WHAT - Blue Grape Varieties

Dear Readers,

A common question asked to me is "what is your favourite grape variety?". Actually, I can't answer but I have favourite ones. The reason why it is difficult to answer is due to several reasons:

- I can't choose out of 2000 varieties

- It depends on the event I attend

- It depends if there is food in my room 

- It depends on the atmosphere 

- It depends on the weather

- It depends if I am at home, by friends or on vacation.

So I have my reasons as you can read;-).

What I would like to discuss with this article are the common blue grape varieties. Please, do not ever mention that we are talking about red grapes, because they aren't. When harvest starts the blue grapes will be brought to the winery, when the winemaker starts with the vinification process (a word to remember!), the substance is of the grape white. During pressing the skin of the grape will burst and that will give the wine it's red colour. 

At the moment there are 50 grape varieties (blue and white) that represent 95% of the wine world production. Most grape varieties originate from the Old World countries, like France, Germany, Spain & Italy. These grape varieties are well known and brought by innovators to the new world countries to increase the production of the grapes. One of the trends in the past was to blend for example well-known French wines in other countries, and countries like New Zealand, West coast of America have won awards by confusing the taste panel.

I will describe nine different grape varieties, short. (When to short, you may ask!)

Cabernet Franc from Franc
- Cultivated in the Loire valley and Bordelaise - Gironde
- Blackcurrants, strawberry, pencil shaving, olives, green pepper, chocolate
- Light red wines, spiced red wines, traditional made in blends.

Cabernet Sauvignon - well-known blue grape variety
- Cultivated in France, Beaujolais and in common new world countries, South Africa, Argentina, Australia
- Dark berries, Blackcurrant, blackberry, tobacco, cedar, minty, cigar box, lead pencils, olives, earthy, damp, chocolate, eucalyptus
- Heavy and dark red wines when blended with other grape varieties like Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. The blended wine will have a less out spoken taste and smell.

Barbera
- Cultivated in Piemonte Italy
- Characteristics: cherry, clove, tobacco, marmalade of red- and blue berries
- Young and easy drinking red wine, but also heavy spiced red wines.

Grenache

- Cultivated in Spain, one of de most cultivated grape variety

- Fresh and fruity aroma, high in acid, banana, marmalade and acetone

- Fruity wine, not too heavy.

Malbec

- Cultivated mostly in Argentina and South-West Cahors, Bordeaux of France

- Another name of the Malbec is Côt

- Deep dark wine, almost purple to blue, taste to black current, tobacco, earthy, dark berries.

Merlot 
- Originate from Bordeaux, France, cultivated in more new world wine countries
- Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec are dark and heavy wines, if you do not prefer these characteristics in wine, please take Merlot
- Cherries, plums, blackcurrant, fruitcake, coffee, chocolate, meaty, mineral.

Pinot Noir

- Originate from Bourgogne and Elzas in France, but cultivated also in New Zealand (delicious grape, put it for 20 minutes in the fridge - tip on the spot;-))

- The grape is called in Germany spätburgunder. 
- This grape variety is used in blends for Champagne (yes, blue grapes!)

- If you have ever a glass of wine in your hand and you can look through the glass to your toes, than you certainly have a Pinot Noir in your hand

- Red berries, raspberry, cranberry, cherry, violets, vegetal, compost, autumnal undergrowth

-       You may think that this wine is not that heavy, but it can have a lot of tannins. I would suggest to let this wine stay for two or three years and when the classification (later on more) is higher than let it stay for a couple more years. You can always ask the person where you buy the wine.

Shiraz

- One of my favourite! It smells like pepper and parsley and that gives me the best memories of my grand mothers vegetable soup

- Cultivated in Côtes du Rhone, Hermitage, Côte-Rôtie in France

- Dark berries, mulberry, blackberry, plumy, smoky, leathery, cloves, cinnamon, mixed spice, parsley and black pepper

-Dark and heavy red wine.

I hope this will give you a guideline what the characteristics are of certain blue grape varieties. Maybe it will be easier for you to buy wine what you prefer or looking for. It is handy I believe when you would like to find a perfect wine-food combination.

Thus, if you have any questions regarding blue grape varieties, even when they are not mentioned please feel free.

Love,

Annalia

Sources:
Dumonts Kleine Wijnlexicon - Christina Fischer
Cape Wine Academy - Certificate Wine Course - Stellenbosch, South Africa