Help with Wine? What is Pinot Noir, Grigio, Brut, Cabernet, Chardonnay..etc?!
Answers: What's the difference is between all these names?
Someone replied:
> Pinot Nior is an off-dry red wine
Incorrect. Pinot Noir is a dry red wine, generally lighter in body and lighter in color than many other reds.
> Pinot Grigio is an off-dry white wine
Incorrect. Pinot Grigio (or Pinot Gris in French) is a dry white wine that may be fruity or crisp.
> Brut is a champagne-style white wine
Close, but no cigar. Brut is a designation for the amount of sweet "dosage" added to a champagne at the time of disgorgement. It is the second-driest of the four champagne styles:
If the label says dry, then the champagne will taste very sweet.
If the label says extra-dry, then the champagne will taste fairly sweet.
If the label says brut, then the champagne will taste almost dry, with only a hint of sweetness.
If the label says natural, then the champagne received no dosage and will taste bone-dry.
> Cabernet is a dry red wine
Correct.
> Chardonnay is a semi-sweet white wine
Only the very worst Chardonnays are semi-sweet. The most over-rated of these off-dry Chardonnays is, in my opinion, Kendall-Jackson Vintner'r Reserve. A good Chardonnay will be dry, but may be fruity enought to create the illusion of a touch of sweetness on the palate.
As someone else reported, most American wines are labeled with the name of the grape from which they are made. Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, and Syrah are examples. Under federal regulations, the wine must be at least 75% of one grape variety in order to use that varietal name on the lable. In some states, the requirement is 85% or 90% in order to use the varietal name.
In Europe, most wines are named for the wine region in which the grapes are grown and the wine produced. Examples include Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Chablis and Hermitage (France); Chablis, Barolo, Barbaresco, Gavi, and Asti (Italy); and many others in many countries.
They are all different kinds of wine. Some are white, some are red, some are sparkling wine.
It has to do with the different types of grapes used to make the different type of wine.
Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir, Cabernet are all types of grapes.
Brut is a type of Champagne.
All those except Brut are grapes (sort of) that wines are made from. Brut is a style of Champagne.
Some wines go by their varietal names (the grape name), some go by regions or areas. For instance, wines made in the Bordeaux region of France may be called Bordeaux, they may be called by a Chateau name, they may be called by the varietal name, or they may just be called table wine.
But to answer your question, the grapes you named are actually Pinot Noir, used mainly for red wine, Pinot Grigio, used mainly for white wine, Cabernet Sauvignon (or Franc), used mainly for red wine, and Chardonnay, used mainly for white wine. Brut is one of the drier classes of Champagne.
They are all different wines, made from different grapes with different fermenting processes...
Pinot Nior is an off-dry red wine
Pinot Grigio is an off-dry white wine
Brut is a champagne-style white wine
Cabernet is a dry red wine
Chardonnay is a semi-sweet white wine.
The scale is dry to sweet. Dry being the wines that make your toungue swell, almost make you do the dog-with-peanutbutter thing (for a beginner wine drinker) and sweet is just what it sounds like...sugary, sweet drinks.
All of the above are good answers.
If you are really interested in learning more about wines and grapes, I would highly recommend Wines for Dummies and Idiot's Guide to Wines. These are 2 excellent wine introductory books for beginners, and as far as I am concern, a must read for anyone who want to know more about wines.