What the Hell is a Varietal?

Var-eye-et-al. You see this a lot. In wine ads, on wine labels and in liquor store aisles. The word varietal simply defines the grape type of the wine. A wine has to be 75% of a singular varietal to be labeled as such. So, a wine labeled Cabernet Sauvignon (Cab-er-nay Saw-vin-yawn) is at least 75% of that grape variety. Often, winemakers will add up to 25% of one or more additional grape varietals to a wine for flavor or color enhancement. I like this concept. It's like a bunch of different grape varieties playing on a basketball team. Each brings a unique skill, different from the others, and often assisting one another to get the score.

Your assignment is to get to the wine aisle, grab a bottle and read the labels. Yes, there are two. The "front" label will list the winery or brand, the wine region and, most importantly, the varietal. Wines that have multiple varietals are listed as blends. For example: "Red Blend". That does not mean lack of quality. Quite the contrary. My current faves are red blends!

Then, turn the bottle around and read the "back" label. This is where the winery tells their "story". The place where you are won over and pick this bottle over the thousands of others shelved right next to this one. There will be a lot of fluff, often winemaker commentary on their craftsmanship and painstaking work on the wine. More often, this is written by a marketeer who's never even been to the vineyard, let alone tasted the wine! Don't let this paragraph woo you. However, I would encourage you to read it. You may find a kinship with the winery or region.

Now, keep reading. Usually, on the very bottom of the back label, there will be the breakdown of grape varietals that make up the wine. For example: A Cabernet Sauvignon wine may show a breakdown as" Cabernet Sauvignon 80%, Merlot 10%, Petite Sirah 10%. Three varietals with a majority varietal being Cabernet Sauvignon. This can also be listed on the front label when there is not a majority varietal in the blend. Sometimes, more often than not, however, if the wine is listed as Cabernet there may not be a breakdown at all. Can you see why this can be confusing? Know that even if a single varietal is listed, there's probably a little something else in there - like adding salt to a make a good dish great!

My next post will be a deeper dive into the world of varietals. Til then, get out there and grab a bottle of wine. Price doesn't matter. Country doesn't matter. Region doesn't matter. Varietal doesn't matter. Cork doesn't matter. Just try something. If you like it, take note. If you hate it, take note.

Wine shouldn't be intimidating. It's just fermented grapes! Lot's of choices. Some good, some bad but all worth a try!