The World's 5 Favourite Wines. What do you know?

How much do you really know about wine? Hopefully I'm about to expand your wine knowledge with these 25 facts (actually, 26, I've just noticed there's an extra Zinfandel one) about 5 of the world's most popular wine varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Plus, you can learn a little more about the hard to pronounce, but nonetheless delicious Viognier varietal.

Let's start at the top.

Cabernet Sauvignon

It is really, really popular.
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most widely planted wine grapes in the world, possibly the most planted. The number of plantings world-wide doubled between 1990 and 2010, it's also the most planted vine in the world's fastest growing wine producing country: China. However, in its home, Bordeaux, Merlot is the more popular planting. Part of the reason for Cabernet’s popularity with winemakers is that it’s hardy and fairly easy to grow.

It's highly sought after.
Cabernet Sauvignon provides the backbone and structure for the most prized red wines in the world. Bordeaux-style blends (also known as Claret in Britain) can include any combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petite Verdot.

It ages gracefully.
It is one of the most tannic of all the major reds and its phenolics (chemical compounds) allow it to age well. Part of the reason it is so tannic is that it has a thick skin and the berries are small. Smaller grapes mean more pips and less pulp per berry. Tip: Young, highly tannic Cabernets pair beautifully with well-marbled steaks, but aged Cabs (8 to 12 years) have mellower tannins and can pair with a much broader range of foods (including chicken). Although aged Cabernet can be hard to find (and expensive!).

It has an interesting family.
It is originally from France and its parents are Sauvignon Blanc (really) and Cabernet Franc. Its half-sibling is Merlot – they both have Cabernet Franc as a “father” but different “mothers.” In blind tastings, it can sometimes be hard to distinguish Cabernet Sauvignon from Merlot, even for professionals.

It can take the heat.
It is late-ripening and needs a warmer climate to fully mature. In cooler regions, it often exhibits green bell pepper and eucalyptus flavours, which are not considered “wine faults” but are preferred by some wine lovers.

“Cabernet can be like the awkward kid who grows up to be a Nobel laureate, and sexy to boot.”
– Karen MacNeil, The Wine Bible.

Pinot Noir

It’s Old & French.
OK, you probably knew the French part. To be specific, this light, dry red hails from the Burgundy region in Central France (just south east of Paris), where it is the primary red wine. But did you know it is thought to be about 2,000 years old? Compare this to Cabernet Sauvignon, which is thought to be a few hundred years old. Due to its long history, Pinot Noir is considered the grandparent or great grandparent to many grapes, including Syrah.

It’s transparent.
It can’t hide anything – it clearly shows its terroir and is easily influenced by it. This is why it is not usually blended with any other varietals and it is often vineyard-designate (produced from a single vineyard). Even small differences in the grape show through in the final wine. This means that all of the various characteristics of, and decisions in, the vineyard will deliver a very different wine from site to site. Sun exposure, temperatures, soil type, crop yield, etc. can differ literally from one side of a road to another. Plus, it is often actually see-through in the glass. But make no mistake: it is NOT a lightweight in nose or taste.

It’s difficult.
It is hard to grow and hard to make into wine. Small climate changes greatly change this delicate grape, it is prone to various wine diseases and it oxidizes easily in the winemaking process. It is a much riskier wine for both growers and winemakers than other popular reds. That’s one of the reasons it is highly sought after (and can be incredibly expensive). Andre Tchelistcheff, one of America’s most influential winemakers declared that “God made Cabernet Sauvignon whereas the devil made Pinot Noir.”

It makes great Rosé (and Champagne).
To make Rosé in the traditional Provence style, you pick grapes when they are much less ripe. The lower sugars mean lower alcohol and greater acidity, so the Rosé is crisp and refreshing. With Pinot Noir (and Grenache) grapes, you don’t get “green” flavours when you pick early.

It’s friendly. Because of its lighter body, it is often an "entry level" red for white wine lovers to enjoy, and it is also one of the most food-friendly reds. It has the kind of acidity that is so important to versatility with food. The more fruit-forward the Pinot is, the better is with fattier fare, like roast chicken, lasagna, salmon or halibut. Bigger Pinots can stand up to game meats and birds, as well as beef. These types of Pinot often come from California, due to the weather. Oregon generally produces leaner Pinot Noir, which is even more able to pair well with many kinds of food, including Chinese, Indian, lamb, pizza … the list goes on. In fact, the only food I would not choose for Pinot is anything too hot and spicy.

Zinfandel

Whether fruity and jammy or spicy and elegant, Zinfandel is a hearty red, which although light-bodied, like Pinot Noir, it's moderate tannin and high acidity make it taste bold. It’s an ideal match with pepperoni pizza or spicy curry dishes, as well as with fine cuts of beef. It can even be used to spice up cranberry sauce.

Here are six things to know about Zinfandel.

The mystery around it has been solved. Despite various theories over the decades, DNA evidence now tells us it hails from Croatia.

It is considered California’s heritage grape. Believed to have been first planted in California in the 1850s, there are vines well over 100 years old in Amador country and Sonoma. There is no legal definition of “old vine,” but 40+ year old vines are typically considered old by winemakers.

It ages gracefully.
When well-made, it has the structure to improve in age like a Cabernet.

It has wings!
Well, it has a “wing” which is like a second, smaller bunch growing off to one side.

White Zinfandel saved it.
In 1972, Sutter Home famously created their extremely popular White Zinfandel. While some wine lovers consider this an “entry level” wine, we have this pink pleaser to thank for today’s wonderful old-vine Zinfandels. Its popularity ensured that Zinfandel vines were not grafted over when red Zin fell out of favour in the late 1970s.

Americans LOVE it.
It has an official promotional organization, ZAP, and its own event, the ZAP Zinfandel Festival. Until Cabernet Sauvignon passed it in 1990s, it was the most widely planted red grape in the USA.

Chardonnay
It has French twins
French Chablis and White Burgundy are both made from Chardonnay grapes. The Chablis region is Northern Burgundy, next to the Champagne region, and this cool-climate produces a crisp, steely wine. White Burgundy comes from more southern parts of the region and the extra warmth means fruitier flavours.

It loves to sparkle
Chardonnay is a major component in many Champagnes (along with Pinot Noir) and sparkling wines. It is often the only grape used in Blanc de Blancs.

It’s a chameleon
Crisp and lean, tropical and fruity, toasty and oaky – Chardonnay can be made in many different styles. Malolactic fermentation can give it a buttery, creamy texture. In a cooler climate it produces a more mineral-ly wine. Aging in oak, stainless steel or a mixture of the two greatly changes what is in your glass.

It is easy to pair
Buttery Chardonnay pairs with buttery foods (unsurprisingly!), like succulent lobster with melted butter. Oaky Chardonnays go with smoky grilled foods. Crisp and lean Chardonnay goes well with a lot things, including seafood or roast chicken and veggies.

It has haters
In some wine circles, “ABC” still stands for “Anything But Chardonnay.” This was in response to Californian Chardonnay for a time becoming a uniform mixture of butter and oak, based on the success of Kendall Jackson’s version. You can now easily find California Chardonnay made in a wide variety of styles.

Sauvignon Blanc
It’s very easy to match with food
Just remember that it pairs beautifully with anything you would squeeze lemon on. Cold seafood platter? Check. Grilled Halibut? Check. Roast vegetables? Check. It also is terrific with Gruyere or ripe chevre cheese and anything garlicky.

It has a romantic past
Centuries ago, in some sunny vineyard in France, Sauvignon Blanc vines met up with Cabernet Franc. The two crossed and it was … well … magic: they created Cabernet Sauvignon.

It has an alias
Fumé Blanc – coined in California in the 1960s and popularized by Robert Mondavi. Fumé Blanc is Sauvignon Blanc. Sometimes it is aged in oak, giving it smoky notes (fumé means smoke), but it is not required that it be aged in oak.

It has a French best friend
In France, Sauvignon Blanc is often blended with Sémillion.

It has a wild side
It requires a lot of hands-on vineyard work to keep this vigorous vine from growing out of control (“sauvignon” means “wild”). Cheers to this, my favourite, wild white!

Viognier
Apparently, if this lovely white was easier to pronounce, it would overtake Chardonnay as the favourite white wine in the U.S. The varietal was almost extinct in the 1960's, but has bounced back since the 1990's and, as well as France, can now be found in regions of North and South America as well as Australia, New Zealand, the Cape Winelands in South Africa and Israel.

So how do you say it?

Because it originated in the Rhône region of France, Viognier is pronounced “vee-Oh-NYAY.”

The origin of the Viognier grape is unknown; it is presumed to be an ancient grape, possibly originating in Dalmatia (present day Croatia) and then brought to the Rhône by the Romans. One legend has it that the Roman emperor Probus brought the vine to the region in 281 AD; another has the grape packaged with Syrah on a cargo ship, navigating the Rhône river, en route to Beaujolais when it was captured, near the site of present-day Condrieu, by a local group of outlaws.

The origin of the name Viognier is also obscure. The most common, probable, source is the French city of Vienne, which was a major Roman outpost. Another legend has it drawing its name from the Roman pronunciation of the via Gehennae, meaning the "Road of the Valley of Hell". Probably this is an allusion to the difficulty of growing the grape.

This is a full-bodied, rich white with flower fragrances that are often referred to as perfume-like. Interestingly, it is one of the few white wines commonly blended with red wine, particularly with Syrah. It is not sweet, but it is fruit-forward.

Turkey, chicken, tuna, crab and spicy foods all pair beautifully with this flavourful white.

Obviously, like most things, wine appreciation is subjective. If your favourite wine isn't on the list drop me a line and tell me what it is. I'm always looking for new things to try.

Although, I won't be trying anything until November, as Em and I are doing "Sober October", but it will be nice to have something to look forward to after another three weeks of this not drinking malarky. It's rubbish!