Wine Varieties

Read this tip to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Wine 101 and other Wine Storage topics.

What is a "varietal"?

Wine Varieties

A varietal is simply a single type of grape used in wine production. A "varietal wine" is made predominantly from one type (or varietal) of grape. Examples of varietals include Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Syrah. A varietal wine must contain at least 90% of its wine from a single variety of grape. The other 10% may come from blending in other varietals, a practice commonly employed by wineries to produce unique flavors in their wines. This other 10% may also result from a vineyard whose vines containing a few "stray" varietals, which, unless expressly detected, may go unknown for years.

   

Comments

Nobody has commented on this tip yet. Be the first.



Name:


URL: (optional)


Comment:


Not finding the advice and tips you need on this Wine Storage Tip Site? Request a Tip Now!


Guru Spotlight
Jennifer Mathes, Ph.D.