Wine grape varieties
- Main article: List of grape
varieties
Wine is usually made from one or more varieties of the
European species, Vitis vinifera. When one of these
varieties, such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, or Merlot, for example, is used as
the predominant grape (usually defined by law as a minimum of 75 or 85%) the
result is a varietal, as opposed to a blended wine. Blended wines are in no way
inferior to varietal wines; indeed, some of the world's most valued and
expensive wines from the Bordeaux, Rioja or Tuscany regions, are a blend of
several grape varieties of the same vintage.
Wine can also be made from other species or from hybrids, created by the genetic
crossing of two species. Vitis labrusca, Vitis aestivalis,
Vitis muscadinia, Vitis rupestris, Vitis rotundifolia and
Vitis riparia are native North American grapes, usually
grown for eating in fruit form or made into grape juice, jam, or jelly, but
sometimes made into wine, eg. Concord wine (Vitis
labrusca species). Although generally prohibited by law in traditional wine
regions, hybrids are planted in substantial numbers in cool-climate viticultural
areas.
Hybrids are not to be confused with the practice of
grafting. Most of the world's vineyards are planted with European vinifera vines
that have been grafted onto North American species rootstock. This is common
practice because North American grape species are resistant to phylloxera. Grafting is done
in every wine-producing country of the World except for Chile, which has yet to
be exposed to the bug.
The variety of grape(s), aspect (direction of slope),
elevation, and topography of the vineyard, type and chemistry of soil, the
climate and seasonal conditions under which grapes are grown, the local yeast
cultures altogether form the
concept of "terroir."
The range of possibilities lead to great variety among wine products, which is
extended by the fermentation, finishing, and aging processes. Many small
producers use growing and production methods that preserve or accentuate the
aroma and taste influences of their unique terroir.
However, flavor differences are not necessarily a
desirable quality for large producers of table wine or
more affordable wines, where consistency is more important for mass-market wine
brands. Their producers will try to minimize differences in sources of grapes,
hide any hint of often-unremarkable "terroirs", or climatically
under-performing harvest years, by:
- blending harvests of various years and vineyards;
- pasteurizing the grape juice in order to kill
indigenous yeasts (to be replaced with "choice" cultivated yeasts); and
- using flavor additives.
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