Quick 5 Minute Guide to French Wine
This is intended as a rough guide for people new to wine who wish to enjoy our wines to the fullest!
French Grape Varieties and Common Flavours
Tasting wines is the obvious enjoyment of wines and using words to describe all of the different flavours can be difficult. In tasting wines, people often refer to such factors as acidity, tannins, bitterness or sweetness. Further elements such as structure, complexity and balance are evaluated.
However tastes are ultimately a question of preference and the idea in this section is to remind consumers of the most common flavours associated with the grapes. For more accurate tastes of each wine, especially those attributed to wine-making techniques, please consult the wine-growers.
| Grape Name | Flavours/Aromas | Characteristics | |
| Cabernet Franc | leafy, aromatic, refreshing, violets, black fruit, strawberry, pencil | Fruity, refreshing, low tannin | |
| Cabernet Sauvignon | blackcurrant, cedar, cigar-box, dark-chocolate | high tannin, rich colour, fits with oak | |
| Merlot | plum, fruitcake, blackberry | soft, high-alcohol, colourful, rich | |
| Syrah | black pepper, dark chocolate, tanning, black cherry, blackcurrant | dark, powerful | |
| Mourvedre | gamey, blackberries, herbal, wood smoke | tannin | |
| Malbec | gamey | fruity, colourful | |
| Pinot Noir | cherry, raspberry, violets, subtle, game | silky, complex aromas, light, fruity, rich, full-bodied, delicate | |
| Cinsault | strawberries, spice | sweet, light, aromatic, fruity | |
| Carignan | spice, red-fruit | high acidity, tannin, colour | |
| Grenache | black fruit, spice, rip | fruity, high-alcohol, rich | |
| Gamay | black cherry, strawberry | light, fruity | |
| Petit Verdot | black fruit, spice | tannic, dark colour, high alcohol | |
| Tannat | spicy | dark, tannic, heavy |
| Grape Name | Flavours/Aromas | Characteristics | |
| Chardonnay | mineral, apple, lemon, honey, butter, nutty, meadow flowers, pear, butterscotch, bread | full range- can vary from light to full, oaked or un-oaked | |
| Sauvignon Blanc | grass, green fruit, lemon, gooseberries, asparagus, apple, grapefruit, mineral | fresh, aromatic, best drunk young, good acidity | |
| Riesling | lime, floral, fruit, mineral | dry, aromatic, can age | |
| Gewurztraminer | lychee, roses, heady, oily, | full-bodied, high-alcohol, low acidity, fits with oak | |
| Semillon | lanolin, fig, honey, orange, lemon | tannin | |
| Viognier | apricot, honey, flower blossom, orange | full-bodied | |
| Chenin Blanc | honey, damp straw, apples, pears, beeswax | very versatile | |
| Pinot Blanc | apple, nutty, fruit | crisp, dry | |
| Muscat | grapey, floral | sweet, aromatic, dry in Alsace | |
| Pinot Gris | spice, honey, slightly floral | powerful | |
| Sylvaner | subtle fruity flavours | light | |
| Melon de Bourgogne | subtle natural flavours | light | |
| Marsanne | almond, nutty, honey, rich, mineral | full-bodied | |
| Roussanne | lemon, flower | rich | |
| Aligoté | apple, lemon | acidic, fresh | |
| Ugni Blanc | lemon | smooth, fresh |
Suggest a vineyard Major UK supermarkets and retailers compromise on the quality of your wine and squeeze margins from vineyards. You can end up paying £15 for a low quality wine. Vinifera Boutique are dedicated to providing you with quality wine directly at a very competitive price.
