Vines and grape varieties
There are several species of vine, but only one - vitis vinifera - produces the grapes used tomake quality wine. Just as there are several varieties of apples, there are several varieties of vines within the vitis vinifera species: these are called grape varieties. There are several thousand varieties worldwide, but 80% of the world's wine production is made from just 20 grape varieties. The best-known are chardonnay, sauvignon, pinot noir, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah and grenache.
The study of grape varieties
Each grape variety has specific characteristics in terms of shape, taste, aroma and texture. How to recognize the different varieties? Before the advent of genetic sciences, the study of grape varieties was based on the simple observation of vine plants. Varieties were classified according to the shape of their leaves and fruit, and the date of their maturity. This type of study is known asampelography. Today, ampelographers continue this method of observation, to which they add a genetic study to determine the 'parents' of the grape varieties.
Grape varieties and AOCs
Grape varieties also have specific capacities for resistance to disease, adaptation to climate or different soils. The AOC specifications that establish the list of authorized grape varieties take into account all these characteristics and winegrowing specificities. In France, most wines are marketed under the name of an appellation, but some regions produce wines under the name of the grape variety used. Examples include Alsace wines, Picpoul de Pinet and various Muscats (Rivesaltes, Frontignan and Lunel).
Varietal wines in France and the New World
When a single grape variety is used to make a wine, it is called a vin de cépage or monocépage. In contrast to France, wines from the New World (USA, Australia, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, South Africa) are essentially varietal wines, as this simplifies the understanding of wine for consumers, since a grape variety refers to a taste. Nevertheless, in France over the past few years, we have seen the development of single-varietal wine ranges without AOC on supermarket shelves and in some wine merchant chains.