Already a member?
© Raley's
Family of Fine Stores
Privacy Statement
|
Here, you'll pick up key terms, major wine varieties and how to taste wine like a pro. So pack up your corkscrew and let's go! |
|||
 SEE SMELL SIP VARIETALS EXPERT ADVICE |
|||
|
There are a lot of wine grape varieties out there - more than 10,000! Some varieties, like tempranillo, are blended with other varieties to make wines. Other varieties form the basis of a varietal, which is a wine made from at least 75% of one grape variety.
Get the scoop on the top 10 varietals, including pronunciation, typical flavor profile and the body, or the weight, of the wine. The best example of body? Think about the difference between skim milk and whole milk in your mouth. | |||
|
Varietal |
How you say it |
Body |
What it tastes like |
|
Pinot Grigio |
pee-no gree-gee-oh |
light |
Crisp, acidic light white. Also called pinot gris. Lemon, almond, pear, citrus.
|
|
Riesling |
rees-ling |
light to medium |
Sweet or crisp light white. Highly acidic. Peach, apricot, honey, mineral. |
|
Gewürtrzaminer |
guh-vurtz-trah-meener |
medium |
Floral and spicy white. Can be sweet or dry. Floral, honey, citrus, honeysuckle, gingerbread.
|
|
Sauvignon Blanc |
so-veen-yawn blahnc |
medium |
Crisp, acidic, tangy white. Grapefruit, grass, herbal, melon, hay, fig, bell pepper, flint.
|
|
Chardonnay |
shar-dun-ay |
medium to full |
Lush, creamy, most full-flavored of whites. Butterscotch, custard, apple, pineapple, vanilla or tropical.
|
|
Pinot Noir |
pee-no nwah |
light to medium |
Silky, earthy, lightest of reds. Strawberries, cherries, earth, violets, mushroom. |
|
Merlot |
mer-low |
medium |
A fruity red, softer than Cab. Cherries, blackberries, plums, chocolate, mocha.
|
|
Syrah/Shiraz |
sir-ah/shee-rahz |
medium to full |
Rich, rustic, spicy red. Black pepper, dark berries, smoke, spice, tar.
|
|
Zinfandel |
zin-fin-dell |
medium to full |
Hearty, jammy, ultraripe red. Blackberries, plum, raisin, black pepper, raspberries, leather.
|
|
Cabernet Sauvignon |
cab-ur-nay so-veen-yawn |
full |
Big, bold, most powerful of reds. Black currant, plum, cherries, olive, mint, leather, cedar, tobacco.
|
|
« BACK | NEXT » |
|||
Members Party Guide and Menu PDFs
Click here
Tips from our "Wine School" Expert
Click here
Your Exclusive Member's Coupons
Click here to download
In-Store Wine Tasting Events
Find your store's schedule
BLOG: What's Hot, What's New
Find out what's new, what's hot and what's fit to be uncorked!
BLOG: The Last Drop
Our Something Extra magazine Wine Expert, Alyssa Lulie, invites you to read the latest and leave a comment.