Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Did you know . . . Noble Grapes

All hail the chosen grapes! These six grapes provide the foundation for wine production around the world and are often called the "noble grapes" due to their importance. 
They are:
  • Chardonnay
  • Riesling
  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Merlot
  • Pinot Noir
The first three are whites, the last three are reds. Wine regions often advertise being leaders in production from a particular grape on this list, but, at the end of the day, these six grapes are all that you need to know and recognize in order to select wine with confidence. Pretty basic, right?

While some experts have lengthened this list by adding more varietals, we take comfort in knowing that we can always find these 6 grapes on a wine menu or in a wine store. You can ignore the rest if you want to: with just these six grapes, you still have a lifetime of experimenting with region, vintage (year), and blends. We promise you won't get bored.

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