Feature Grape Archive

To return to the Feature Grape, click here.

Rumeni Plavec

An autochtonous grape found in the Posavje region of Slovenia, rumeni plavec (roo-muh-nee plah-vetz) translates something like "yellow blue." The grapes are known to ripen late which results in high acidity levels in its white wines. This grape is grown in quantity only in the Bizeljsko-Sremic area and can not be found outside the Posavje region. It is often part of a blend with Laski Rizling and Sauvignon in a wine called Bizeljcan.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
This lovely high acid wine can pair well with seafood pasta dishes made with a cream sauce. Also a great pair with vegetable lasagna.

Piedirosso

You can find this grape in the southern Italian region of Campania. It is part of the blend for the Lacryma Christi del Vusuvio wines and Falerno Rosso. The name means "red foot" referring to the way the vine grows resembling a pigeon's foot.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
The sparkling versions are fabulous with pizza and slighty spicy red sauce pasta dishes.

Bonarda

In Italy you can find Bonarda Piemontese blended into Gattinara and Ghemme. Some might say this is "the real deal" Bonarda. Then it gets all confusing.<br>In the area of Oltrepo Pavese located in Lombardy and in the Colli Piacentini in Emilia Romagna, Italian winemakers use Croatina grapes but often call them "Bonarda." This Bonarda is really referring to two different grapes: Bonarda Grossa and Bonarda Piccola which are subvarieties of Croatina. Croatina grapes produce wine of dark color and a nice plummy flavor. <br> Argentina's Bonarda may be the same as California's Charbono, and many argue that it is not related to the Italian Bonarda at all.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
The frizzante "Gutturnio" bottlings are fabulous with pizza. The softer fruit qualities of Croatina pair well with pastas in a tomato based sauce.

Mencia

From the Bierzo region in Castilla y Leon area of Northwestern Spain, this red grape is gaining fame. Many liken it to Cab Franc; although, DNA tests show no relation. Wines made from Mencia are typically early drinkers with fresh acid. However, many winemakers are now making a more extracted style with oak aging to give more staying power. Bierzo is a bit untamed with wild boar roaming around. The region has been known as a stopping place for religious pilgrims on their way to the shrine of St James. Mencia is also found in Valdeorra and Ribeiro where it is sometimes blended with Garnacha.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
Great with sharp cheeses, duck and other rich, red meat dishes, especially wild boar.

Dornfelder

Dornfelder is a German grape that makes amazingly deep colored red wines with juicy fruit qualities. It's a cross created in 1955 by combining Helfensteiner and Heroldrebe. You can also find this grape in England.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
Perfect pair with bar-b-q.

Cserszegi Fuszeres

We found another crazy grape from Hungary. Pronounced like chair-say-ghee foo-suh-resh, this white grape makes light refreshing wines a bit spicy like a Gewurz and aromatic like a Muscat. A slight touch of sweetness and light alcohol content make it a great summer sipper.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
Drink it with summer salads, grilled veggies, and spicy chicken sausage.

Brachetto

One of Italy's more unusual grapes, Brachetto can be found in every style ranging from dry and still to sweet and sparkling. Light red in color, it is usually very aromatic with flavors of strawberry and raspberry which makes it great for summer. It is found in Piedmont, mostly in Acqui.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
A sparkling, sweet Brachetto goes fabulously well with chocolate (and belly buttons…don't ask).

Gaglioppo

Gaglioppo is grown throughout Calabria (think toe of the boot of Italy) on ancient vines of Greek origins. Wines produced of the grape are known for soft tannins with full lush fruit accompanied by notes of licorice and spice. Is it any wonder why legend has told of this wine being served to Olympians upon their victory.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
Try with traditional southern Italian dishes such as Carne di Juomi il Festa (Feast Day Meat) or Melanzane Calabre (Calabrian eggplant) as well as sharp cheeses and hearty cuts of meat?

Bukettraube

This grape is often used in sweet dessert style wines in South Africa. It's sweetness is balanced with acidity, though. It is also found in Alsace, but hard to find. I couldn't find any.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
Try it with Jambalaya or spicy Indian food.

Nieddera

Located north of Sicily, Sardinia is an island off the southern part of Italy that gives us wine gems such as the grape Nieddera. Nieddera has been cultivated in the lower Tirso valley since ancient times. The grape is used to make dry, fruity wine with aging potential.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
Pair the red with summer bbq meat and game dishes. The rosato is a perfect pair with grilled fish and fish stew.

Chenin Blanc

Originating in the Loire Valley of France, Chenin Blanc makes lovely wine in both sweet and dry versions. Look to Vouvray for some classic dry Chenin, but you can also find this grape in many other countries such as the US, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, where it is referred to as Steen. The honey scent of Chenin makes wine of real interest in both still and sparkling versions.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
Chenin Blanc makes excellent food pairing wines and matches well with everything from pork tenderloin to jambalaya. It's a versatile wine for those times when you have many different foods to try to pair one wine with, such as Thanksgiving and other holiday meals.

Marzemino

A specialty of the Trentino area of northern Italy, the Marzemino grape produces grapey, plump wines with a touch of tannin and grassiness. Marzemino wines are meant to be drunk young. Some sweet passito versions exist, but are much harder to find in the US. Marzemino was the last request of Don Giovanni before his descent to hell in Mozart's famous opera.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
Pair with pork and pastas with light sauces.

Refosco

Found predominantly in northeastern Italy, refosco is known for its high acidity and dark color. Like most grapes, various strains of refosco grapes exist in different areas. You can find some refosco in Slovenia and even Greece. Wines made from refosco are often best drunk young and without oak aging.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
Meat stews, smoked meats with heavier barley based pasta, reggiano cheese.

Mondeuse

A grape found in the Savoie region of France, Mondeuse is not easy to come by in the US...they keep it for themselves! It's got a slight peppery finish and reminds me of good "cru" Beaujolais. Some argue it's related to Syrah, some say Refosco. Who cares! It tastes good.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
"Poulet de Bresse" anyone? Experiment with salmon steak.

Roussette (or Altesse)

This fine grape grows in the Savoie region of eastern France. Known for its high acidity, minerality, and lemon pithy aroma, Altesse grapes can produce white wines that can age really well. If the grape name isn't followed by an appellation name, it can have up to 50% of another grape like Chardonnay blended in.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
Dungeness crab, grilled sausages, pork

Aligote

Aligote is grown in California and Oregon and is the base of many sparkling wines form eastern Europe. However, it is most known as the "other" white grape in France's Burgundy region, always outclassed by Chardonnay. The best often come from the Bouzeron area of the Cote Chalonnaise in southern Burgundy. Burgundian Aligote can include up to 15% Chardonnay. Wines made with this grape often exhibit citrus flavors from the grape's higher acidity. Sometimes a nice note of hazelnut creeps in. Meant to be drunk young, Aligote does not take too kindly to aging in oak barrels.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
Goes well with many shellfish dishes, but is most famous as the original wine to be blended with a splash of cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) in the kir cocktail.

Verdejo

A grape originating from the Rueda region in northern Spain, verdejo has the structure to age well, acquiring a nutty, honeyed flavor with a little bottle age. Wines made from verdejo often have a round mouth feel and a tad of pear flavor. Viura and sauvignon blanc often make nice blending partners, but must be done with at least 50% verdejo in Ruedo by law.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
Fabulous with warm goat cheese salad. Pair with young manchego and a plate of olives as a pre-meal snack. Grilled calamari, anyone?

Királyleányka

Many find this grape to be reminiscent of Chenin Blanc. Its origins go back to Transylvania (used to be Hungary, now Romania).

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
Flavorful, yet light and refreshing, this wine is great with summer salads, light fish dishes, and backyard finger foods.

Irsai Oliver

Bred to be a Hungarian table grape, Irsai Oliver is never meant to be too complicated or snobby. This grape makes grapy, dry whites with a lovely Muscat smell. It was created by crossing Pozsony with Pearl of Csaba. Ever heard of those? Me either.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:


Regent

Regent is a hybrid of diana and chambourcin that was bred mainly for the German organic wine industry since many feel that Regent doesn't need to be sprayed during the growing season and is extremely resistant to all diseases. A dark, full-bodied wine that can take to some aging.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
Bold enough to lust after red meat dishes.

Sagrantino

This grape is found in the central Italian region of Umbria. Umbria's exclusive star, Sagrantino is supposedly named after the Sacrament. The "passito" style is created from dried grapes that offer rich, raisiny fruit with a bitterness on the finish that can be attributed to the famous Sagrantino tannic structure. The appellation Sagrantino de Montefalco is usually 100% sagrantino. The Montefalco Rosso DOC blends sagrantino with other grapes like sangiovese and trebbiano.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
The full on force of Sagrantino is a great match for hearty, carnivorous dining. Passito is good with strong blue cheeses.

Monica

Monica is pretty much only found in Sardinia these days, although it is said to be related to the Mission grape of early California history. Monica probably came to Sardinia from Spain years ago when Sardinia was under Spain's control. This hearty, somewhat rustic red is known for its low tannin and cranberry-like tartness.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
Try this with deep fried chick pea panelles and grilled eggplant or any grilled meat. Great with a plate of chorizo and manchego cheese. Perfect with Panne Frattau, a Sardinian specialty with thin pasta, cheese, sauce, and poached eggs.

Rkatsiteli

How do you say that? It's pronounced ar-kat-si-TEL-lee and is widely found throughout Russia, especially Georgia. Even though rkatsiteli has been the second most widely planted varietal in the world, I only know of three wineries in the US playing with this grape: Dr. Konstantin Frank in the Finger Lakes of New York, Tomasello in Atlantic County, New Jersey, and Horton Vineyards in Orange County, Virginia. Rkats originated around Mount Ararat on the border of Armenia and Turkey and dates back at least 5,000 years. It offers orange zesty, lemony kinda aromas and flavors as a still wine, but in Russia, you can find this grape being used even in fortified wines and brandy.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
Try the sparkling with Indian vindaloo. The still wines are versatile enough to go with various seafood dishes or a chicken with lemon and rosemary.

Ruché

The name Ruché (roo-kay) is either related to the “rocche” (rocks) of the area
or to the name of the local saint, San Rocco. The historical origin is also suggested from the Benedictine monastery "The Monastery of the Rocche" situated close to Castagnole Monferrato, where the monks were responsible to safeguard the culture and artistic heritage of the Roman era and may well have saved the vine, which was later named after the monastery.

Ruché grows in the northwestern Italian D.O.C. of Monferrato that lies east of Asti. The 7 villages growing are:
Castagnole Monferrato, Grana, Montemagno, Portacomaro, Refrancore, Scurzolengo, and Viarigi. To be labeled Ruché, the wine must be at least 90% Ruché and can be 10% Barbera or Brachetto.

This grape used to be grown for personal consumption with family and friends. There is a saying in Castagnole that if someone offers you Ruché, it means they like you. Ruché has only been cultivated commercially for a few decades, and only became a DOC around 1988.

The aromatics of Ruché often entice with nuances of dried rose petals. Ruché is an unusual treat from Piedmont with a light spiciness, a slight tannic backbone, and a pale red color.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
Drink with savory and spicy foods, game and strong cheeses. One of the few reds that can work well with Asian influenced foods.

Vermentino

This grape is widely found in Italy from Liguria in the Northwest all the way down to Sardinia. Sardinian and Tuscan versions are known to have a bit more weight and richness, but you can also find that elsewhere depending on the winemaker's care. Wineries in Corsica and the South of France also produce some nice versions. Scents of lemons and nuts are often characteristics found in wines made from this grape.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
Vermentino is known for its crispness that makes it a great pair with light seafood dishes, especially shellfish.

Viognier

Viognier has seen much more interest in the ABC (“Anything But Chardonnay”) group of wine-lovers. This grape is at home in the Rhone Valley of France, but you do find growers in the US playing with it. I found some great Viognier in Virginia during a drive to the South in summer 2003, although hardly any of it is being distributed in New York. I’m working on getting some up our way.

Some folks have had good luck with it in California, but the cream of the crop is still found in the Condrieu bottlings from Rhone. Condrieu is perhaps the most expensive white wine meant to be drunk young. Good Viognier is rarely described as “cheap” even outside of Condrieu.

Viognier is known for its peachy, apricot scent in the nose. The fruity, floral aromatics of this grape entice you, seduce you. She wears a flirty perfume that you'll always remember. A good Viognier offers lush, creaminess in the mouth with its naturally low acidity. As Rick James might say, “She’s a very freaky girl…the kinda girl you don’t take home to Mama.”

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
I love this with salty hams so it's a great Easter wine. Check it out with Northern Indian cuisine. Can also pair well with "meatier" seafood such as lobster and scallops. Veggie folks can lap it up as a pair with light pasta seasoned with butter and herbs.

Pinotage

Grapes have been growing in South Africa for hundreds of years. Pinotage is truly a South African grape, created as a hybrid of Pinot Noir and Cinsault, or Hermitage as the South African folks call Cinsault. Pinot Noir is the base grape in red Burgundy. (Side note: Burgundy is a region in France and isn't that big jug stuff from California that dares to call itself "Burgundy"). OK, OK... enough of that wine geekdom.

Pinotage offers the lushness of Cinsault with... well, it's just its own grape. I won't even try to make comparisons with its parent grapes. It tastes and smells like no other. I often think it smells like fresh, wet earth, like that bag of topsoil you just opened up and can't wait to get your hands in. Blackberry and toast flavors often show up. If you like Shiraz or Red Zinfandel, you'll probably dig this grape.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
Great with smoky grilled foods, fun to pair with items flavored with bacon.

Lagrein

High up in northeastern Italy lagrein thrives as an indigenous grape to the Trentino-Alto Adige. You will often see "SudTirol" on labels in addition to Alto Adige since this area has had heavy Austrian influence being so near the border. This grape is naturally low in tannin, but offers a deep, rich color in the glass.

I love the bittersweet chocolate notes this grape contributes to wines. An easy drinkability and chewy texture make this a crowd favorite. Despite its low tannin, I've seen lagrein bottles age well for 10 years or so, especially from premium vineyard sites such as "Taber." You may also see this grape called Vernatsch. Dark reds may be labeled "lagrein dunkel" and rosés "rosato." Lagrein makes some of Italy's best rosés.

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:
Red wine drinkin' vegetarian folks have some luck pairing this with grilled eggplant and sometimes with spicier dishes influenced by Mexican or Indian cuisine. Also great with rabbit stew.