The Wine Pursuit: Basic Varietals

Below are the most three most popular white and four most popular red wine varietals. These are the types you will most often see on a menu and at wine tastings. This is meant to act as a a word association. For example, when you think "chardonnay" think "velvety." You could even turn these into flashcards to commit the basic information to memory.

White

Chardonnay: (Shar-doe-nay)
velvety (wider-bodied) citrus, grapefruit, lemon

Fermenting in oak barrels=buttery flavor, vanilla, coconut, toffee
France, California

Riesling: (Rees-ling)
Sweet, tart, light (refreshing)apple, pear, floral

Germany/USA East coast

Sauvignon Blanc: (So-vee-nyon Blah)
Light, acidic, herbal
sour: bell pepper, grass, green apple, pear, gooseberry
tropical: melon, mango, blackcurrant
France/New Zealand

Red

Syrah: (Sah-ra)

black fruit: blackcurrant, blackberry

black pepper spice, roasting meat

Oaked=toffee

France, California, Australia

Merlot: (Mer-lo)

Soft (easy to drink)

black cherry, plums, blueberries, blackberries

Cocoa, black pepper spice

France, California

Cabernet Sauvignon: (Ka-ber-nay So-vee-nyon)

Full-bodied, wide variety of flavors

Often aged

Plum, cherry, blackberry, blueberry

Vanilla (oaked), tobacco, leather

France, California, Chile, Australia

Pinot Noir: (Pee-no Nwahr)

Light-medium bodied, fruity

Dry

strawberry, cherry, raspberry, blackberry

Warm spice notes: cinnamon, clove and smoky, tobacco

For more detailed explanations and lists of other varietals, check out:
http://www.frenchscout.com/types-of-wines

Cheese Pairings

We all know the age old pairing of wine and cheese. It's just like peanut butter and jelly, french fries and milkshakes, porkchops and applesauce. One just tastes better with the other. Wine and cheese go hand in hand because they accentuate one another's flavor. When choosing a certain cheese to go with your wine, there are a few basic guidelines.

Choosing a cheese from the same region as your wine is usually a safe bet.

Wines with a higher tannin content tend to be complemented better with a harder cheese.

More acidic wines tend to go well with softer cheeses.

Salty cheeses are usually paired with sweet wine.

BLUE CHEESE

Certain countries and the European Union have protected origin names. For example, Gorgonzola is a blue cheese that comes only from the European Union. Most, though, don't have a protected origin and are known simply as blue cheese. It has a distinct smell and tastes sharp and salty. The smell, taste, and blue, mottled appearance come from the mold Penicillium being added. In addition, certain types of bacteria are encouraged to grow on the cheese which contributes to the smell and flavor. Blue cheese complements Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gruner Veltliner, Port, Riesling, Sangiovese, and Zinfandel.

The Wine Pursuit

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Basic Varietals

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