Grapes and Wine-Making
Considering grapes are the primary ingredient of wine, it doesn't take a world-class logical thinker to come to the conclusion that the grapes used in making wine will have a significant impact on the finished product. The various grape varieties have different flavors that will be incorporated into the wine. In addition, there are several other factors that will affect the quality of the grapes and subsequently, the wine. These include the length of the days and nights and the temperature during the growing season, the amount of sun and rain the grapes receive, and the soil and region where the grapes are grown. Therefore, a cabernet sauvignon grape that is grown in Italy may have different characteristics than one that is grown in the Finger Lakes region of New York, USA. Also, due to growing conditions from year to year, a cabernet sauvignon from the same winery and vineyard may produce different results from year to year.
While there are many varieties of grapes used to make wine, only a few are referred to as "classics". So what are the qualities of a particular grape that will contribute to its being designated a classic? The first criteria is that it must have consistently demonstrated considerable high quality over a long period of time. In addition, it must have done so in more than one growing region.
There are five white grape varieties that are considered classics: chardonnay, chenin blanc, riesling, sauvignon blanc and semillon. Of red grape varieties four are considered classics: cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir and syrah.
Depending on which wine expert you ask, red wine grapes that might be classified as "important" are: barbera, dolcetto, gamay, cabernet franc, malbec, grenache, nebbiolo, sangiovese, tempranillo and zinfandel. The subjective list of "important" white grapes is: gewurztraminer, pinot blanc, pinot gris, albarino, malvasia, chenin blanc, muscat, palomino, silvaner, trebbiano and viognier.