Fuissé or chardonnay?

Putting grapes in their place

by Thor Iverson

AMERICANS HAVE IT easy. Most of our wine is labeled by grape variety, so "merlot" on the bottle means merlot in the bottle. The same is generally true for wines from Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, Canada, South Africa, Germany, and Austria, where varietal wines (those that carry the name of their principal grape) predominate.

In most of France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal, however, wines tend to be named after a place rather than a grape. Such a place is called an appellation.

Deciphering an appellation-based wine label can be confusing, which is why so many Americans tend to stick to wine labeled by variety. But most of the world's greatest wines are made from just a few varieties of grapes, and knowing that is the key to understanding the sometimes overwhelming list of appellations.

Pinot noir, for instance, is a grape planted in the US, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Germany (where it's known as spätburgunder), Italy (as pinot nero), and elsewhere, despite being notoriously difficult to grow and vinify. But winemakers endure the problems for one reason: it's the sole grape of red Burgundy, frequently described as the world's greatest wine. Like pinot noir, the best grapes of France and Italy have been transplanted all over the world in an attempt to replicate the greatness they achieve in their native soil. Chardonnay, for instance, is the sole grape of white Burgundy, which shares the throne with its red counterpart -- and where isn't chardonnay grown these days?

Bordeaux, France's other legendary winemaking region, produces mostly blends of several grapes. The reds are made principally from cabernet sauvignon and merlot (cabernet sauvignon dominates everywhere but the sub-appellations of St-Emilion and Pomerol), occasionally with small amounts of other grapes -- cabernet franc, petit verdot, and malbec -- blended in. Cabernet franc shines by itself in wines from Chinon and Bourgueil, in the Loire Valley, while malbec is a solo star in Argentina.

Bordeaux's white wines are made from sauvignon blanc and sémillon, which are also responsible for the decadently sweet Sauternes and Barsac. Bordeaux's reputation is such that US winemakers have invented a name for domestic blends (red and white) that use the same grapes: Meritage. (Although wines made from Bordeaux-style blends usually eschew this label in favor of proprietary names that differ from producer to producer.)

As you can see, once you understand what grapes a few of the major appellations grow, a whole world of wine suddenly becomes comprehensible. There's no getting around the fact that some memorization will eventually be required, but many major winemaking regions aren't difficult to figure out. Chianti, for instance, is vinified mostly from sangiovese, a grape whose name you've probably noticed on bottles from California. And France's Rhône Valley -- with its appellations of Côte Rôtie, Hermitage, Condrieu, Gigondas, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes-du-Rhône, and others -- makes wine largely composed of two red grapes: syrah, also known as shiraz in Australia, and grenache. The white wines from the Rhône Valley are made primarily from the grapes roussanne, marsanne, and viognier -- all of which you'll see on wines from other regions and countries.

Sometimes, however, the appellations can be confusing. Pouilly-Fuissé, for instance, is a white Burgundy (and thus made from the chardonnay grape). Pouilly-Fumé, on the other hand, is from the Loire Valley and made from sauvignon blanc. And grapes can have similar names, too; the white grapes pinot gris (pinot grigio in Italy) and pinot blanc (pinot bianco in Italy) are very different from the red grape pinot noir.

Here are a few examples of wines that seem different on the label, but share either grapes or names (all of them white):

1995 Chateau Reynella Chardonnay (McLaren Vale) ($12.99). An Aussie chardonnay with the large-scale orange and apple fruit typical of New World examples of the grape, but a nutmeg and clove spiciness that suggests the winemaker was trying to emulate Burgundian techniques. Perfect with roast chicken.

1993 Verget Pouilly-Fuissé ($17). Verget is one of Burgundy's outstanding modern producers, and makes high-quality wine in all price ranges. This is one of the least expensive examples, showing tart citrus flavors and a slight earthy component characteristic of chardonnay grown in this region, plus a relatively subdued layer of buttered toast (which comes from the oak in which it was aged). Serve it with pork in a Dijon mustard sauce.

1995 Célestin Blondeau Pouilly-Fumé Les Rabichottes ($13.95). A sauvignon blanc from the Loire Valley, with trademark wet rock and lemon-lime qualities supported by bracing acidity. This one has a bit more body than most, and would go really well with a vegetable tart.

1996 Domaine Henri Bourgeois Sancerre Les Vonne Bouches ($15.99). Another Loire Valley take on sauvignon blanc, but with even higher acidity than the Pouilly-Fumé, mushroom and moss on the palate, and an apple/peach finish. Needs high-acid food like whitefish in a tomato sauce.

Thor Iverson can be reached at wine[a]phx.com.