Grape Gossip - Unusual Red Grape VarietiesFor Previous Grape Gossips Click Here
When drinking and choosing wine, it is all too easy to go for the comfortable option of a grape variety or region that we're familiar with but often a journey off the beaten track is well rewarded. As a wine drinking nation we are acquainted with a greater range of red grapes than white - we tend to stick to Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc with whites, but are happy with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Pinot Noir, as well as Tempranillo and Sangiovese (albeit indirectly through their use in the Rioja and Chianti zones). As a result, the number of varieties included here may be a little shorter than last month's selection of white grapes, but is nonetheless well worth exploring.
Before we start, a quick word about semantics. If you were to read a list of all the wines we stock, along with the grape varieties they contain, you'd be forgiven for thinking that we stocked a far wider selection of varieties than we actually do. This is because some grapes have more than one name, and what appears on the label can depend upon the country the wine is from, or the name a winemaker wishes to put on the label. Many people are aware that Syrah and Shiraz are one and the same, but a more extreme example is found in Tuscany where seemingly every village has a different name for what we know as Sangiovese!
To clear this up, here's a quick list of some of the more common examples:
Syrah = Shiraz (in some parts of the Rhone, it is known as Serines)
Garnacha (common in Spain) = Grenache (France and New World)
Monastrell (Spain) = Mourvedre (France and New World)
Carinena (Spain) = Carignan (France and New World)
Tinta Roriz (Portugal) = Tempranillo (Spain and New World)
Primitivo (Italy) = Zinfandel (well, allegedly) (USA)
Pinot Gris (France, New World) = Pinot Grigio (Italy, New World)
Spatburgunder (Germany), Pinot Nero (Italy) = Pinot Noir
Traminer (Italy) - Gewurztraminer (France, New World)
Brunello (Montalcino), Prugnolo Gentile (Montepulciano) = Sangiovese (Chianti and New World)
With those out of the way, here are some grape varities you may not have accidentally tried:
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Carmenere
Carmenere
We start with a grape that, whilst ancient, is a relatively new discovery; Carmenere is French in origin and a very small amount can still be found in pockets of Bordeaux (Ch Trianon uses a small parcel), but it has made its name in Chile. In fact it wasn't discovered there until 1994 when a professor of oenology realised that that some unidentified vines had snuck onto the boat from Europe and had been masquerading as Merlot ever since. Even now, some Chilean wine sold as Merlot may well contain some Carmenere, not least because the wine authority's response to the grape's presence was to ask farmers to identify what they had themselves (well, what would you choose, the popular, easy to sell Merlot or the weird grape no-one has ever heard of?) The confusion is understandable as the two grapes look and taste very similar; if there's a discernable difference it is that Carmenere tends to be a bit more structured (tannic) and veers more towards darker, coffee spice flavours than Merlot. Try: Vina Chocalan, Carmenere 2008
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 | Corvina
A name that you may not recognize, but many of you will have drunk wine from Valpolicella, where this is the main grape variety. There it is usually blended with Molinara and Rondinella, but alone of the trio Corvina is commonly found on its own. Inherently fresh, vibrant and cherry-fruited, it takes well to being dried, a process which emphasizes its power as Amarone. Try: Alpha Zeta, Corvina |
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Counoise
Those of you who follow the televised antics of those two men who share one head of hair, Oz and James, may have seen Oz Clarke attempting to identify all 13 of Chateauneuf du Pape's permitted varieties, of which this is one. Actually it is rarely vinified on its own (Beaucastel's Californian project Tablas Creek bottles some in exceptional years), but I've included it here to illustrate the huge number of varities found in the Southern Rhone. Try: Tablas Creek, Esprit de Beaucastel (there's a little in there, can you find it?) |  |
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 | Dolcetto
Literally, 'little sweet one', this is a declining grape variety in its home in Piemonte due to the ever increasing popularity of Barolo and Barbera, but makes charming wines with sweet fruits but structured tannins which are lovely in the summer and excellent with food. Try: Vajra, Dolcetto d'Alba |
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Dornfelder
Englands nascent wine industry is experimenting with a number of different red varieties, including Pinot Noir (and even, in the odd hot micro-climate, Cabernet Sauvignon), but Dornfelder, a grape of Germanic origin, has been the most successful so far. Velvety and floral with a slight hint of sweet fruit. Try: Watch this space, eventually we'll get around to finding a new English winery to stock |  |
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Graciano
Another grape you've probably tried, this time as a constituent of Rioja. Graciano is powerful and tannic, so tends to make up quite a small percentage of the Rioja blend, if it is used at all. It's well worth trying on its own though for its almost Petit-Verdot-esque balance of power and perfume. Try: Senorio de Sarria, Vinedo #7, Graciano
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 | Mencia
Now I've not seen this made outside its homeland in North-West Spain, but I don't think it will be long until it starts popping up in the new world. It comes from the Bierzo region, and in itself is quite soft and velvety with a delicious fragrance and dark fruit character. However if treated right, it can produce quite powerful, structured and long lived wines - the trick is to hang on to the perfume, as demonstrated by Alvaro Palacios' brilliant but hyper-expensive single site wines. For a more affordable experience, try Martin Codax, Mencia Cuatro Pasos |
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Pinot Grigio
Eh? You what? It's not commonly realised that Pinot Grigio is a red grape as its skin is very light in colour, so doesn't make good red wine. The skin colour is what makes it such a popular grape for the production of Rose or Ramato wines in North East Spain. Try: Vie de Romans Dessimis Pinot Grigio 2007. A change in production method this year gives a pink hue to the wine. |  |
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 | Pinotage
One of the better known grapes in this list, Pinotage is an artificially produced crossing of the Pinot Noir and Cinsault grapes (the horticulturalists amongst will understand this better than I do). It's a South African experiment that has been very successful but is actually quite difficult to get right - many examples overdo the barbeque smoke! Try: False Bay, Pinotage |
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Portugal
No, not actually a grape variety, but home to a host of grapes you've never heard of. Examples include: Baga (similar to Nebbiolo - which, by the way, is the grape used in Barolo), Jaen (Pinot-esque). Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, (the varieties used in Port) and the powerful, warm climate Aragonez and Trincadeira. Try: Casa de Saima, Bairrada. |  |
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 | Tannat
This grape is onomatopoeic in that it sounds like its identifying characteristic: Tannin. This thick skinned variety hails from the South West of France where it is best known in Madiran (but also found in some Cahors) and produces highly tannic, long lived wines. This is another grape which is quite tricky to deal with as no-one wants a big mouthful of dry tannin, but has migrated to South America where it is occasionally found in Argentina, but more importantly in Uruguay and Brazil where long sunlight hours help to give fruit ripeness to balance the grip.
Try: Madiran, Charles Batz.
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Viognier
Yes, yes cleverclogs, this is a white grape, but it is often confused as red due to its inclusion in many red wines! Adding a little bit of a white grape to a red wine is a trick fairly common in the Northern Rhone valley, where it is used in Crozes-Hermitage and Saint Joseph, but the most common blend is Shiraz/Viognier, an idea that comes from the Rhone village of Cotes Rotie but has more recently been adopted by Australian winemakers, often to stunning effect (be careful though, too much Viognier and the wine becomes over-alcoholic and sickly).
Try: Clonakilla Shiraz/Viognier 2008 (while you can), or Pasquiers Shiraz/V is you're not Roman Abramovich.
So there you have it - that should keep you interested for a bit!
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