Varietal Profiles

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There is a lot of confusion about the word Varietal as it is applied to wine. Simply put it refers to a wine that is made from a specific grape variety, or in many case, due to labeling laws that allow for the blending of grapes, a large majority of a specific grape variety.

While all wines fall into two general categories of grapes, those used to make white wine and those used to make red wines, there are many further distinctions that can be made to further define grape varieties.

The most famous grape varieties are the Vitis Vinifera, or wine grapes, of Europe. All of the most famous grape varieties fall with-in the species Vinifera. Some of these grapes are actually crosses between specific grapes, and are typically referred to as crosses not to be confused with hybrid grapes

Hybrid grape varieties are crosses but between grape species. Other grape species that are important in wine making are;

Vitis Lambrusca – not to be confused with the Lambrusco of Italy, this species of grape varieties is native to the Eastern swath of the Temperate North American Continent- it is used to produce wines and often these wines are said to have a “foxy” aromas

Vitis Rupestris – Native to the Southern and Western United States this species of bushy grape vines is very rarely used to produce wine on it’s own but it’s resistant root stock is used the world over.

Vitis Riparia – is a species of grape indigenous to the same region of the North American Continent as Vitis Lambrusca and while used only very rarely for winemaking the root stock of this species is also commonly used to propagate the world vines.

Vitis Aestivalis and Vitis Rotundafolia, AKA Vitis Muscadinia are also indigenous to the North American content and while they are responsible for some wewll known wine grapes, Norton and Scuppernong reswpectively, they account for very little of the world’s production.