Move Over Pinot Noir

You’d think all grape names were known by now, given that 5,000 to 10,000 grape varieties are thought to exist. Of course, some varieties exist only as part of scientific collections, and some varieties are always going extinct (sadly). But new varieties are also always being created—either in Nature or by plant breeders. In fact, a large group of grape breeders in the East and Midwest have been coming up with a slew of new varieties breed to be tolerant of extremely cold winters. The names of those grapes must be approved by the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau before they can be used on wine bottles. If approved by the TTB, here are some wine names you may see in the future: Aromella, Valjohn, Southern Cross, Jupiter, Bluebell, King of the North, Diana, and our favorite, By George (invented by a backyard breeder named George Girouard).

The earliest grape varieties were probably all red.

Answer: True.

The very first original varieties that gave rise to the “founder varieties” (Pinot Noir, Gouais Blanc, and Savagnin) were probably all red. Scientists think that the first white variety was a mutation that occurred when pieces of DNA moved within the gene, interrupting the coding for anthocyanins, molecules in grape skins that create color. In early wine-drinking civilizations, the rarity of white wines gave them social value and led to the perception that white wines were more refined than reds, and as such, more desirable as upper-class drinks. For their part, early on, the founder varieties crossed with each other and with scores of other varieties (some of which no longer exist) to create scores of varieties we drink today from Chardonnay and Riesling to Blaufrankisch, Gamay, and Muscadelle.

“The efforts to demystify and simplify [wine] never ring true because they ignore the fact that wine by its nature is mystifying and complicated. These qualities can be embraced and celebrated without suggesting that they require mastering, but that would force us to think and talk about wine in a different sort of way, as a food staple to be enjoyed rather than as a symbol of status or as a ‘lifestyle.’”

—Eric Asimov, The New York Times, July 16, 2018

Move Over Pinot Noir

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