Wine 101, need basic info, please!?

Question

can someone give me a basic summary of the main grapes used in the most popular wines and their characteristics? It would be sooo appreciated.

Ie: Chianti, Bordeaux, Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, etc

Answer 1

Main Reds

Merlot - nice round, mellow, relaxing

Cabrenet Sauvignon - sharper, drier, more tannin (tartness), a little more intellectual I always thought

Chianti - a sweet Italian wine

Main Whites

Chardonnay - mellow, round, oaky flavors, somewhat dry

Pinot Grigio - an Italian white, often a little sweeter

Chablis - sweet, fruity

Sauvignon Blanc - oaky, often very dry

I've had quite a few waitering jobs, mostly high end - this is all you'll need for most customers in most restaurants. The real trick is in practicing opening those bottles!

Answer 2

First, Chianti and Bordeaux are regions, not grapes. Bordeaux wines (reds anyway) are always made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Chianti wines are largely made from Sangiovese grapes.

Cab Sauv and Cab Franc both produce very dark, tannic wines that typically age well and are often jammy.

Chardonnay is the most famous white grape with often strong fruit flavors from citrus to banana-esque depending on the region. Chards from Burgundy usually age well, but most should be drunk young. A lot of California Chardonnays are over-oaked in my opinion and taste too buttery.

Merlot is a Bordeaux grape that often produces soft, earthy, fruity tasting wines of a dark, rich color.

Pinot Noir is a very difficult grape to grow and comes from the Burgundy region of France. Pinot is a very hard grape to define as it all depends on the terroir (area in which it is grown). Central Coast California Pinots (Santa Maria and Santa Ynez), Willamette Valley Oregon and red Burgundies are the best.

Nebbiolo is Italy's main grape and makes Barolo and Barbaresco wines. The wines are very acidic, age well and benefit from a decanting before drinking.

Riesling is Germany's contribution to the wine world. The wines usually have a nice balance between sweetness and acidity and the best usually age well.

Sauvignon Blancs are usually fresh, acidic and assertive with enough fruit to be enjoyable. I love Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs from New Zealand.

Syrah is a Rhone grape from France and is also known as Shiraz. It produces wines that are often rich, smoky and spicy.

Tempranillo is the key grape of Spanish red wines including Rioja, Ribera del Duero and wines from Catalonia. The wines are of good color, low acid, low tannin and do well with oak ageing.

Zinfandel is the classic California grape and a personal favorite of mine. Zinfandel wines vary depending on the terroir but the best are deep reds that come from old vines that produce small crops. Turley Zins from Paso Robles are fantastic examples of that.

That is a brief rundown of the big varietals, but by no means is all of them. I recommend the Larousse Encyclopedia of Wine as a great resource if you wish to know more.    

Answer 3

You should do your own homework.  Use Wikipedia.com