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Use this guide to explore the various grape flavor profiles. Some wines may have many flavor elements, and sadly, some will have few.
Popular White Wine Grape Varieties
Arneis - Anative of Piedmont, Arneis is often crisp with flavors of pears and almonds.
Chardonnay- Round and viscous with pear, green apple, peach, tropical fruit, citrus, mineral, flinty and subtle spice & butterscotch. With oak aging or barrel fermentation notes of butter, toasted oak, vanilla and coconut. If wine goes through malolactic fermentation, concentrated butter, cream and even hazelnut flavors can emerge. Generally full bodied and dry.
Chenin Blanc - Melon, honeydew, honeysuckle, cantaloupe, quince, grass, hay, and floral. Can have mineral or herbal qualities. Made dry, off-dry or sweet.
French Colombard - Bright, sometimes spicy with melon and pineapple flavors. Made dry, off dry and found in white table wine blends.
Gewurztraminer - Mandarin orange, gardenia, honeysuckle, mango, apple, spicy, nutmeg and ginger. The wine can have a floral perfume and rose petal quality. Made dry, off-dry or sweet.
Marsanne - As Sémillon adds weight to Sauvignon Blanc, Marsanne is frequently paired up with Roussanne to make blended white wines in the Rhône and in California. Wines made from Marsanne can display aromas of nuts and vegetables and show a softer acidity than Roussanne.
Muscat - The grapy, orange-blossom scent of Muscat is easy to remember after only one whiff. Most of the wines range from sweet to intensely sweet and make a lovely complement to fresh berries on a summer evening.
Pinot Blanc - Apple, nut, almond, fruity, oak, medium body, with a round creamy texture and often a bit of spice. Malolactic fermentation can create notes of butter, cream and hazelnut. Usually made dry. Often aged in oak adding vanilla, smoke and occasionally tar components.
Pinot Gris / Pinot Grigio - Melon, lemon, apple, pear, citrus, lightly honeyed, ginger and tropical fruit flavors. Dry to off-dry. When aged in oak the wine can have notes of vanilla, almond and smoke.
Riesling - Apple, pear, peach, apricot, floral, rose pedal, violet. Can develop a mineral, flinty flavor. Made dry, off-dry or sweet.
Roussanne - From France’s Rhône Valley this grape produces aromatic wines with refreshing acidity.
Sauvignon Blanc - (Fume' Blanc) Crisp, fig, honeydew, citrus, grassy, grapefruit, lime, melon, bell pepper, green olive, asparagus, light, dry. When aged or fermented in oak the wine can have smoky bouquet.
Scheurebe - "shoy ray beh" is a rare grpae variety found in the Pfalz, Rheinhessen and Nahe regions of Germany. Small blocks of Scheurebe can be found in Napa Valley, Virginia, southern Ontario and on a very small scale in British Columbia. The wines have full body, pronounced crisp acidity, lots of fruit and a bouquet and taste reminiscent of black currants.
Sémillon - Possessing an almost unctuous texture, the thick quality of Sémillon makes a great partner to the acidity of Sauvignon Blanc. The two grapes often team up to produce extraordinary dessert wines that hit high notes with fruit tarts and crème caramel.
Viognier - Viognier may be the world's least widely planted premium grape -- but currently one of the most prized. In the vineyard, yields and acid levels tend to be low and susceptibility to disease and rot high. In the winery, it is very temperamental. But once in the bottle or the glass, a well made Viognier comes with a deep, yellow color and an exquisite, exotic bouquet – apricots, pears and tropical fruits. In the Northern Rhone, Viognier is the basis of the wines of Condrieu and Chateau-Grillet.Tropical fruit, honeysuckle, ripe peaches, apricot, mango, pear, pineapple, guava, kiwi, and tangerine. Light to medium bodied, made dry or off-dry, with some made sweet with late harvested fruit.
Popular Red Wine Grape Varieties
Barbera - Blackberry, currants, ripe fruit, earth and leather. Oak aging adds vanilla, smoke, toast and coconut.
Cabernet Franc - Raspberry, cherry, plum, strawberry, olive, blackcurrant, herbal, violet, bell peppers, and smoky. Can develop mushroom, earth, cedar, cigar box flavors. Made medium to full bodied, dry.
Cabernet Sauvignon - Jammy, pepper, spice, berry flavors, black currant, cherry, chocolate, tobacco, nut, cinnamon, coffee, peppercorn, pimento and plum. Can be herbaceous, with asparagus, bell pepper, and green olive. With oak aging can have notes of vanilla, coconut, smoke, and tar. Bottle aging can provide cedar, cigar box, musk, mushroom, earth and leather flavors. Full bodied, dry.
Charbono - is found both in France and in the Piemonte of Italy. In California it is grown on just a handful of acres in the North Coast. The grape usually produces very dark wines with distictive aromas of plums along with pepper, leather, tar and wild berry. The wines can be acidic with high tannin levels and can age five to 10+ years.
Cinsault - Strawberry, floral, perfumed, musk and meat. Oak can add vanilla, smoke, toast and tar. Made medium bodied and dry.
Dolcetto - Like Barbera, Dolcetto hails from Piedmont in northwest Italy. Though softer in acidity than Barbera, it can be more tannic and quite fruity.
Gamay - (Valdiguié) Raspberry, strawberry, cherry, violet, rose pedal and spun sugar. Made off-dry or sweet. Much of our Gamay planted in California is not Gamay at all. Some has been found to be a clone of Pinot Noir.
Grenache Noir - Probably the worlds most widely planted red grape, largely in France and Spain. Grenache’s reputation would soar if it were treated more respectfully by growers and planted in more suitable locations. Early budding and late ripening, Grenache has a tendency toward high sugar/alcohol levels if not planted in the right areas or cropped back. It needs devigorating soils where it can produce Exquisite, luscious wines. Grenache is the basis for the great Southern Rhône blends, usually making up to 60% to 80 of the blend in both Châteauneuf-du-Pape and the Cotes du Rhône. Black currant, blackberry and dusty. Oak provides vanilla, smoke, toast and tar. With aging tobacco, dried apricot, and cigar box notes are possible.
Malbec - Plum, peppercorn, cherry, nut, tobacco, spice and anise. Oak provides vanilla, smoke and cedar. Aging adds cigar box, musk, mushroom, earth and leather flavors. Full bodied, dry.
Merlot - Raspberry, blueberry, black cherry, plum, eucalyptus, bell pepper, nut, chocolate, clove, camel, bay leaf, peppercorn, raisin, bell pepper, green olive, tobacco, and spice. Oak can add vanilla, coconut, smoke and tar. Bottle aging develops truffle, mushroom, earth, coffee, leather, cedar and cigar box. Velvety, soft, and dry.
Mourvedre - Like Grenache, the Mourvèdre grape is probably Spanish in origin. Under the name Mataro – or no name at all – it has been part of California “field blends” for more than a century. It produces sturdy wines with good acid and some astringency and can develop enticing blackberry aromas and flavors. Mourvèdre produces meaty, intense wines that age well. Rarely bottled alone, it goes into the better quality Southern Rhône blends where it adds a wildness and complexity to the wine.
Nebbiolo - This grape produces deep and demanding wines, with full-on tannin, acid, and general depth of flavor. The wine can age for many years, and the grape is one of the hardest to grow.
Petite Sirah - Grown mainly in California, this red-wine grape was initially thought to be related to the renowned Syrah of France's Rhone region. Some, however, believe it is actually a variety called Durif which was also grown in the Rhone but is now almost extinct. Petite Sirah produces a deep-colored, robust and peppery wine that packs plenty of tannins and has good aging ability.
Pinot Meunier - It’s like Pinot Noir, in a softer way. Lots of Pinot Meunier is grown in the north of France to make Champagne, and a few producers have embraced it here as well.
Pinot Noir - Earthy, bing cherry, strawberry, raspberry, ripe tomato, rose pedal, spice, rosemary, cinnamon, caraway, peppermint, oregano, green tea, black olive, plum and rhubarb. Notes of mushroom, earth, leather, meat, and truffle can also develop. Oak provides vanilla, coconut, smoke, cigar box, cedar, toast and tar.
Sangiovese - Cherry, dark cherry, strawberry, blueberry, orange peel, plum, herb, bay-leaf, cinnamon, clove, thyme and violet. When aged in oak vanilla, smoke, toast and tar flavors are possible. Usually made dry.
Syrah - A very dark and flavorful grape that is easy to work with – Healthy, early ripening, resistant to mildew and rot, suitable for winemaking in a variety of styles. At is best, Syrah can slug it out with high end Cabernet and Pinot Noir. As a single varietal, Syrah is the basis for the great reds of the Northern Rhône: as an ingredient in blends, it contributes much of the character and aging potential for wines of the Southern Rhone. Shiraz (Australian for Syrah) has a distinguished history Down Under, being the most widely planted grape in that country. Blackberry, pepper, plum, black currant, grassy, black peppers, licorice, clove, thyme, bay leaf, herbal, sandalwood, musky and earthy. Oak provides vanilla, coconut, smoke, toast and tar. Aging can add cedar, cigar box and leather. Made full bodied, dry.
Zinfandel - Raspberry, blackberry, boysenberry, cranberry, black cherry, plum, licorice, spice, cinnamon, black pepper and earth. Oak provides vanilla, coconut, smoke and toast. Aging offers tar, leather, mushroom, cedar, cigar box. Made full bodied, dry.
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