Question: Making wine - What grape varieties are used?
Making wine in England and Wales involves several different grape varieties.
Answer:
(Silvaner x Riesling)
Its grapes have a strong and distinctive aromatic flavour, with high sugar content. It is regularly made into a single varietal wine and although common in Germany it is also very successful in this country. Some wines produced from this grape develop good New World Sauvignon Blanc characters. When riper, tends towards Sancerre. Well-made Bacchus wines age well and develop interesting flavors. This is one of the UK’s better varieties, capable of producing world-class wines. Third most widely planted variety in UK (2003).
Chardonnay
Grown largely as a fundamental ingredient of the finest sparkling wines, with plantings on the increase, with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, for production of sparkling wine. There also occasionally some gems when produced into still wine.
Huxelrebe
Chasselas x Courtillier Musqué
Bred in 1927 in Germany. Has a ‘muscat’ style and is a good cropper with good sugar levels. It needs careful management and can be used for dessert wines because of its susceptibility to ‘noble rot’. It has a high natural acidity and strong aromas of elderflowers, producing very fruity wines that age well.
Müller-Thurgau (also known as Rivaner)
Uncertain parentage, though now thought to be Riesling x Riesling Bred in 1882. The main grape in Liebfraumilch, and was used in Germany to restore the fortunes of their vineyards after the war but is now seen as bland. This grape was among the first planted in the U.K when grape growing resumed and was the single most widely grown variety for many years. It is now less popular being seen as a producer of unstylish wines. It is popular in central and eastern Europe. A vigorous early ripening variety, but can be a poor cropper.
Ortega
Müller-Thurgau x Siegerrebe
First introduced to the UK in 1971. This vine suits our climate, although is prone to disease, and is planted widely. It produces very full flavours and high natural sugars and has been used for late harvest wines. When ripe it produces wines that are rich and zesty with good balance. Good for blending with more neutral varieties.
Reichensteiner
Müller-Thurgau x (Madeleine Angevine x Calabreser Fröhlich)
A popular variety in the UK – currently the second most widely grown variety after Seyval Blanc (2002). It ripens early and performs reliably, and is capable of producing large crops of relatively neutral grapes, high in natural sugars. It is reliable but a little bland and is often used for blending in both still and sparkling wines, having good sugar levels.
Schönburger
Pinot Noir x (Chasselas Rosé x Muscat Hamburg)
This grape is very successful in the UK, producing white wines with low acidity but high sugar levels and good Muscat tones (some resembling a less powerful version of Gewürztraminer). When fully ripe it has a pink tinge. Its wines are distinctive, full-bodied and delicately flavoured.
Seyval Blanc
Seibel 5656 x Seibel 4986
Developed in the 1920’s in France. Now the most widely grown variety in the UK (2002). It crops heavily in this country, even producing good crops in cooler years, and has effective disease resistance. It is a good ‘all rounder’ - often used for blending, and is well suited to oak aging and used for still or sparkling wines. Single varietal wines offer crisp acidity, with neutral flavours.
Siegerrebe
A small berried and intensely aromatic variety. One of its parents was the famously spicy Gewürztraminer grape. It ripens sometimes to excessive levels and has a very dominating flavour. It is often used to bolster blended wines and a few growers use it as a varietal in its own right – some for late harvest and dessert wines.
Helfensteiner x Heroldrebe
Created in Germany in 1955, the product of a long process of vine breeding. Helfensteiner is early Pinot Noir x Black Hamburger and Heroldrebe is Portugieser x Limburger.
The wine is notable for its colour and good acidity and grows well in the UK, having been introduced in the 1980’s. In Germany it is quite widely grown and capable of producing some very fine wines. Over here it is one of the grapes that shows that good red wine can be made in the U.K. Wines are usually fresh and fruity more like Syrah or Gamay than Cabernet Sauvignon.
Pinot Meunier
A black grape now planted as an essential constituent of the finest sparkling wines, along with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, as in Champagne and many other sparkling wine regions. Although it has been grown for over 40 years in the UK (it has been referred to as Wrotham Pinot over here), it has never shone as a variety capable of making interesting wine as a single variety.
Pinot Noir
One of the most ancient and noble of all grape varieties. It is the classic grape for red Burgundy but is also an important element of sparkling wines in England. It is at home in the English climate and in good years some excellent quality red wines have been made with this grape. It takes new oak well.
Rondo
Hybrid. Saperavi Servernyi x St Laurent
Originally just named Gm 6494/5 this hybrid vine has very different parentage from Regent but some similar characteristics. It has adapted to UK conditions very well and plantings have been increasing since was first planted in 1983. Rondo produces wines with very good colour and style and overtones of classic red varieties. It blends well with other varieties (such as Dornfelder and Pinot Noir) and can be likened to a cross between Tempranillo and Syrah. Information supplied by The English Wine Producers.
The Most Popular Grape Varieties for Making Wine in England and Wales
Making Wine - White Varieties
Bacchus(Silvaner x Riesling)
Its grapes have a strong and distinctive aromatic flavour, with high sugar content. It is regularly made into a single varietal wine and although common in Germany it is also very successful in this country. Some wines produced from this grape develop good New World Sauvignon Blanc characters. When riper, tends towards Sancerre. Well-made Bacchus wines age well and develop interesting flavors. This is one of the UK’s better varieties, capable of producing world-class wines. Third most widely planted variety in UK (2003).
Chardonnay
Grown largely as a fundamental ingredient of the finest sparkling wines, with plantings on the increase, with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, for production of sparkling wine. There also occasionally some gems when produced into still wine.
Huxelrebe
Chasselas x Courtillier Musqué
Bred in 1927 in Germany. Has a ‘muscat’ style and is a good cropper with good sugar levels. It needs careful management and can be used for dessert wines because of its susceptibility to ‘noble rot’. It has a high natural acidity and strong aromas of elderflowers, producing very fruity wines that age well.
Müller-Thurgau (also known as Rivaner)
Uncertain parentage, though now thought to be Riesling x Riesling Bred in 1882. The main grape in Liebfraumilch, and was used in Germany to restore the fortunes of their vineyards after the war but is now seen as bland. This grape was among the first planted in the U.K when grape growing resumed and was the single most widely grown variety for many years. It is now less popular being seen as a producer of unstylish wines. It is popular in central and eastern Europe. A vigorous early ripening variety, but can be a poor cropper.
Ortega
Müller-Thurgau x Siegerrebe
First introduced to the UK in 1971. This vine suits our climate, although is prone to disease, and is planted widely. It produces very full flavours and high natural sugars and has been used for late harvest wines. When ripe it produces wines that are rich and zesty with good balance. Good for blending with more neutral varieties.
Reichensteiner
Müller-Thurgau x (Madeleine Angevine x Calabreser Fröhlich)
A popular variety in the UK – currently the second most widely grown variety after Seyval Blanc (2002). It ripens early and performs reliably, and is capable of producing large crops of relatively neutral grapes, high in natural sugars. It is reliable but a little bland and is often used for blending in both still and sparkling wines, having good sugar levels.
Schönburger
Pinot Noir x (Chasselas Rosé x Muscat Hamburg)
This grape is very successful in the UK, producing white wines with low acidity but high sugar levels and good Muscat tones (some resembling a less powerful version of Gewürztraminer). When fully ripe it has a pink tinge. Its wines are distinctive, full-bodied and delicately flavoured.
Seyval Blanc
Seibel 5656 x Seibel 4986
Developed in the 1920’s in France. Now the most widely grown variety in the UK (2002). It crops heavily in this country, even producing good crops in cooler years, and has effective disease resistance. It is a good ‘all rounder’ - often used for blending, and is well suited to oak aging and used for still or sparkling wines. Single varietal wines offer crisp acidity, with neutral flavours.
Siegerrebe
A small berried and intensely aromatic variety. One of its parents was the famously spicy Gewürztraminer grape. It ripens sometimes to excessive levels and has a very dominating flavour. It is often used to bolster blended wines and a few growers use it as a varietal in its own right – some for late harvest and dessert wines.
Making Wine - Red Varieties
DornfelderHelfensteiner x Heroldrebe
Created in Germany in 1955, the product of a long process of vine breeding. Helfensteiner is early Pinot Noir x Black Hamburger and Heroldrebe is Portugieser x Limburger.
The wine is notable for its colour and good acidity and grows well in the UK, having been introduced in the 1980’s. In Germany it is quite widely grown and capable of producing some very fine wines. Over here it is one of the grapes that shows that good red wine can be made in the U.K. Wines are usually fresh and fruity more like Syrah or Gamay than Cabernet Sauvignon.
Pinot Meunier
A black grape now planted as an essential constituent of the finest sparkling wines, along with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, as in Champagne and many other sparkling wine regions. Although it has been grown for over 40 years in the UK (it has been referred to as Wrotham Pinot over here), it has never shone as a variety capable of making interesting wine as a single variety.
Pinot Noir
One of the most ancient and noble of all grape varieties. It is the classic grape for red Burgundy but is also an important element of sparkling wines in England. It is at home in the English climate and in good years some excellent quality red wines have been made with this grape. It takes new oak well.
Rondo
Hybrid. Saperavi Servernyi x St Laurent
Originally just named Gm 6494/5 this hybrid vine has very different parentage from Regent but some similar characteristics. It has adapted to UK conditions very well and plantings have been increasing since was first planted in 1983. Rondo produces wines with very good colour and style and overtones of classic red varieties. It blends well with other varieties (such as Dornfelder and Pinot Noir) and can be likened to a cross between Tempranillo and Syrah. Information supplied by The English Wine Producers.
