WineVarietalsWhite
ALBALONGA A Rieslaner x Sylvaner cross developed and grown in Germany
for its naturally high sugar level and early ripening qualities.
ALTESSE The finest of Savoie's traditional varieties, this grape makes
delightfully rich and fragrant wines.
Synonyms: Maconnais Roussette
ALVARINHO A Vinho Verde grape, grown in the Minho in Northern Portugal.
ARBOIS An interesting but very localized variety cultivated in the
Loire Valley where it is sometimes blended with another obscure grape called
the Romorantin.
Synonyms: Menu pineau, Petit pineau, Verdet
ARINTO One of Portugal's potentially excellent white grapes. Grown
in the loam soil of the small region of Bucelas, just south of Lisbon.
ASSYRTIKO One of the better-quality indigenous varieties of Greece.
AUXERROIS Often confused with the Pinot blanc, but in fact a totally
separate variety this grape is grown most successfully in Alsace and is
up-and-coming in England. Its wine is fatter than that of the Pinot blanc
and so suits cooler situations.
BACCHUS A (Sylvaner x Riesling) x Muller-Thurgau cross that is one of Germany's
more superior crosses. In recent years a considerable acreage has been grown
in Germany's Rheinhessen region. It is also grown in England because of
its inherently high sugar level and can produce vivacious, fruity wines
in both countries.
BLANQUETTE A synonym for the Colombard in the Tarn-et-Garonne departement
of France, the Clairette in the Aude departement, and the Ondenc
in Bordeaux. More is now grown in Australia than in all of France. Its intrinsically
high acidity makes it useful for sparkling wines.
BOUVIER A modest-quality grape variety significantly cultivated in Austria
and one which, under its Ranina synonym, produces the "Tiger's Milk"
wine of Yugoslavia.
Synonyms: Bouviertraube, Ranina
BUAL The second most sweet of Madeira's four classic grape varieties. It's
wine is a sweet style that has a baked smoky complexity. Bual is also be
grown in many parts of southern Portugal.
ALIGOTE A thin skinned grape of unexceptional quality grown in Chalonnais
(south Burgandy) and Bulgaria. It makes tart wines of moderate alcoholic
content, but in exceptionally hot years the wines can have good weight and
richness. The variety's best wines come from certain Chalonnais villages,
especially Bouzeron, where the quality may be improved by the addition of
a little Chardonnay
Synonyms: Blanc de Troyes, Cbaudenet gras, Giboudot
CHARDONNAY
CHASSELAS A modest quality variety that produces the best forgotten Pouilly-sur-Loire
wines (not to be confused with Pouilly-Blanc Fume wines of the same area)
and is probably at its modest best (and known as the Fendant) in the Valais,
Switzerland. The Chasselas is, by all accounts, the most popular table grape
in France, but as strange as it might seem, good eating grapes rarely make
good wine grapes.
Synonyms: Chardonnay, Chasselas blanc, Chasselas dore, Dorin, Fendant,
Fendant blanc, Frauentraube, Golden chasselas, Gutedel, Mosttraube, Royal
muscadine, Sussling
CHENIN BLANC
CLAIRETTE A sugar-rich, intrinsically flabby grape, best known for its many
wines of southern France. It is the Muscat, though, not the Clairette, which
is chiefly responsible for the "Clairette de Die" in the Rhone.
Synonyms: Blanquette, Clairette blanc, Clairette blanche, Ondenic
COLOMBARD A grape that produces a thin and acidic wine ideal for the distillation
of Armagnac and Cognac. It has adapted well to the hotter wine areas of
California and South Africa, where its proficiency allows the production
of off-dry inexpensive wines. It is the number one grape variety of California's
Central Valley where it is known as French Colombard.
Synonyms: Blanquette, Colombar, Colombier, French Colombard, Guenille,
Pied-tendre, Queue-tendre, Queue-verte
CRUCHEN BLANC A widely cultivated variety chat usually but erroneously has
the tag of Riesling hung on it.
Synonyms: Cape riesling or Paarl riesling (in South Africa), Clare
riesling (in Australia).
DELAWARE An American hybrid of uncertain parentage chat was developed in
Frenchtown, New Jersey and propagated in Delaware, Ohio, in the mid-nineteenth
century. Although grown in New York State and Brazil, it is far more popular
in Japan.
EHRENFELSER A Riesling x Sylvaner cross; one of the best of Germany's new
breed of crosses.
ELBLING A variety once held in high esteem in both Germany and France. The
major Mosel grape in the nineteenth century. It is now mostly confined to
the Obermosel where its very odd, neutral flavor makes it useful for the
German Sekt industry. In Alsace it was known as the Knipperle and its former
position was such that one of the Grand Cru Guebwiller slopes was named
after it.
Synonyms: Alben, Albig Alva ( in Portugal), Briesgaver, Briesgaver
riesling, Burger elbling Elben, Gelder ortlieber, Grossriesling Kleinberger,
Kleinergelber, Kleiner rauschling, Klein reuschling, Knipperle, Kurztingel
(in Austria), Ortlieber, Rauschling Seretonina (in Yugoslavia), Weisser
elbling.
EMERALD RIESLING A Muscadelle x Riesling cross, developed for cultivation
in California at U. C. Davis, by a Professor Olmo as the sister to his Ruby
cabernet cross.
FABER A Weissburgunder x Muller-Thurgau cross grown in Germany where it
produces a fruity wine with a light Muscat aroma.
FOLLE BLANCHE Traditionally used for the distillation of Armagnac and Cognac,
this grape also produces the Gros plant wine of the Nantais district
of the Loire Valley. Gros Plant is normally dry, tart and devoid of fruit
and body. If bottled sur lie it can hve sufficient depth to match its inherent
bite, much the same as the Nantais district Muscadet.
Synonyms: Camobraque, Chalosse, Enrage, Enrageade, Folle enrageat,
Gros plant, Gros plant du Nantais, Picpoul, Picpoule
FORTA A Madeleine Angevine x Sylvaner cross, a little of which is grown
in Germany where it produces good quality grapes that are rich in sugar.
FREISAMER A Sylvaner x Pinot gris cross that is grown in Germany and produces
a full, neutral, Sylvaner-like wine.
FUME´ BLANC Sauvignon Blanc.
FURMINT A strong and distinctively flavored grape that is the most important
variety used to make Tokay in Hungary
Synonym: Sipon
GARGANEGA BIANCO An Italian variety that is the principal grape used in
the production of Soave, in the Veneto region, which an vary from thin and
acidic to rich and crisp.
GEWURZTRAMINER
GLORIA A Sylvaner x Muller-Thurgau cross grown in Germany where it produces
grapes that are rich in sugar, but wines of rather neutral character.
GROS PLANT Folle Blanche
GRENACHE BLANC The white Grenache variant that is widely planted in France
and Spain. It is an ancient Spanish variety that has the potential to produce
a good-quality full-bodied wine.
Synonyms: Garnacha blanca, Garnacho bianco, Garnaxta
GRUNER VELTLINER The most important wine grape in Austria, where it produces
fresh, well balanced wines, with a light fruity sometimes slightly spicy
flavor.
Synonyms: Gruner, Grunmuskateller Veltliner, Veltlini(in Hungary),
Weissgipfler
GUTENBORNER A Muller-Thurgau x Chasselas cross grown in Germany and England.
It produces grapes with intrinsically high sugar levels, but rather neutral
wines.
HARSLEVELU A Hungarian grape that is the second most important Tokay variety.
It produces a full, rich and powerfully perfumed wine.
HUXELREBE A Chasselas x Muscat courtillier cross grown in Germany and England,
capable of producing good-quality wine.
JACQUERE The work horse grape of the Savoie in France.
Synonyms: Buisserate, Cugnette.
JOHANNISBERG RIESLING A synonym often used
to distinguish a wine made from the true Riesling grape. Many people believe
that the Riesling is at its classic best when grown in the Rheingau vineyards
of Johannisberg, thus the synonym probably evolved as a way of indicating
that a wine contained Riesling grapes "as grown in Johannisberg".
KANZLER A Muller-Thurgau x Sylvaner cross that produces a good Sylvaner
substitute in the Rheinhessen.
KERNER A Trollinger x Riesling cross grown in Germany, South Africa and
England. It produces Riesling-like wines with a high natural sugar content
and good acidity, but a very light aroma.
LEN DE L'ELH A flavorsome, naturally sugar-rich grape used in Gaillac, in
Southwest France.
Synonym: Cavalier
MACABEO One of three Spanish varieties used to make a sparkling, Cava, wine.
Macabeo "lifts" a blend with its fruit freshness. Bearing the
name of Viura it is also responsible for the "new wave" of fresh,
unoaked white Rioja
Synonyms: Alcanol, Alcanon llego, Lardot, Maccabeo, Maccabeu, Viura
MADELEINE ANGEVINE A Precoce de Malingre x Madeleine royale cross grown
quite successfully in England, where it produces a light bodied, aromatic
wine.
MALMSEY The seetest of Madeira's four classic grape varieties. It's wine,
propably Madeira's best, is a dark brown wine, very fragrant and rich.
MALVASIA Pinot Gris
MANSENG The Gros manseng and Petit manseng are grown in southwest France,
and are well known for producing the legendary Jurancon Moelleux.
Synonyms: Manseng blanc, Petit mansenc
MARIENSTEINER A Sylvaner x Rieslaner cross grown in Germany and generally
considered superior to the Sylvaner.
MARSANNE
MAUZAC A late-ripening grape with good natural acidity grown in southwest
France. Flexible in the styles of wine it produces, it is particularly suitable
for sparkling wine.
Synonyms: Blanc-lafitte, Maussac, Mauzac blanc, Moisac
MELON DE BOURGOGNE A French variety transplanted from Burgundy to the Nantais
in the Loire, to replace the less hardy vines after the terrible winter
of 1709. When fully ripe, it produces very flabby wines, lacking in acidity.
Used primarily now as a blending grape with other varietals in Naintais.
Synonyms: Gamay blanc, Gamay blanc a feuille ronds, Gros auxerrois,
Lyonnaise blanche, Melon, Muscadet, Pinot blanc (in California), Weisserburgunder
(in Germany)
MERLOT BLANC A variety cultivated on a surprisingly large scale on the right-bank
of the Gironde, yet according to ampelographer Pierre Galet it is not related
to the more famous black Merlot variety.
MORIO-MUSKAT A Sylvaner x Pinot blanc cross widely grown in the Rheinpfalz
and Rheinhessen of Germany. Intriguingly, its powerfully aromatic character
is the inverse of the neutral character displayed by both its parents.
MULLER-THURGAU A variety bred at Geisenheim in 1882 by Professor Hermann
Muller, who hailed from the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland, and named
after him by August Dem in 1891. The variety was originally believed to
be a Riesling x Sylvaner cross, but not one single plant has ever reverted
to Sylvaner, and the closest resemblance to it is the Rabaner, a Riesling
(clone 88Gm) x Riesling (clone 64Gm). This seems to confirm the theory that
the Muller-Thurgau is in fact a self-pollinated Riesling seed. It is more
prolific than the Riesling, has a typically flowery bouquet and good fruit,
but lacks the Riesling's sharpness of definition. Although the variety has
a justifiably important position in the production of German tafelweins,
its cultivation in the classic Riesling vineyards of the Mosel, devalues
that great wine region. It is widely planted in English and New Zealand
vineyards.
Synonyms: Mueller-Thurgau, Rivaner, Riesling-sylvaner
MULTANER A Riesling x Sylvaner cross. A small amount is grown in Germany,
but the area planted is declining because the grapes need to be very ripe
to produce good-quality wine.
MUSCADELLE A singular variety that has nothing to do with the Muscat family
although it does in fact have a distinctive musky aroma. There is, confusingly,
a South African synonym for the Muscat - the Muskadel - though it is not
related to the Muscadet or Melon de bourgogne despite the inference of one
of its synonyms. In Bordeaux, small quantities add a certain lingering "after
smell" to some of the sweet wines, but the Muscadelle is at its sublime
best in Australia, where it is called the Tokay and produces a fabulously
rich and sweet "liqueur wine".
Synonyms: Angelicant, Angelico, Auvernat blanc, Catape, Colle musquette,
Douzanelle, Guepie, Guepie-catape, Guillan, Guillan-musque, Muscade, Muscadet,
Muscadet doux, Muskadel, Musquette, Muscat fou, Raisinotte, Resinotte, Sauvignon
vert (in California), Tokay (in Australia)
MUSCAT A family name for numerous related varieties,
sub-varieties and localized clones of the same variety all of which have
a distinctive musky aroma and a pronounced grapey flavor. The wines produced
range from dry to sweet, still to sparkling and fortified.
NOBLESSA A low yielding Madeleine Angevine x Sylvaner cross grown in Germany
that produces grapes with a high sugar level.
NOBLING A Sylvaner x Chasselas cross grown in Baden, Germany. Its grapes
have high sugar and acidity levels.
ONDENC A grape that was once widely planted in southwest France and was
particularly popular in Bergerac, but more is now grown in Australia than
in all of France. Its intrinsically high acidity makes it useful for sparkling
wines.
Synonyms: Bequin (in Bordeaux), Blanc select, Blanquette, Sercial
(in Australia)
OPTIMA A (Sylvaner x Riesling) x Muller-Tburgau cross developed relatively
recently (1970), yet already widely grown in Germany because it is an even
earlier, early ripening variety than the Muller-Thurgau.
ORTEGA A Muller-Thurgau x Siegerrebe cross that is grown in both Germany
and England. Its aromatic grapes have a naturally high sugar content and
make a pleasantly fragrant and spicy wine.
PALOMINO The primary Sherry grape variety.
PARELLADA The major white grape variety of Catalonia, used for still and
sparkling Cava wines. In a Cava blend it imparts a distinctive aroma and
is used to soften the firm Xarello grape.
Synonyms: Montonec, Montonech
PEDRO XIMENEZ A secondary grape variety of Southern Spain used to sweeten
sherries.
PERLE A Gewurztraminer x Muller-Thurgau cross grown in Franken, Germany
that can survive winter temperatures as low as -30.C (-22.F), and produce
a light, fragrant and fruity wine, but in low yields.
Synonyms: Alzeyer perle
PINOT BLANC
PINOT GRIS
POULSARD The Jura's famous pink-skin and pink juice grape that can produce
a fine and aromatic vin gris.
Synonym: Plousard
PROSECCO The grape responsible for producing a great deal of very ordinary
Italian sparkling wine.
Synonyms: Glera, Serprina
RABANER A Riesling (clone 88Gm) x Riesling (clone 64Gm) cross that has the
dubious honor of being the variety diet most resembles the Muller-Thurgau.
It is grown in Germany on an experimental basis.
RABIGATO This is the main white Port grape variety
Synonyms: Estreito, Moscatel bravo, Rabo de Ovelha
RKATSITELI A grape variety that is grown extensively in Russia, on a scale
that would cover the vineyards of Champagne at least ten times over. The
Soviets consider it to be a high-quality wine grape, it is also grown in
Bulgaria China, California and New York State.
Synonym: Rcatzitelli
REGNER A Luglienca bianca x Gamay cross. The parents are a curious combination.
Why anyone would consider crossing a table grape with the red wine grape
of Beaujolais to create a German white wine variety is a mystery. It produces
sugar rich grapes and mild, Muller-Thurgau like wines.
REICHENSTEINER A Muller-Thurgau x Madeleine angevine x Calabreser-frohlich
cross grown in Germany and England. It produces sugar-rich grapes and a
mild delicate, somewhat neutral Sylvaner like wine.
RHODITIS A grape used as a supporting variety in the making of Retsina
in Greece.
RIESLANER A Sylvaner x Riesling cross mainly grown in Franken, Germany,
where it produces sugar rich grapes and full bodied, rather neutral wines.
RIESLING
ROBOLA A good quality Greek grape confined to the island of Cephalonia.
ROMORANTIN An obscure variety confined to the Loire Valley. It can produce
a delicate, attractive and flowery wine if it is not over cropped.
synonyms: Dannery, Petit Dannezy, Verneuil
ROUSSANNE
SACY A minor grape variety that produces bland "stretching" wine
and is grown in small quantities in the Chablis district. Its high acidity
could make it very useful in the production of sparkling wines.
Synonyms: Blanc vert, Farine, Gros blanc, Tresallier
SAINT-EMILION A synonym for the Ugni blanc in France and for the Semillon
in Romania.
SAUVIGNON BLANC
SAVAGNIN The grape responsible for the sherry like "Vin Jaune"
of the Jura, the best known of which is Chateau Chalon. The wine, in fact,
takes the name of a commune, not a specific chateau. A Savagnin rose grows
in the village of Heiligenstein, Alsace, where it is known as the Klevener,
as opposed to the Klevner, which is a synonym for the Pinot blanc. The Savagnin
noir is merely a synonym for the Pinot noir
Synonyms: Formentin (in Hungary), Fromente, Nature, Salvagnin, Savagnin
blanc, Sauvagnin
SAVATIANO The grape used by the Greeks to make their famous Retsina. A pure,
unresinated Savatiano called Kanza is made in Attica, the heartland of Retsina.
SCHEUREBE A Sylvaner x Riesling cross that is one of the best of Germany's
new varieties. When ripe, it makes very good varietal wines, but, if harvested
early the bouquet can be quite unpleasant.
SCHONBERGER A Spatburgunder x (Chasselas rose x Muscat Hamburg) cross grown
in Germany and England. It produces sugar-rich grapes that make wine with
good aromatic qualities but low acidity
SEMILLON
SEPTIMER A Gewurztraminer x Muller-Thurgau cross grown in Germany, where
it is early-ripening and produces sugar rich grapes and aromatic wines.
SERCIAL This classic grape of Madeira is reputed to be a distant relative
of the Riesling. Judging by its totally different leaf shape, however, this
seems unlikely. It's wine is the dryest of the 4 Madieras. It is grown on
the upper vineyards and harvested last.
SEYVAL BLANC This Seibel 5656 x Seibel 4586 hybrid is the most successful
of the many Seyve-Villard crosses. It is grown in France, New York State
and England, where it produces attractive wines.
Synonyms: Seyve-Villard, Seyve Villard 5276.
SIEGERREBE A Madeleine-Angevine x Gewurztraminer cross, widely grown in
Germany
STEEN The usually accepted synonym for the Chenin blanc used in South Africa.
The term "Stein" is also used in South Africa, but refers to a
semi sweet style of white wine. However, many "Stein" blends do
contain a large percentage of Steen wine.
SLYVANER Originally from Austria, this variety is widely planted throughout
Central Europe. It is prolific, early maturing and yields the dry wines
of Franken and Alsace. It is also widely believed to be the Zierfandler
of Austria
Synonyms: Botzinger, Franken, Frankenriesling Franken riesling Gros
rhin, Grunedel, Gruner Sylvaner, Grunfrankisch, Grunling, Monterey riesling
(in California), Moravka silvanske (in Czechoslovakia), Oesterreicher, Scharvaner,
Silvain vert, Silvan (in Czechoslovakia), Silvaner, Silvaner bianco, Sonoma
riesling (in California), Szilvani (in Hungary)
TREBBIANO + (often with local place name added), See Ungi Blanc.
TROUSSEAU GRIS A grape now more widely grown in California and New Zealand
than in its traditional home of the northern Jura, France. It is yet another
grape that has been erroneously tagged with the Riesling name in the new
world.
Synonyms: Gray riesling Grey riesling
UGNI BLANC A variety that usually makes light, even thin wines, which have
to be distilled. Because of this, they are ideal for making Armagnac and
Cognac. There are exceptions, but most are light, fresh, quaffing wines
at their very best.
Synonyms: Clairette a grains ronds, Clairette ronde, Clairette de
Vence, Graisse, Graisse blanc, Muscat aigre, Rossola, Roussan, Roussanne,
Saint Emilion, Trebbiano (often with local place name added), White
hermitage.
VERDELHO A classic Madeira grape, second to Sercial in dryness and a shade
less sweet than a Bual. It's wine is particularly soft and with faint honey
and smoke flavors.
VERDICCHIO Apart from making Verdicchio wine, this grape is also used for
blending.
Synonyms: Marchigiano, Verdone, Uva marana
VILLARD BLANC A Seibel 6468 x Seibel 6905 hybrid that is the widest-cultivated
of the Seyve-Villard crosses in France. Its slightly bitter, iron-rich wine
cannot be compared with the attractive wine of the Seyve-Villard 5276 or
Seyval blanc grown in England.
VIOGNIER
WELSCHRIESLING No relation whatsoever to the true Riesling, this variety
is grown throughout Europe, producing ordinary medium-dry to medium sweet
white wines.
Synonyms: Banatski rizling, Biela sladka grasica, Laskiriesling,
Laski rizling, Grassevina, Grasica, Italianski rizling, Italiansky rizling,
Olaszriesling, Olasz rizling, Riesling italico, Riesling italianski, Riesling
italien, Rismi, Rizling vlassky, Talijanski rizling, Walschriesling
WURZER A German variety with the same Gewurztraminer x Muller-Thurgau origins
as the Perle.
XARELLO A Spanish grape that is very important to the sparkling Cava industry
It makes firm, alcoholic wines that are softened by Parellada and Macabeo
grapes.
Synonyms Pansa blanca, Xarel-lo