon) [Chard] The white grape of Burgundy and Champagne, now
ubiquitous
worldwide, partly because it is one of the easiest to
grow and vinify. Also the name of a
Mâcon-Villages commune. The fashion for overoaked
butterscotch versions now thankfully
over. Morillon in Styria, Austria.
Chasselas (Fendant, Gutedel) Swiss (originated in Vaud). Neutral flavour, takes on
local
character: elegant (Geneva); refined, full (Vaud);
exotic, racy (Valais). Fendant in Valais.
Makes almost a third of Swiss wines but giving way,
esp to red. Gutedel in Germany, grown
esp in southern Baden. Elsewhere usually a table
grape.
Chenin Blanc [Chenin Bl] Wonderful white grape of the middle Loire (Vouvray,
Layon, etc).
Wine can be dry or sweet (or v. sweet), but with
plenty of acidity. Bulk wine in California.
Taken v. seriously (alias Steen) in South Africa;
still finding its way there, but huge potential.
Cirfandl See
ZIERFANDLER.
Clairette Low-acid;
in many southern French blends. Improved winemaking helps.
Colombard Slightly
fruity, nicely sharp grape, makes everyday wine in South Africa, California
and Southwest France. Often blended.
Dimiat Bulgarian: perfumed, dry or off-dry, or distilled.
More synonyms than it needs
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Ermitage See
MARSANNE.
Ezerjó Hungarian,
with sharp acidity. Name means “thousand blessings”.
Falanghina Italian:
ancient grape of Campanian hills. Excellent dense, aromatic dry whites.
Fendant See
CHASSELAS.
Fernão Pires See
MARIA GOMES.
Fetească Albă / Regală (Leányka / Királyleanyka) Romania has two Fetească grapes, both
with slight MUSCAT aroma. F. Regală is a cross of F.
Albă and GRAS; more finesse, gd for lateharvest
wines. F. Albă is Leányka in Hungary; F. Regală is
Hungary’s Királyleanyka. F.
Neagră is dark-skinned.
Fiano High-quality
grape giving peachy, spicy wine in Campania, southern Italy.
Folle Blanche (Gros Plant, Picpoul) High acid/little flavour make this ideal for brandy.
Gros
Plant (Brittany), Picpoul (Armagnac). Respectable in
California.
Friulano (Sauvignonasse, Sauvignon Vert) North Italian: fresh, pungent, subtly floral. Used to
be called Tocai Friulano. Best in Collio, Isonzo,
Colli Orientali. Found in nearby Slovenia as
Sauvignonasse; also in Chile, where it was long
confused with SAUV BL. Ex-Tocai in Veneto
now known as Tai.
Fumé Blanc See
SAUV BL.
Furmint (Šipon) Superb,
characterful. The trademark of Hungary, both as the principal grape in
Tokaji and as vivid, vigorous table wine, sometimes
mineral, sometimes apricot-flavoured,
sometimes both. Šipon in Slovenia. Some grown in
Rust, Austria, for sweet and dry.
Garganega Best grape in Soave blend; also in Gambellara. Top,
esp sweet, age well.
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Garnacha Blanca (Grenache Blanc) White version of GARNACHA/GRENACHE, much used in
Spain, southern France. Low acidity. Can be
innocuous, or surprisingly gd.
Gewurztraminer (Traminac, Traminec, Traminer,
Tramini) [Gewurz] One of the most
pungent grapes, spicy with aromas of rose petals,
face-cream, lychees, grapefruit. Wines are
often rich and soft, even when fully dry. Best in
Alsace; also gd in Germany (Baden, Pfalz,
Sachsen), Eastern Europe, Australia, California,
Pacific Northwest and NZ. Can be relatively
unaromatic if just labelled Traminer (or variants).
Italy uses the name Traminer Aromatico for
its (dry) versions. The name comes from German Gewürz (“spice”),
and keeps the umlaut in
German.
Glera Uncharismatic
new name for the Prosecco vine. Prosecco is now only a wine, no longer a
grape.
Godello See
VERDELHO.
Grasă (Kövérszölö) Romanian;
name means “fat”. Prone to botrytis; v. important in Cotnari:
potentially superb sweet wines. Kövérszölö in Hungary’s
Tokaj region.
Graševina See
WELSCHRIESLING.
Grauburgunder See
PINOT GR.
Grechetto Ancient
grape of central and south Italy noted for the vitality and stylishness of
its
wine. Blended, or used solo in Orvieto.
Greco Southern
Italian: there are various Grecos, probably unrelated, perhaps of Greek
origin.
Brisk, peachy flavour, most famous as Greco di Tufo.
Greco di Bianco is from semi-dried
grapes. Greco Nero is a black version.
Grenache Blanc See
GARNACHA BLANCA.
Grignolino Italy:
gd everyday table wine in Piedmont.
Gros Plant See
FOLLE BLANCHE.
Grüner Veltliner Austria’s
flagship white grape. Remarkably diverse: from simple, peppery
everyday wines to others of great complexity and
ageing potential. Found elsewhere in
Central Europe to some extent, and now showing
potential in NZ. The height of fashion.
Gutedel See
CHASSELAS.
Hárslevelű Other
main grape of Tokaji, but softer, peachier than FURMINT. Name means “lindenleaved”.
Gd in Somló, Eger as well.
Heida See SAVAGNIN.
Pinot Gris (Pinot Grigio, Grauburgunder, Ruländer,
Sivi Pinot, Szürkebarát) [Pinot Gr]
Light and fashionable as Pinot Grigio in northern
Italy, even for rosé, but top, characterful
versions can be excellent (from Alto Adige, Friuli).
Cheap versions are just that. Terrific in
Alsace for full-bodied, spicy whites. Once important
in Champagne. In Germany can be alias
Ruländer (sweet) or Grauburgunder (dry): best in
Baden (esp Kaiserstuhl) and south Pfalz.
Szürkebarát in Hungary, Sivi Pinot in Slovenia
(characterful, aromatic).
Pošip Croatia:
mostly on Korčula. Quite characterful and citrusy; high yielding.
Prosecco See
GLERA.
Renski Rizling See
RIES.
Ribolla Gialla / Rebula Acidic but characterful. In Italy, best in Collio. In
Slovenia, traditional in
Brda. V. high quality potential in macerated and
classical styles.
Rieslaner German
cross (SILVANER x RIES); low yields, difficult ripening, now a rarity (less
than
50ha). Makes fine Auslesen in Franken and Pfalz.
Riesling Italico See WELSCHRIESLING.
Riesling (Renski Rizling, Rhine Riesling) [Ries] As gd as CHARD, if not better, though
diametrically opposite in style. Offers a range from
steely to voluptuous, always positively
perfumed, with more ageing potential than Chard.
Great in all styles in Germany; forceful and
steely in Austria; lime-cordial and toast fruit in
South Australia; rich and spicy in Alsace;
Germanic and promising in NZ, New York State, Pacific
Northwest; has potential in Ontario,
South Africa.
Sémillon
[Sém] Contributes the lusciousness
to Sauternes but decreasingly important for Graves
and
other dry white Bordeaux. Grassy if not fully ripe, but can make soft, dry
wine of great
ageing
potential. Superb in Australia; NZ and South Africa promising.
Sercial
(Cerceal) Portugal: makes the driest
Madeira. Cerceal, also Portuguese, seems to be this
plus
any of several others.
Seyval
Blanc [Seyval Bl] French-made hybrid of French
and American vines. V. hardy and
attractively
fruity. Popular and reasonably successful in eastern US states and England
but
dogmatically
banned by EU from “quality” wines.
Silvaner
(Johannisberg, Sylvaner) Germany’s former workhorse
grape, can be excellent in
Rheinhessen,
Pfalz, esp Franken, where its plant/earth flavours and mineral notes reach
their
apogee.
V.gd (and powerful) as Johannisberg in the Valais, Switzerland. The lightest
of the
Alsace
grapes.
Sipon
See FURMINT.
Spätrot
See ZIERFANDLER.
Sylvaner
See SILVANER.
Tămâioasă
Românească Romania: “frankincense”
grape, with exotic aroma and taste. Belongs
to
MUSCAT family.
Torrontés
Name given to a number of grapes, mostly with an
aromatic, floral character,
sometimes soapy. A speciality of Argentina; also in
Spain. DYA.
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Humagne Swiss
speciality, older than CHASSELAS. Fresh, plump, not v. aromatic. Humagne Rouge
(HR), also common in Valais, is not related but
increasingly popular. HR is the same as
Cornalin du Aosta; Cornalin du Valais is different.
(Keep up at the back, there.)
Insolia (Ansonica, Inzolia) Sicilian; Ansonica on Tuscan coast. Fresh, racy wine
at best. May be
semi-dried for sweet wine.
Irsai Olivér Hungarian
cross of two table varieties. Makes aromatic, MUSCAT-like wine for
drinking young.
Johannisberg See
SILVANER.
Kéknyelű Low-yielding,
flavourful grape giving one of Hungary’s best whites. Has the potential
for fieriness and spice. To be watched.
Kerner Quite
successful German crossing. Early ripening, flowery (but often too blatant)
wine
with gd acidity.
Királyleányka Aka
FETEASCĂ REGALĂ.
Kövérszölö See
GRASĂ.
Laski Rizling See
WELSCHRIESLING.
Leányka “Little
girl”. See FETEASCĂ ALBĂ.
Listán See
PALOMINO.
Loureiro Best
Vinho Verde variety after ALVARINHO: delicate, floral whites. Also in Spain.
Macabeo See
VIURA.
Malagousia Rediscovered
Greek grape for gloriously perfumed wines.
Malmsey See
MALVASIA. The sweetest style
of Madeira, from grape of same name.
Malvasia (Malmsey, Malvazija) Italy and Iberia. An ancient Greek grape planted so
widely for
so long that various sub-varieties often bear little
resemblance to one another – can be white
or red, sparkling or still, strong or mild, sweet or
dry, aromatic or neutral. Slovenia’s and
Croatia’s version is Malvazija Istarka, crisp and
light, or rich, oak-aged. “Malmsey” (as in
the sweetest style of
Madeira) is a corruption of Malvasia.
Malvoisie Not
related to MALVASIA. Covers several varieties in France, incl PINOT GR, MACABEO,
BOURBOULENC, CLAIRETTE, Torbato, VERMENTINO. Pinot Gr
in Switzerland.
Manseng, Gros / Petit Gloriously spicy and floral whites from Southwest
France. The key to
Jurançon. Superb late-harvest
and sweet wines, too.
Rkatsiteli Found
widely in Eastern Europe, Russia, Georgia. Can stand cold winters and has
high
acidity, which protects it to some degree from poor
winemaking. Also grown in northeast
States.
Robola In
Greece (Cephalonia): top-quality, floral grape, unrelated to RIBOLLA GIALLA.
Roditis Pink
grape grown all over Greece, usually producing white wines. Gd when yields
are
low.
Rotgipfler Austrian;
indigenous to Thermenregion. With ZIERFANDLER, makes lively, lush,
aromatic blend.
Roussanne Rhône
grape of finesse, now popping up in California and Australia. Can age many
yrs.
Ruländer See
PINOT GR.
Sauvignonasse See
FRIULANO.
Sauvignon Blanc [Sauv Bl] Makes distinctive aromatic, grassy-to-tropical wines,
pungent in NZ,
often minerally in Sancerre, riper in Australia. V.gd
in Rueda, Austria, north Italy (Isonzo,
Piedmont, Alto Adige), Chile’s Casablanca Valley and
South Africa. Blended with SÉM in
Bordeaux. Can be austere or buxom (or indeed,
nauseating). Sauvignon Gris is a pink-skinned,
less aromatic version of Sauv Bl with untapped
potential.
Sauvignon Vert See
FRIULANO.
Savagnin (Heida, Païen) Grape of Vin Jaune from Savoie: related to GEWURZ? In
Switzerland
known as Heida, Païen or Traminer. Full-bodied, high
acidity.
Scheurebe Grapefruit-scented
German RIES x SILVANER (possibly), v. successful in Pfalz, esp for
Auslese and upwards. Can be
weedy: must be v. ripe to be gd.
Traminac / Traminec.
See GEWURZ.
Traminer / Tramini Hungary.
See GEWURZ.
Trebbiano (Ugni Blanc) Principal white grape of Tuscany, found all over
Italy in different
guises. Rarely rises above plebeian except in Tuscany’s
Vin Santo. Some gd dry DOCs
Romagna or Abruzzo. Trebbiano di Soave or di Lugana,
aka VERDICCHIO, only distantly
related. Grown in southern France as Ugni Blanc,
Cognac as St-Émilion. Mostly thin, bland;
needs blending (and careful growing).
Ugni Blanc [Ugni Bl] See TREBBIANO.
Ull de Llebre See
TEMPRANILLO.
Verdejo The
grape of Rueda in Castile, potentially fine and long-lived.
Verdelho (Godello) Great
quality in Australia, and in Spain as Godello – probably Spain’s best
white grape. Rare but gd (and medium-sweet) in
Madeira.
Verdicchio Potentially
gd, muscular dry wine in central-eastern Italy. Makes the wine of the same
name.
Vermentino Italy:
sprightly, satisfying texture and ageing capacity. Potential here.
Vernaccia Name
given to many unrelated grapes in Italy. Vernaccia di San Gimignano is crisp,
lively; Vernaccia di Oristano is Sherry-like.
Vidal French hybrid much grown in Canada for Icewine.
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Maria Gomes (Fernão Pires) Portugal: aromatic, ripe-flavoured, slightly spicy
whites in
Barraida and Tejo.
Marsanne (Ermitage) Principal white grape (with ROUSSANNE) of the
northern Rhône
(Hermitage, St-Joseph, St-Péray). Also gd in
Australia, California and (as Ermitage Blanc)
the Valais. Soft, full wines that age v. well.
Melon de Bourgogne See MUSCADET.
Misket Bulgarian:
mildly aromatic; the basis of most country whites.
Morillon CHARD
in parts of Austria.
Moscatel See
MUSCAT.
Moscato See
MUSCAT.
Moschofilero Pink-skinned,
rose-scented, high-quality, high-acid, low-alcohol Greek grape.
Makes white, some pink, some sparkling.
Müller-Thurgau [Müller-T] Aromatic wines to drink young. Gd sweet wines but
usually dull,
often coarse, dry ones. In Germany, most common in
Pfalz, Rheinhessen, Nahe, Baden,
Franken. Has some merit in Italy’s Trentino-Alto
Adige and Friuli. Sometimes called RIES x
SYLVANER (incorrectly) in Switzerland.
Muscadelle Adds
aroma to white Bordeaux, esp Sauternes. In Victoria used (with MUSCAT, to
which it is unrelated) for Rutherglen Muscat.
Muscadet (Melon de Bourgogne) Makes light, refreshing, v. dry wines with a seaside
tang
around Nantes in Brittany. Also found (as Melon) in
parts of Burgundy.
Muscat (Moscatel, Moscato, Muskateller) Many varieties; the best is Muscat Blanc à Petits
Grains (alias Gelber Muskateller, Rumeni Muškat,
Sarga Muskotály, Yellow Muscat). Widely
grown, easily recognized, pungent grapes, mostly made
into perfumed sweet wines, often
fortified, as in France’s Vin Doux Naturel. Superb,
dark and sweet in Australia. Sweet,
sometimes v.gd in Spain. Most Hungarian Muskotály is
Muscat Ottonel, except in Tokaj
where Sarga Muskotály rules, adding perfume (in small
amounts) to blends. Occasionally (eg.
Alsace, Austria, parts of south Germany) made dry.
Sweet Cap Corse Muscats often superb.
Light Moscato fizz in Italy.
Muskateller See
MUSCAT.
Narince Turkish;
fresh and fruity wines.
Neuburger Austrian,
rather neglected; mainly in the Wachau (elegant, flowery), Thermenregion
(mellow, ample-bodied) and north Burgenland (strong,
full).
Olaszrizling See
WELSCHRIESLING.
Païen See
SAVAGNIN.
Palomino (Listán) The
great grape of Sherry; with little intrinsic character, it gains all from
production method. Of local appeal (on a hot day) for
table wine. As Listán, makes dry white
in Canaries.
Pansà Blanca See
XAREL-LO.
Pecorino Italian:
not a cheese but alluring dry white from a recently nr-extinct variety. IGT
in
Colli Pescaresi.
Pedro Ximénez [PX] Makes
sweet Sherry under its own name; in Montilla, Málaga. Also grown
in Argentina, the Canaries, Australia, California,
South Africa.
Pinela Local
to Slovenia. Subtle, lowish acidity; drink young.
Pinot Bianco See
PINOT BL.
Pinot Blanc (Beli Pinot, Pinot Bianco, Weissburgunder)
[Pinot Bl] Cousin of PINOT N, similar
to but milder than CHARD. Light, fresh, fruity, not
aromatic, to drink young. Gd for Italian
spumante; potentially excellent in northeast, esp
high sites in Alto Adige. Widely grown.
Weissburgunder in Germany and
best in south: often racier than Chard.
Viognier Ultra-fashionable
Rhône grape, finest in Condrieu, less fine but still aromatic in Midi.
Gd examples from California, Virginia, Uruguay,
Australia.
Viura (Macabeo, Maccabéo, Maccabeu) Workhorse white grape of northern Spain, widespread
in Rioja, Catalunya. Also in Southwest France. Gd
quality potential.
Weissburgunder PINOT
BL in Germany.
Welschriesling (Graševina, Laski Rizling,
Olaszrizling, Riesling Italico) Not
related to RIES.
Light and fresh to sweet and rich in Austria;
ubiquitous in Central Europe, where it can be
remarkably gd for dry and sweet wines.
Xarel-lo (Pansà Blanca) Traditional Catalan grape for Cava, with Parellada, MACABEO.
Neutral
but clean. More character (lime cordial) in Alella,
as Pansà Blanca.
Xynisteri Cyprus’s
most planted white grape. Can be simple and is usually DYA, but when
grown at altitude makes appealing, minerally whites.
Zéta Hungarian;
BOUVIER x FURMINT used by some in Tokaji Aszú production.
Zierfandler (Spätrot, Cirfandl) Found in Austria’s Thermenregion; often blended with
ROTGIPFLER for aromatic,
orange-peel-scented, weighty wines
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