Wine Basics

1. Wine Basics
and
Grape Varietals

2. What is wine?
-Wine is fermented grape juice.
- Fermentation is the process by
which the sugars from crushed
grapes are eaten by yeast to create
alcohol and carbon dioxide (CO2).

3. Three Major Categories
Table Wine: Ranging from 8 to 15
percent alcohol
Sparkling Wine: Ranging from 8 to 12
percent alcohol plus CO2
Fortified Wine: Ranging from
17 to 22 percent

4. Who are the top producers?
1. France
2. Italy
3. Spain
4. United States
5. Argentina
6. Australia
7. South Africa
8. Germany
9. Chile
10. Portugal

5. The most important factors in
winemaking:
 Geographic location
 Soil
 Weather
 Grapes
 Vinification (actual winemaking
process)

6. Problems in growing grapes &
winemaking
Problem Results In Solutions
Not enough sun Under ripe, vegetal,
high acid, low sugar
Addition of sugar to the
must (fresh grape
juice-during
fermentation)
Too much sun Overripe, high alcohol,
prune character
Amelioration (addition
of water to must)
Too much rain Thin, watery wines Move vineyard to drier
climate
Frost Reduced yield of
quality grapes
Protection methods:
wind machines,
flaming heaters
Phylloxera Dead vines Graft vines onto
resistant rootstock
Mildew Rot Spray with copper
sulfate
High alcohol Unbalanced wine De-alcoholize(reverse
osmosis)

7. Age or Not to Age?
 Most wines are made to be consumed within
that first year.
 Less than 1% of the world’s wine should be
aged more than five years. (Which still
represents quite a bit. That’s more than 35
million bottles each vintage.)
 Factors that make a wine ageable:
- The color and the grape
- The vintage
- Where the wine comes from
- How the wine was made (vinification)
- Storage conditions

8. Tasting Wine
 5 Basic Steps in Wine Tasting
Color
Swirl
Smell
Taste
Savor

9. Color
 The best way to determine color of your
wine is place the glass – at an angle -
over a white background. (Napkin or
blank sheet of paper)
 Color will tell you:
◦ If it’s an older wine
◦ Different grape variety give different colors
◦ If the wine was aged in wood

10. Swirl
 Swirling the wine allows more
oxygen to the wine.
 This action also releases the wine’s
aromas and “opens up” the wine.

11. Smell
 Smelling the wine is the most important
part of wine tasting.
 The nose will identify more scents than
the tongue will pick up tastes.
 When smelling:
◦ Smell your wine at least three times. This will
give you more information each time
◦ Think about what you smell. Is it fruit, wood,
metallic, mold, spice?
◦ Every descriptor leads you to finding out what
you’re drinking.

12. Taste
 What to look for when tasting:
◦ Sweetness: On the tip of the tongue- it will be sensed right
away.
◦ Acidity: On the sides of the tongue, cheek area, and the back
of the throat- white wines tend to have more acidity.
◦ Bitterness: Tasted on the back of the tongue.
◦ Tannin: More of a sensation than an actual taste. This will be
more apparent in red wines and wood-aged white wines. It
can sometime dry out your mouth when there’s a heavy
presence.
◦ Fruit Characteristics: These are smells, not tastes. The
weight of fruit will be felt in the middle of the tongue.
◦ Aftertaste: How long does it last? Is it quick or does it hang
out for awhile?

13. Savor
 Reflecting on the wine and your
impressions of the wine:
◦ Was the wine light bodied, medium, full?
◦ Did you enjoy what you tasted? Was it
worth the price?
◦ What foods would go well with the wine?
◦ Was there balance throughout your
experience?
◦ Is this style something you would
purchase again?

14. Wine & Food
 A few pairing guidelines:
◦ Make the wine the superstar. The wine should never
have to fight with the food.
◦ Never pair bitter with bitter. High tannic wines pair well
with fat and savory dishes not bitter veggies.
◦ The wine should be sweeter. When choosing your
dessert, make sure it’s not any sweeter than the wine
you’ve chosen. It will cause more tartness in the wine.
◦ The wine should be more tart. There should be more
acidity in the wine than the food. Otherwise the will taste
bland.

15. Red Grape Varietals

16. Pinot Noir
 Common flavors/aromas: cherry, cranberry,
raspberry, tobacco, cola, caramel, vanilla, clove,
mushroom
 Clusters are small and difficult to ripen evenly.
 Yields light to medium bodied wine
 Tannin: Medium Low
 Acidity: Medium High
 Usually sees French oak
 Great places for Pinot Noir: France (Burgundy),
U.S. (Oregon, California), Northern Italy (aka Pinot
Nero), New Zealand
 Food Pairings: duck, salmon, roasted pork, ham,
mushroom risotto

17. Grenache
 Common flavors / aromas: strawberry, black
cherry, raspberry, citrus rind, cinnamon, anise
 Tannins: Medium
 Acidity: Medium
 Was used in the 17th century to blend with Pinot
Noir before it was illegal
 Yields medium to full bodied wines
 Great places for Grenache: France, Spain, and
U.S.
 Food pairings: roasted meats and vegetables,
heavier stews, higher alcohol Grenache can
help tame spicy foods.

18. Merlot
 Common flavors/aromas: plum, blueberry, cherry, cedar,
vanilla, mocha
 Tannin: Medium
 Acidity: Medium
 Most planted grape in France
 Generally yields more of a softer and more supple wine
 Commonly blended with Cabernet Sauvignon to add more
body
 Great Places for Merlot: France (Bordeaux), Italy (Toscana),
United States(Washington, California),
Australia(South),Chile, and Argentina
 Food Pairings: herbed chicken, roasted tomato pasta, pork

19. Sangiovese
 Common flavors/aromas: tart cherry, red plum,
tomato, fig, roasted pepper, smoke, dried roses
 Tannin: High
 Acidity: High
 Typically sees light oak aging
 Grand majority is planted in Italy
 Food Pairings: Rich roasted meats, pizza, cured
sausages, and hard cheeses

20. Cabernet Sauvignon
 Common flavors/aromas: black currant, blackberry, black
cherry, licorice, vanilla, black pepper
 Tannin: Medium(+)
 Acidity: Medium(+)
 Know as “King Cabernet” of red grapes
 Cabernet grapes love warm climates and tend to be ideal
for aging.
 Great places for Cabernet: France, Chile, United States,
and Australia
 Food Pairing: charred mushroom burger, high fat and
umami dishes, braised short ribs

21. Syrah
 Common flavors/aromas: boysenberry, blueberry, pepper,
mint, chocolate, licorice, herbs, allspice
 Medium to high usage of oak aging
 Tannin: Medium(+)
 Acidity: Medium(+)
 Shiraz and Syrah are the same grape. The U.S., France, and
other countries it’s Syrah. In Australia it’s called Shiraz.
 Great Places for Syrah: France, Australia, Spain, Argentina,
South Africa, United States
 Food Pairing: blue cheese, bbq, roasted vegetables,
roasted game

22. Malbec
 Common flavors/aromas: blueberry, blackberry, violets,
plum, raspberry, mocha, tobacco
 Tannin: Medium
 Acidity: Medium
 Often used in blending other reds(such as Merlot and
Petite Verdot)
 Argentina’s signature grape
 Great place for Malbec: Argentina, France, United States
 Food Pairing: leaner red meats, buffalo burgers, dark
meat poultry, semi-firm goat’s milk cheese, roasted
vegetables

23. White Grape Varietals

24. Pinot Grigio
Common flavors/aromas: lime, green
apples, lemon, nectarine, almond,
honeysuckle
Acidity: Medium High-High
Also known as Pinot Gris
Great places for Pinot Grigio: Italy, United
States, Germany
Food Pairing: Tilapia, Scallops, poultry,
fresh vegetables and salads

25. Riesling
Common flavors/aromas: apricot, pineapple,
lemon, peach, apple, lime, honey, petrol, citrus
blossom
Acidity: High
Aging some Rieslings will give off
rubber/petrol/diesel aromas
Rarely blended with other grapes
Also known as “Rhine Wine” being that it’s most
planted in the Rhine Valley, Germany
Great places for Riesling: Germany, Australia,
United States, France
Food Pairing: chicken, shrimp, crab, spicy
dishes, roasted vegetables

26. Sauvignon Blanc
* Common flavors/aromas: pear, kiwi,
passionfruit, white peach, nectarine,
gooseberry, grass, basil (If oak aged-vanilla,
pie crust, coconut)
* Acidity: Medium-Medium High
* Sauvignon Blanc is commonly blended with
Semillon and Muscadelle in White Bordeaux.
* Great Places for Sauvignon Blanc: France,
New Zealand, Italy, United States, Chile
*Food Pairing: poultry, pork, cod, redfish,
halibut, goat’s milk cheese, sautéed green
veggies

27. Chenin Blanc
* Common flavors/aromas: passionfruit, pear,
peach, apple, mango, honey, hay, burnt sugar
(If oak-aged: butterscotch, buttered popcorn,
nutmeg
* Acidity: Medium High- High
* Ranges from dry- sweet
* Great Places for Chenin Blanc: South
Africa, France, Argentina, United States
* Food Pairings: veal, trout, chicken, turkey,
pork chop, triple-cream brie, herb-crusted
goat cheeses

28. Moscato
* Common flavors/aromas: apricot, peach,
nectarine, meyer lemon, orange, perfume,
jasmine, honeysuckle
* Acidity: Medium
* Yields highly aromatic sweet wines with
lower alcohol levels
* Also known Muscat or Muscat Blanc
*Great Place for Moscato: Italy, United States
* Food Pairing: Chinese and Vietnamese
dishes, bbq pork, poultry

29. Gewurztraminer
* Common flavors/aromas: grapefruit,
pineapple, cantaloupe, rose, honey, ginger
* Acidity: Medium Low
* Only about 20,000 acres planted
worldwide
* Great Places for Gewurztraminer: France
(Alsace), United States( California)
* Food Pairings: duck, chicken, roasted
vegetables, soft cow’s milk cheese, dried
fruits

30. Chardonnay
* Commons flavors/aromas: pineapple, guava,
mango, citrus, green apple, celery leaf, beeswax, (If
oak-aged: vanilla, baked tart, butter, crème brulee
* Acidity: Medium low (oaked-warm climate), Medium
high(unoaked cool climate)
* Some Chardonnays taste creamier because of
malolactic fermentation.
* Malolactic Fermentation is the process
in winemaking in which tart-tasting malic acid is
converted to softer-tasting lactic acid. This takes
place after the primary fermentation.
* Great Places for Chardonnay: France, United States
Food Pairing: chicken, turkey, pork loin, soft – semi
soft cow’s milk cheese and goat cheese

31. Thank You!
David Nicholas
Beer/Wine Manager
Fairfield Market
28550 HWY 290
Cypress, TX 77433
s6567w@heb.com

32. More Interest in Wine?
Grapes and Wines
by Oz Clarke & Margaret Rand
Windows to the World-Complete Wine Course
by Kevin Zraly
Oldman’s Guide to Outsmarting Wine
by Mark Oldman
The World Atlas of Wine
by Hugh Johnson & Jancis Robinson