The grape has a thick skin and grows best on higher soils, but can also withstand a warm climate. To get a lot of acid, aromas and elegance, a cooler climate is needed. But to get the high sugar levels and thick skin for the intense color, heat is needed. In the interior of Spain on higher plains, the days are warm and it cools down sufficiently at night. Here the tempranillo thrives best, with the Ribera del Duero region as an example.
The Tempranillo grape has a lot of aroma and is therefore widely used in assemblies. The Rioja wines are combinations of Tempranillo with supporting grapes such as Grenache and Carignan (in Rioja called Mazuelo). Due to the higher height in the Ribera del Duero, varietal wines can be made here. In Toro there is generally a higher temperature and this has created a clone here, the tinta de Toro, which can withstand higher temperatures.
Shiraz is undoubtedly the most important grape variety in Australia. We know that most of the Shiraz planted in Australia comes from 6 cuttings that James Busby brought from the Hermitage hill in the French Rhone Valley in the 19th century. Because the variety is so flexible in terms of climate and soil, it has been continuously planted in Australia for the last 160 years. Shiraz has the remarkable ability to retain the core of his character while still showing many different faces. Worldwide, other countries are trying to overtake Australia. Unlike 25 years ago, Shiraz now has international status. However, Australia continues to lead the way with new plantings and continuous improvements. Australia also honors the precious resource, the old tendrils.
The Sauvignon Blanc is a white grape with a greenish skin, used for the preparation of white wine. This grape is planted in many wine countries. The origin is in southwest France. It is the main grape in Sauternes and Barsac. But certainly also in the Loire Valley. In more regions people make successful grapes from this grape. Both sweet and dry.
Wine made from this grape smells of boxwood, white fruit and flowers. When tasting the wine, the taste of green apples, gooseberries, sometimes pineapple and lychee. The wine has a fresh finish. For Northern French wines sometimes crisp dry, from warmer areas softer in taste. These aroma and flavor components are less pronounced when this grape is used in an assembly with other grapes.
In addition, there are interesting assemblages with the Semillon grape in the bordeaux. In recent years there have also been many good Sauvignon Blanc wines
combined with the semillon grape from the new wine world Australia.
Wine made from this grape smells of boxwood, white fruit and flowers. When tasting the wine, the taste of green apples, gooseberries, sometimes pineapple and lychee. The wine has a fresh finish. For Northern French wines sometimes crisp dry, from warmer areas softer in taste. These aroma and flavor components are less pronounced when this grape is used in an assembly with other grapes.
In the 18th century, the sauvignon blanc spread with emigrants to Spain, northern Italy, New Zealand, Chile, the United States, and South Africa.
In France, this grape is often found in the pure wines of the Loire, Bordeaux and Languedoc. Well-known wines from this grape are: sancerre, menetou-salon and pouilly-fumé. In addition, there are interesting assemblages with the sémillon grape in the bordeaux. In recent years, many good sauvignon blanc wines have also come from the new wine world.
The Pinot Noir has the most suitable areas in Australia, outside Burgundy, for planting this grape. The Pinot Noir is known as a very sensitive grape that cannot be planted everywhere. The climate is the most important for this grape variety. In Australia, the Pinot Noir is mainly found in regions such as Tasmania, the Port Philip zone of Victoria and Henty. The Pinot Noir vines that grow in the best areas of Australia are at most 25 years old. In the future, there will therefore be more older vines that can provide even better wines.
De Pinot meunier – ook bekend als Schwarzriesling – is een blauwe druivensoort. De druif wordt gebruikt voor het maken van rode wijn en champagne. Bij champagne is de druif vooral bekend om zijn ondergeschikte rol qua naam, die in volume echter een prominente rol blijkt te zijn. Een belangrijk kenmerk is de opbrengst die beter is dan Pinot noir, de andere blauwe druif die voor champagne gebruikt wordt. De vroegrijpe druif is verder winterhard en bestand tegen voorjaarsvorst. Dit alles maakt hem een ideale druif voor het noorden van Frankrijk. De druif, die een DNA verwantschap lijkt te hebben met de pinot noir, pinot blanc en de pinot gris, geeft mooi zuur en veel fruit. De wijn van de drie verschillende voor champagne gebruikte druivenrassen ondergaat een verschillende rijping waarbij de pinot meunier niet bijdraagt aan de harmonische rijping. In de duurdere champagnes, wijnen die bedoeld zijn om lang op vat en tijdens de prise de mousse in de fles op gist te rijpen, vindt men dan ook weinig of geen pinot meunier. De meeste champagnehuizen zijn trots op hun pinot noir en chardonnay maar ook de pinot meunier, de minst gewaardeerde druif, kan bijdragen aan fruitige en harmonisch geassembleerde champagne. Champagnes met een hoog aandeel pinot meunier zijn in de 21e eeuw in de prijzen gevallen bij proeverijen.
The ‘Pinot Gris’ is a French cultivar of the grape, which has a large number of different appearances. This grape is also known under the names Pinot Grigio, malvoisie, grauburgunder, ruländer and szürkebarát. The fruits of this variety naturally have a lot of sugar and relatively few acids. For this reason it is preferably grown in cooler regions. Dull sweetish wines often develop in warm regions. The skins contain little dye so that the wines can be white or at most rosé colored.
In cool areas, the growth of the grapes is not always without problems. The ‘Pinot Gris’ has compact trusses, which makes the species vulnerable to rotting, especially if rainwater is trapped between the fruits. Autumn rains are therefore feared by the growers of ‘Pinot Gris’, with the result that many pick the grape fairly early. Aromatically, the grapes have not yet fully developed, resulting in more neutral wines. In Alsace, the grape is preferably harvested as late as possible as Vendange Tardive. That is why this variety from that area often has a mild to sweet taste. Pinot Grigio wines from Italy are often drier, lighter and fresh with a mineral character.
The Petit Verdot is a blue grape variety that is among the best in the world. The grape, which has a thick skin, is very small and has a low yield. This when the grape already yields because because the grape ripens very late, it often happens that it does not reach full maturity. In terms of taste, the grape resembles the syrah: spicy, full and complex. The grape has a lot of tannins, so the wines in which this grape is processed often have a long storage time.
Probably the muscat is the oldest wine grape in existence. It is the Greeks and Romans who brought this less disease-resistant breed to the south of France. This makes the muscat one of the oldest heat-loving grape varieties in Europe. Muscat is sometimes referred to as the bee grape because they love it. The grape also supplies table wines and raisins. There are a large number of mutants that have been given separate names. The most important are muscat à petit grain, muscat d’alexandrie and muscat ottonel.
Australian Merlot encompasses a wide range of styles: fragrant, round wines, soft with a fleshy texture and notes of mint, plum and fruitcake, as well as the more concentrated, complex and velvety Merlots. These wines are characterized by the more ripe fruit notes of plum, blackberry, blueberry and black currant. Merlot is not often seen as a monocépage but often in a blend with a Cabernet grape.
Marsanne is a white grape variety that originally comes from the northern Rhône region. Today the variety is also found in the southern Rhône area, California and in Australia, where this grape has been planted since the mid 19th century.
The Chardonnay is grown in all Australian states and thrives in all climatic zones. The wines from the cooler regions are mainly characterized by nuts
from apple, quince, grapefruit and limes, while those from the warm to hot areas are more reminiscent of peach and tropical fruits. The popularity of this wine has taken off thanks to the rich taste notes and the bouquet of ripe fruit. The Chardonnay has therefore become the most popular Australian white wine.
Source: Wikipedia
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