Wine Varieties: What’s the Difference?

Are these each different grapes and the tastes associated with the wine that is produced from them?

Exactly! If one were to taste a Gamay grape, for example, it certainly wouldn’t taste like bananas… nor bubblegum

But the wine produced from the Gamay grape is known to have these typical characteristics.

Brandon Marc

err

Who decided that there were just 12 noble varieties — and that these were them?

Surprised to see Gamay there. Philip the Bold thought it so ignoble he banned it from Burgundy

What about Tempranillo or Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Grenache and Muscat? to name a few..

Welcome back Peter…

Indeed there is debate about which grape varieties can be considered noble and which cannot. The list that I compliled above represents the most commonly accepted noble varieties.

With regards to the varieties you mentioned:

- Tempranillio is considered Spains noble grape, and not a true noble.

- Grenache might be the most widely planted grape variety in the world but is not considered noble.

- Zinfandel the ‘Californian classic’, traditionally grown in Italy and originated from Croatia, does not fall into the noble catagory.

- Nebbiolo is the most important grape of Italy’s Piedmont region and is used in many wine blends but is not considered a true noble.

- Sangiovese is the main component of the Tuscan Chianti blend and is generally not considered a noble grape variety.

- Muscat (or Muscadel/Hanepoot in South Africa) is grown all around the world and is arguably the oldest domesticated grape variety. Many noble grape varieties are thought to originate from Muscat and for this reason I would not feel uncomfortable labeling the variety noble. However, according to common consensus it is not considered nobel.

Cheers!

Brandon Marc

Well, we go back to my original question — define what you mean by ‘noble’. Where did you get these 12 from?

I think the only real definition of a noble variety is one which is vinifera.

I’ve seen similar lists of ‘top’ varieties, sometimes called noble over the years, but 30 years ago you wouldn’t see Viognier on it because there was virtually none growing anywhere in the world, or Syrah which wasn’t reckoned to be much more than a Rhone blending grape.

And Gamay?? C’mon; get real.

You raise a good question Peter… what IS ‘noble’?

The 12 varieties I suggested above were confirmed as noble in ‘The New Illustrated Guide to Wine’ 2005 by Stuart Walton.

There are approximately 10 000 sub-types of Vitis vinifera, therefore if your suggested definition of noble were true, then there would exist 10 000 noble varieties!?

I think the ‘unofficial’ definition of ‘noble’ is a combination of two factors: Those sub-types which are most closely related to Vitis vinifera in term of genetics AND those sub-types which are most important in the commercial production of wine.

Of course this definition is rather ‘gray’, hence the apparent variation of opinion’s. This would also explain why varieties such as Syrah and Viognier were never considered noble until they became commercially important.

And perhaps one can be forgiven for not regarding Gamay as noble, as it has very little viticultural significance outside the Beaujolais region of France.

The topic of noble classification is certainly an interesting one and you can be sure that I’ll be writing more on it soon!

Cheers!

Brandon Marc

I don’t know Stuart Waltons book, but now understand where you got the list from.

You may be have not been in areas where non-vinifera wines are the majority & I don’t know how many non-vinifera wines you have tasted.

As I said, it depends what you mean by noble. A real working definition is ‘vinifera’, and it is a definition which is important in places where vinifera is not 100%. (And it is also the reason why it is so important not to call Pinotage a hybrid, because hybrids are not noble).

I am afraid your definition “‘noble’ is a combination of two factors: Those sub-types which are most closely related to Vitis vinifera in term of genetics AND those sub-types which are most important in the commercial production of wine.”

First forget closely related. A vine is either 100% vinifera or it is not.

If your definition is vinifera that are “important in the commercial production of wine”, then Airen and Garnacha must go right up the top. Forget Gamay & Semillon, Viognier and Riesling. They’re all very minor, Chenin is borderline, important in SA but nowhere else

It is clear that the ‘noble’ debate could go on forever

Regarding my noble definition, I think what I intended to say was: Those sub-types which are most characteristically Vitis vinifera ie. Those sub-types which are most similar to the type specie Vitis vinifera.

And even though I believe this to be the ‘unofficial’ definition of noble, I certainly didn’t say that I believe it to be true!

Brandon Marc

I have never come across the term noble variety before! I had heard the term premium, classic or international used for some lists of varieties.

Each country seems to have their own (often contested) list of ‘noble’ or ‘premium’ varieties. I remember when I was doing my Certificate in Wine through the Cape Wine Academy that they had a list of ‘premium’ or ‘classic’ varieties. This list included Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardoonay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Shiraz/Syrah and (Weisser) Riesling.

There are undoubtedly vine varieties that are common to all these national or regional lists.

The Oxford Companion to Wine (3rd Ed) calls them ‘International’ varieties and clearly says it is a loose term of varieties that have an international reputation. It includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Syrah/Shiraz, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Muscat, Gewurztraminer, Viognier, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. It also says that as some varieties become more international, they can be said to join this list. They include the following newer ‘International’ varieties: Sangiovese, Mourvedre, Tempranillo and Nebbiolo.

Really? You’ve never heard of the term ‘noble’ before!? Am I perhaps being old fashioned using the term?

I have always considered that the ‘noble’ varieties of wine were the corner stone of wine making. Maybe instead of the emphasis being placed on the classification of wine varieties, one should rather focus on the actual process of winemaking!

Brandon Marc

So true Brandon. I have tasted hideous ‘noble’ varieties and very good ‘peasant’ varieties. I must say however that the noble varieties, more often than not, make the better wines wherever they are in the world.

I found a few of my references referring to noble varieties
since I posted my last message - so you are not old fashioned! But I found that they differed with the number and also which varieties were included. I saw that Cab Sauv, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Semillon, Merlot and Riesling appeared in most lists. I found it interesting that Syrah, Chenin Blanc and Sauv Blanc did not make it in some lists!

Welcome back Don!

It seems that the noble varieties just have a better ‘track record’ when it comes to winemaking… a fact that can’t be denied.

And it certainly is interesting that almost every time I find a reference to the noble varieties, the list is different!

Brandon Marc