There are at least seven varieties of grapes with flavors to serve international categories of wine. They are:

Cabernet Sauvignon: Grape of good character: herbaceous with characteristic flavor. The main grape of the Medoc; also responsible for the best red wines from California, South America and East Europe. In Australia, its rival is Shiraz. Its wine almost always demands aging; generally it comes from the mixture with MERLOT, CABERNET FRANC or SYRAH, for example.

Pinot Noir: Bonanza black grape, used in Champagne and, occasionally, other places (former: California, Australia) to make “vin gris” very pale white, foaming or rosé. With aroma, unique flavor and texture; it gives light, rare and very singular wines.

Riesling: The great German grape, currently the most depreciated in world. This grape has suffered unjustly in recent years. Wines with shining balance acid candy, they are dry or candies; floral in youth, but subtle nuances and oily aromas ripen with.

Sauvignon Blanc: Very peculiar wines, with very strong; better in Sancerre or Austere. From New Zealand it is recognized in the whole world.

Chardonnay: The white grape of the Borgonha, used in the white champagne, it is the best white grape of the New World, in part because it is the most easy of planting.

Gewürztraminer or Traminer: One of the grapes “pungentes”, with tempering aromas of petals and grapefruit. It is rich and mild.

Muscat: There are many varieties; The best is the Muscat Blanc. Even better than Petits Grains. Planted universally.

Other examples of known grapes:

Lambrusco: Productive grape of the low valley of the Dust; it produces a great wine candy.

Malbec: Secondary in Bordeaux, main in Cahors (also called Auxerrois) and special in Argentina. Dark ine, dense and capable to reach true quality.

Merlot: Adaptable grape that gives the great aroma. Together with CABERNET FRANC, it produces the St-Émilion; it is an important element in the red wines of Médoc.

Periquita: Spread in Portugal it has strong flavor. Very often mixed with CABERNET SAUVIGNON. It is also known as French Castelão.

Syrah ou Petite Sirah , o Shiraz: Great grape for red wines of the Rhone. With the same name of Shiraz, it is very important in Australia and it has increasing success in the Midi, South Africa and California.

Tempranillo: Fine pale and great aroma. The grape of Rioja, called Ull de Lebre in Catalonia. Precocious maturation.

Zinfandel: Sweet and adaptable, peculiar grape of California, with strong flavor. It is capable to be gloriously luxurious.

Hints

The color and its intensity, especially in the red wine, can disclose the type of grape used, as well as the maturity and the age of the wine. Its clarity also is significant: young wine will have more brightness than older ones. A wine can be disturbance because of sediment, but also it can indicate a defect. Always analyzes the wine under the natural light; artificial lights affect its color.
Whenever diverse wines come to be customer, it is convenient to follow the recommendations below:

• dry wine before smooth or sweet;
• dry white wine before red wine;
• red wine before sweet white;
• cold wine before room temperature wine;
• light wine before strong wine;
• young wine before old wine;
• inferior wine before superior wine.