Wine Grapes

Last updated
Wine Grapes
Author Jancis Robinson
Julia Harding
José Vouillamoz
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Genre Wine grape reference book
Publisher Allen Lane
Publication date
 October 2012 (2012-10)
Media type Print (hardcover)
Pages 1279
ISBN 978-1-846-14446-2

Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours is a reference book about varieties of wine grapes. The book covers all grape varieties that were known to produce commercial quantities of wine at the time of writing, which meant 1,368 of the known 10,000 varieties. It is written by British Masters of Wine Jancis Robinson and Julia Harding in collaboration with Swiss grape geneticist Dr. José Vouillamoz. [1]

In botanical nomenclature, variety is a taxonomic rank below that of species and subspecies, but above that of form. As such, it gets a three-part infraspecific name. It is sometimes recommended that the subspecies rank should be used to recognize geographic distinctiveness, whereas the variety rank is appropriate if the taxon is seen throughout the geographic range of the species.

Wine alcoholic drink made from grapes

Wine is an alcoholic drink made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol, carbon dioxide, and heat. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts produce different styles of wine. These variations result from the complex interactions between the biochemical development of the grape, the reactions involved in fermentation, the terroir, and the production process. Many countries enact legal appellations intended to define styles and qualities of wine. These typically restrict the geographical origin and permitted varieties of grapes, as well as other aspects of wine production. Wines not made from grapes include rice wine and fruit wines such as plum, cherry, pomegranate, currant and elderberry.

Master of Wine (MW) is a qualification issued by The Institute of Masters of Wine in the United Kingdom. The MW qualification is generally regarded in the wine industry as one of the highest standards of professional knowledge.

Contents

Description

Wine Grapes is not an update of Robinson's earlier book Vines, Grapes & Wines, first published in 1986. Wine Grapes is a brand new and original work that is much more extensive in coverage, and also incorporates recent findings from ampelographic research, including DNA profiling of grape varieties. [2]

Ampelography field of botany concerned with the identification and classification of grapevines

Ampelography is the field of botany concerned with the identification and classification of grapevines, Vitis spp. Traditionally this has been done by comparing the shape and colour of the vine leaves and grape berries; more recently the study of vines has been revolutionised by DNA fingerprinting.

DNA profiling small set of DNA variations that is very likely to be different in all unrelated individuals

DNA profiling is the process of determining an individual's DNA characteristics, which are as unique as fingerprints. DNA analysis intended to identify a species, rather than an individual, is called DNA barcoding.

Grape spherical berry from vines of Vitis spp.

A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus Vitis.

Wine Grapes include a catalog listing of 1,368 grape varieties from across the globe including 377 Italian, 204 French and 77 Portuguese wine grape varieties. Coverage includes a listing of synonyms as well as the genetic relationship between varieties derived from DNA analysis. [3]

Italian wine

Italy is the world's largest producer of wine, and is home to some of the oldest wine-producing regions. Its contribution is about 45–50 million hl per year, and represents about a quarter of global production. Italian wine is exported around the world, as popular among Italians. Italians rank fifth on the world wine consumption list by volume with 42 litres per capita consumption. Grapes are grown in every region of the country and there are more than one million vineyards under cultivation.

French wine

French wine is produced all throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France is one of the largest wine producers in the world. French wine traces its history to the 6th century BC, with many of France's regions dating their wine-making history to Roman times. The wines produced range from expensive wines sold internationally to modest wines usually only seen within France such as the Margnat wines were during the post war period.

Portuguese wine

Portuguese wine is the result of traditions introduced to the region by ancient civilizations, such as the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, and mostly the Romans. Portugal started to export its wines to Rome during the Roman Empire. Modern exports developed with trade to England after the Methuen Treaty in 1703. From this commerce a wide variety of wines started to be grown in Portugal. And, in 1758, one of the first wine-producing regions of the world, the Região Demarcada do Douro was created under the orientation of Marquis of Pombal, in the Douro Valley. Portugal has two wine-producing regions protected by UNESCO as World Heritage: the Douro Valley Wine Region and Pico Island Wine Region. Portugal has a big variety of local kinds, producing a very wide variety of different wines with distinctive personality.

DNA findings

Sample of one of the colour plates from Viala et Vermorel that are included in the book Wine Grapes, that details the extensive family tree of the Pinot grape including the lineage of Petit Manseng (pictured) to Savagnin blanc and Pinot noir. Petit Manseng.jpg
Sample of one of the colour plates from Viala et Vermorel that are included in the book Wine Grapes, that details the extensive family tree of the Pinot grape including the lineage of Petit Manseng (pictured) to Savagnin blanc and Pinot noir.

According to Jancis Robinson and José Vouillamoz, Wine Grapes includes details about almost 300 previously unpublished relationship between different grape varieties including the extensive family tree of the Pinot grape that includes a genetic link between the Burgundian wine grape Pinot noir to the Rhône grape Syrah and the Bordeaux varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet franc, Merlot and Malbec. The book also details how the Jura wine grape Savagnin blanc descended from the Pinot grape to go on and be the parent vine of several white wine varieties including Chenin blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Sauvignon blanc, Petit Manseng and Verdelho. [2]

Pinot is a Burgundian grape family.

Burgundy wine

Burgundy wine is wine made in the Burgundy region in eastern France, in the valleys and slopes west of the Saône, a tributary of the Rhône. The most famous wines produced here—those commonly referred to as "Burgundies"—are dry red wines made from Pinot noir grapes and white wines made from Chardonnay grapes.

Pinot noir Wine-making grape

Pinot noir is a red wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French words for pine and black. The word pine alludes to the grape variety having tightly clustered, pine cone-shaped bunches of fruit.

Along with research assistant and Master of wine Julia Harding, Robinson and Vouillamoz go on to detail the long history of discovering the parentage of the American wine variety Zinfandel including past research that pointed to a connection between the Italian variety Primitivo and the Croatian wine grape Crljenak Kaštelanski. After years of research and DNA testing of vines from vineyards across the globe, a single 90-year-old grape vine from the garden of an elderly lady in Split, Croatia provided the evidence to show that Zinfandel was originally a Croatian grape known as Tribidrag that had been cultivated in Croatia since the 15th century. [2] [4]

American wine has been produced for over 300 years. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 89 percent of all US wine. The United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.

Zinfandel plant with grapes used to make wine

Zinfandel is a variety of black-skinned wine grape. The variety is grown in over 10 percent of California vineyards. DNA analysis has revealed that it is genetically equivalent to the Croatian grapes Crljenak Kaštelanski and Tribidrag, as well as to the Primitivo variety traditionally grown in Apulia, where it was introduced in the 18th century. The grape found its way to the United States in the mid-19th century, where it became known by variations of a name applied to a different grape, likely "Zierfandler" from Austria.

Croatian wine has a history dating back to the Ancient Greek settlers, and their wine production on the southern Dalmatian islands of Vis, Hvar and Korčula some 2,500 years ago. Like other old world wine producers, many traditional grape varieties still survive in Croatia, perfectly suited to their local wine hills. Modern wine-production methods have taken over in the larger wineries, and EU-style wine regulations have been adopted, guaranteeing the quality of the wine.

A 90-year-old grape vine found in the garden of an elderly lady in Split, Croatia proved that Zinfandel was originally a Croatian grape variety known as Tribidrag that has been cultivated in Croatia since the 15th century. Zinfandel from Alder Ridge Vineyard.JPG
A 90-year-old grape vine found in the garden of an elderly lady in Split, Croatia proved that Zinfandel was originally a Croatian grape variety known as Tribidrag that has been cultivated in Croatia since the 15th century.

Other findings reported in Wine Grapes include the discovery of several species of Malvasia grapes growing in central and southern Italy are actually the Spanish wine grape Tempranillo and that Cabernet franc may have originated in Basque country of Spain. Additionally the origins of the assumed to be French varieties of Mourvèdre, Grenache and Carignan are shown to likely be Spanish instead. [2]

Malvasia varietal

Malvasia is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and the island of Madeira, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world. In the past, the names Malvasia, Malvazia, and Malmsey have been used interchangeably for Malvasia-based wines; however, in modern oenology, "Malmsey" is now used almost exclusively for a sweet variety of Madeira wine made from the Malvasia grape. Grape varieties in this family include Malvasia bianca, Malvasia di Schierano, Malvasia negra, Malvasia nera, Malvasia nera di Brindisi, Malvasia di Candia aromatica, Malvasia odorosissima, and a number of other varieties.

Spanish wine The wines of Spain

Spanish wines are wines produced in Spain. Located on the Iberian Peninsula, Spain has over 2.9 million acres planted—making it the most widely planted wine-producing nation but it is the third largest producer of wine in the world, the largest being Italy followed by France. This is due, in part, to the very low yields and wide spacing of the old vines planted on the dry, infertile soil found in many Spanish wine regions. The country is ninth in worldwide consumptions with Spaniards drinking, on average, 21.6 litres per person a year. The country has an abundance of native grape varieties, with over 400 varieties planted throughout Spain though 80 percent of the country's wine production is from only 20 grapes—including the reds Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Monastrell; the whites Albariño from Galicia, Palomino, Airen, and Macabeo; and the three cava grapes Parellada, Xarel·lo, and Macabeo.

Tempranillo wine making grape

Tempranillo is a black grape variety widely grown to make full-bodied red wines in its native Spain. Its name is the diminutive of the Spanish temprano ("early"), a reference to the fact that it ripens several weeks earlier than most Spanish red grapes. Tempranillo has been grown on the Iberian Peninsula since the time of Phoenician settlements. It is the main grape used in Rioja, and is often referred to as Spain's noble grape. The grape has been planted throughout the globe in places.

Another detail revealed by DNA testing and reported in Wine Grapes is that several northern Italian white wine grape varieties including Favorita, Pigato and Vermentino are genetically the same grape vine which is known under the synonym of Rolle in France but has no genetic relationship to the Rollo grape of Liguria. [2]

Colour plates

A number of grape varieties are illustrated by reproductions of colour plates from Ampélographie. Traité général de viticulture written by Pierre Viala and Victor Vermorel and published in 1901–1910. [1]

Related Research Articles

Merlot dark blue-colored variety of wine-making grape

Merlot is a dark blue-colored wine grape variety, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to be a diminutive of merle, the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the color of the grape. Its softness and "fleshiness", combined with its earlier ripening, makes Merlot a popular grape for blending with the sterner, later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, which tends to be higher in tannin.

Cabernet Franc grapevine that yields black grapes used for wine

Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire's Chinon. In addition to being used in blends and produced as a varietal in Canada and the United States, it is sometimes made into ice wine in those regions.

Pinot blanc varietal

Pinot blanc is a white wine grape. It is a point genetic mutation of Pinot noir. Pinot noir is genetically unstable and will occasionally experience a point mutation in which a vine bears all black fruit except for one cane which produces white fruit.

Trousseau (grape) varietal

Trousseau or Trousseau Noir, also known as Bastardo, is an old variety of red wine grape originating in eastern France. It is grown in small amounts in many parts of Western Europe; the largest plantations are today found in Portugal, where most famously it is used in port wine. It makes deep cherry red wines with high alcohol and high, sour candy acidity, and flavours of red berry fruits, often complemented - depending on production - by a jerky nose and an organic, mossy minerality.

Gros Verdot is a red French wine grape variety that was a historically important grape in the Gironde wine region of Bordeaux but plantings of the variety have been banned in the region since 1946 with the grape no longer being a permitted variety in any AOC Bordeaux wines.

Pineau d'Aunis is a red French wine grape variety that is grown primarily in the Loire Valley around Anjou and Touraine.

Friuli-Venezia Giulia wine wine

Friuli-Venezia Giulia wine is wine made in the northeastern Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Once part of the Venetian Republic and with sections under the influence of the Austro-Hungarian Empire for some time, the wines of the region have noticeable Slavic and Germanic influences. There are 11 Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) and 3 Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia area. The region has 3 Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) designations Alto Livenza, delle Venezie and Venezia Giulia. Nearly 62% of the wine produced in the region falls under a DOC designation. The area is known predominantly for its white wines which are considered some of the best examples of Italian wine in that style. Along with the Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, the Friuli-Venezia Giulia forms the Tre Venezie wine region which ranks with Tuscany and Piedmont as Italy's world class wine regions.

Biancame is a white Italian wine grape variety that is grown in the Marche and Emilia-Romagna regions of Italy. Here it is an important component in the Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) wines of Bianchello del Metauro and Colli di Rimini.

Glera (grape) varietal

Glera is a white variety of grape of Slovenian origin, which was brought to the village of Prosecco from Slovenia's Karst region. Glera was, until 2009, mostly referred to as Prosecco.

Incrocio Manzoni varietal

Incrocio Manzoni or Manzoni grapes is a family of grape varieties named after Professor Luigi Manzoni (1888-1968) of Italy's oldest school of oenology located in Conegliano, in the Veneto region. Manzoni created the new grape varieties by selecting, crossing and grafting vines from various vineyards during the 1920s and 1930s. The family includes both white and red grape varieties. Although most Manzonis are grown in northeastern Italy, they are mainly grown in the Piave area of Province of Treviso and are only now starting to be sold commercially in Europe and the United States.

Carso – Kras is an Italian wine-producing zone located in the provinces Trieste and Gorizia in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, on the border with Slovenia. It was classified as a Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) in 1985 and produces both red and white wine. It takes its name from the Carso plateau and covers 57 hectares. It has produced 1, 080 hl total 2013/2014, with an average of 11, 240 cases bottled annually.

Trentino refers to the southern part of the region and its capital is Trento.

Hron is a red Slovak wine grape variety that is a crossing of the Southwest France wine grapes Abouriou and Castets. The variety was created in 1976 at the VSSVVM Research and Breeding Station for Enology and Viticulture in Modra. The grape was named after the Hron river, a tributary of the Danube that is the second longest river in Slovakia. Along with Nitranka, Rimava and Váh, which were created using the same parent varieties, Hron was officially authorized for commercial wine production in 2011.

Béquignol noir is a red French wine grape variety that originated in Southwest France but is now more widely grown in the Mendoza wine region of Argentina where it is often used to add color to blends. The grape is often confused with several other red wine varieties such as Cabernet Franc, Durif, Fer and Prunelard with Béquignol noir sharing several synonyms with these grapes. However DNA profiling has shown Béquignol noir to be distinct from those grape varieties. Further research in 2011 showed that Béquignol noir may have a parent-offspring relationship with the Savagnin grape.

Merlot blanc is a white French wine grape variety that came from a natural crossing of the Bordeaux wine grape Merlot and the Cognac grape Folle blanche. The grape is distinct from Merlot gris which is a pink-skinned color mutation of the red wine grape Merlot and is sometimes used in vin gris and rosé wines. Plantings of Merlot blanc were first discovered in 1891 but cuttings of the vine have not been widely propagated and the variety is very rare. It is not used to make the sweet White Zinfandel-style wine White Merlot that is made by some California wine producers. Those wines are made from a saignee of red Merlot wine.

Arrouya noir is a red French wine grape variety grown in the Jurançon region of Southwest France. The grape has a long history in the region, growing in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques since at least the late 18th century. Ampelographers believe that Arrouya noir has some genetic relationship with Camaraou noir, Fer and Petit Courbu though the exact nature of those relationships is not yet known. The variety also shares some similarities in morphology with Cabernet Franc and until the late 19th century was often confused for the Loire and Bordeaux wine grape, especially in the Basses-Pyrénées and Hautes-Pyrénées region.

Cabernet blanc is a white German and Swiss wine grape variety that is a crossing of the French wine grape Cabernet Sauvignon and an unknown hybrid grape variety. The grape was bred by Swiss grape breeder Valentin Blattner in 1991. Cabernet blanc has strong resistance to most grape disease including botrytis bunch rot, downy and powdery mildew and tends to produce loose clusters of small, thick-skinned grape berries which can hang on the vine late into the harvest season to produce dessert wines. Today the grape is found primarily in the Palatinate wine region of Germany with some experimental plantings in the Netherlands.

Cygne blanc is a white Australian wine grape variety that is a seedling of Cabernet Sauvignon that was discovered in 1989 in Western Australia. Unlike Cabernet blanc, which was a crossing of Cabernet Sauvignon and Resistenzpartner, and Shalistin which is a white-berried color mutation of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cygne blanc is a selfling that sprang from a seed of a Cabernet Sauvignon berry that fell on the ground and took root.

Propagation of grapevines

The propagation of grapevines is an important consideration in commercial viticulture and winemaking. Grapevines, most of which belong to the Vitis vinifera family, produce one crop of fruit each growing season with a limited life span for individual vines. While some centenarian old vine examples of grape varieties exist, most grapevines are between the ages of 10 and 30 years. As vineyard owners seek to replant their vines, a number of techniques are available which may include planting a new cutting that has been selected by either clonal or mass (massal) selection. Vines can also be propagated by grafting a new plant vine upon existing rootstock or by layering one of the canes of an existing vine into the ground next to the vine and severing the connection when the new vine develops its own root system.

Albanella is a white Italian wine grape variety that is grown in the Marche region where it is a primary component in the white Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) wines of Colli Pesaresi. The grape is often confused with the similarly named Sicilian wine grape Albanello and was long thought to be identical to the Tuscan wine grape Trebbiano but has established through DNA analysis to be its own distinct variety.

References

  1. 1 2 Richard Woodard "Wine grape 'bible' poised for publication"Decanter August 17th, 2012
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Jancis Robinson "The Great Grapevine"The Financial Times October 12th, 2012
  3. ↑ Fiona Beckett "Wine: from abbuoto to zweigelt"The Guardian October 19th, 2012
  4. ↑ Nenad Malenica, Silvio Šimon, Višnja Besendorfer, Edi Maletić, Jasminka Karoglan Kontić, Ivan Pejić "Whole genome amplification and microsatellite genotyping of herbarium DNA revealed the identity of an ancient grapevine cultivar"Naturwissenschaften April, 2012 issue
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