User:Tomas e/Noble grapes

Noble grapes is a wine term used to describe the grape varieties commonly associated with the highest quality wines. Sometimes, the corresponding French term, cépages nobles, is also seen. The opposite category, the "non-noble grapes" are varieties that are presumed to result in simple or at least undistinguished wines, and presumably used merely because they are simple to cultivate or yield large grape harvests.

In general, the term "noble grape" has been applied to varieties which fulfil the following criteria:

• It is establish as the most appreciated quality grape variety in a classical wine region, where it is used to produce wine which has a world reputation.
• It has been adapted in wine regions in other parts of the world, and showed itself capable of yielding excellent wine in other locations as well.

Problems with the concept of noble grapes

On one level, the concept of noble grapes is a non-controversial one within viticulture and has a long history under one designation or another. Different grape varieties were named and described already in antiquity, in Ancient Greece. Wine quality was clearly differentiated in Ancient Rome, with some varieties seen as responsible for the exceptional properties of some Roman wine. Both Pliny and Columella prized the variety Aminea, for example. In the edicts of Charlemagne, the cultivation of certain varieties was proscribed. In the German-speaking world in the Medieval era, a division into Frankish and Hunnic grape varieties was used. The superior Frankish varieties were supposed to be those introduced through Charlemagne's edicts.

Today, most well-established wine regions cultivate several different grapes, with broad agreement within the region as to which of them which give better wines under suitable growing and winemaking conditions, and which are more suitable for bulk wines. Thus, growers often face a trade-off between quantity, quality and effort and risk involved in cultivation. Therefore, within a region, it may often be possible to draw up a rather uncontroversial list of noble regional grapes.

However, problems start to arise when grape varieties from different regions and countries are to be compared and ranked against each other on a global scale, across growing conditions and national traditions. The whole point of drawing up lists of noble grapes is usually to make the list rather short, which means that many grapes which do well in at least some classical wine regions are excluded from any given list.

Furthermore, stressing the grape varieties as the most important aspect in determining a wine's quality and "nobleness", rather than its terroir or the winemaking expertise, means subscribing to a certain philosophical view of winemaking which is not shared by everyone. This view is probably more typical of New World winemaking focussed on varietal wine, while it would probably be difficult to find any Burgundian vigneron who whould agree that it is the grape variety Pinot Noir rather than the Burgundian terroir that results in the region's much sought-after red wines.

Another controversial aspect of the concept is that most lists of noble grapes are much dominated by French varieties, often to the total omission of Italian and Spanish varieties.

It is worth to notice that many authoritative sources on wine, such as the Oxford Companion to Wine do not even try to define the concept or list which varieties that are noble.

Therefore, noble grapes is best understood as a general concept, rather than an authoritative list of grape varieties that by definition are superior to any variety not on the list.

Noble grapes as a pedagogical tool

The reason why lists of noble grapes are popular with many wine writers and wine drinkers is that such shortlists are seen as useful pedagogical tools, perhaps in particular in countries where varietal wines dominate the marketplace. Many beginning wine drinkers who wish to learn more about various wines and wine styles that can be found in the marketplace may be faced with the problem of trying to cope with varietal wines made from several dozen different grape varieties, and wines labelled by several hundred different geographical origins.

Lists, or rather shortlists, of noble grapes fulfilling the critera set out above help in creating some kind of structure in this diverse and bewildering supply of wines. They draw the attention to grapes which are commonly thought to give distinctive wines, and also link several common varietal wines with classical wines labelled with geographical origin.

When seen in this way, non-inclusion of a grape from such a list does not automatically mean that it is inferior in quality.

Commonly listed noble grapes

Many shortlists of noble grapes, drawn up for a pedagogical purpose, include six varieties. Typically, the three white grapes Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc are included together with three red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and either Merlot or Syrah.

Regional use of the term

As mentioned above, it is often possible to draw up more authoritative lists of noble grape varieties for individual regions.

Alsace

In Alsace, where varietal labelling has a long tradition, only four of the varietal labels may be used for Alsace Grand Cru wine and the late harvest wines (Vendange tardive and Sélection de Grains Nobles). These are Gewürztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Gris and Riesling, and they are generally referred to as the four noble grapes, or cépages nobles.

Bordeaux

In Bordeaux, the six varieties that are allowed to be used for most red wine appellations of region are sometimes called the noble varieties. They are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Carmenère and Malbec, although only the first three are cultivated to any greater extent today.

References

MacNeil, Karen, The Wine Bible. Workman Publishing, 2001, ISBN 1563054345.

[[Category:Viticulture]] [[Category:Grape varieties]] [[Category:Wine terms]]