Wine Lover's Companion-Wine Definitions Cabernet Sauvignon: The flavor, STRUCTURE, COMPLEXITY, and longevity of wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon are what makes this grape so popular. Its fruity flavors have been described as CHERRY, black cherry, BLACKCURRANT ( or cassis ), and raspberry. In addition, other flavor descriptions include MINTY, CEDAR, CHOCOLATE, and bell pepper; the word tobacco is often used to describe older vintages. The ACIDITY and TANNIS found in Cabernet Sauvignon wines help form the basis for its structure and longevity. Champagne: The main grape varieties grown in the Champagne region are PINOT NOIR, MEUNIER, (Pinot Meunier), and CHARDONNAY. Rose Champagnes: generally made by adding a small amount of still wine to the cuvee, although some producers extract color through MACERATION of the juice with red grape skins. Blanc de Noirs Champagnes: Pale, pink, and full flavored, are made entirely from red Pinot Noir and/or Meunier grapes. Blanc de Blancs Champagnes: usually more delicate and the lightest in color, are made entirely from Chardonnay grapes. Extra Brut: Totally dry to very dry- less than 0.6 percent sugar Brut: Very dry to almost dry- less than 1.5 percent sugar Extra Sec or Extra Dry: Slightly sweeter - 1.2 to 2 percent sugar Sec: Medium sweet- 1.7 to 3.5 percent sugar Demi-Sec: Sweet- 3.5 to 5 percent sugar (Considered to be a dessert wine) Doux: Very sweet- over 5 percent sugar (Considered to be a dessert wine) Chardonnay: Can be described as BUTTERY, CREAMY, NUTTY, SMOKY, AND STEELY; popular fruit descriptors include APPLE, lemon, melon, and pineapple. Chardonnay is also an important grape in the CHAMPAGNE district where it's picked before fully ripe while it still has high ACID and understated fruit flavors- the perfect combination for champagne. Gewurztraminer: The German word gewurtz means "spiced," and these wines are known for their CRISP, SPICY attributes. They're highly fragrant, with flavor characteristics of litchis, roses (or flowers in general), and spices such as cloves and nutmeg. Merlot: In French, the word Merlot means "young blackbird," probably alluding to the grape's beautiful dark-blue color. They produce wines that are generally SOFTER and with slightly higher ALCOHOL content. High-quality Merlot wines are medium to dark red in color, rich and FRUITY, with characteristics of BLACKCURRANT, CHERRY, and MINT. Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris: the style of wines ranges from CRISP, LIGHT, and DRY- such as those produced in northern Italy (where Pinot Gris is called Pinot Grigio), to the RICH, FAT, HONEYED versions from France's ALSACE region (where Pinot Gris is called Tokay d'Alsace ) Pinot Noir: The flavor of Pinot Noir is chameleon-like. When young, good wines exhibit the simpler fruity characteristics of cherries, plums, raspberries, and strawberries. As these wines mature, they display a variety of COMPLEX characteristics including chocolate, game, figs, prunes, SMOKINESS, truffles and violets. Riesling: The DELICATE but COMLEX Riesling wines are characterized by a SPICY, FRUITY flavor (that is sometimes reminiscent of peaches and apricots), a flower-scented BOUQUET, and a long FINISH. There are six subcategories within the QmP category, ranked from lowest to highest: KABINETT, SPATLESE, AUSLESE, BEERENAUSLESE, EISWEIN, and TROCKENBEERENAUSLESE. Syrah: When young, these wines are deep-colored and TANNIC, with strong TAR, SPICE, and PEPPER qualities. Syrahs are long-lived, and they slowly mature, they take on characteristics of sweet blackberries, blackcurrants, and plums with hints of SMOKINESS. Zinfandel: Zinfandel can produce wines ranging from light, NOUVEAU styles to hearty, robust reds with berrylike spicy (sometimes peppery) flavors, plenty of TANNIS and ALCOHOL, and enough DEPTH, COMPLEXITY, and LONGEVITY to be compared to CABERNET SAUVIGNONS.
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