Nebbiolo

The Nebbiolo grape

Cabernet Sauvignon

In the wine making world the Cabernet grape is commonly referred to as the "king" of grapes. It is the one grape whose basic characterstics are strong enough to be recognized no matter where it is grown (unlike other grapes). This masculine grape provides the "backbone" to a lot of wine blends and also stands well on it's own generally offering up hearty, intense and deep wines that stand the test of time. Cabernet provides sturdy tannins that vary from soft to harsh. The flavors we taste in a cabernet vary with the age of the vines as well as the environmental influneces. The older vines have a tendency to impart earthy, leathery, tobacco, cocoa and smoky flavors. Yonger vines tend to dominate with dark fruit flavors like currant, black cherries, plums, blackberries and often hints of vegetables and herbs with tougher tannins.

Pinot Noir

The Pinot Noir grape produces some of the most elegant wines in the world. Although, unlike the cabernet grape, the pinot noir grape can take on very different personalities from region to region. In the famous Burgundy region of France this grape produces what many consider to be the finest wines in the world. Where it is grown in this region also greatly affects the perception of quality (which translates into price). This grape is also growing in popularity in the US - primarily in Oregon and California but the resulting wines are really quite different.

Semillon

The Semillion grape

Sangiovese

The Sangiovese Grosso grape

Malbec

The Malbec grape

Tempranillo

The Tempranillo grape