What's up with insanely confusing grape names? Let's talk now!
There are over 4,000 grape types used in wine world wide! EEK!
Usually I am excited by the variety. However…
Why do some grapes have so many different names?!?
There are so many that even the wine makers get confused!
TRUE!!
Let’s talk!
General Confusion:
There are any number of grape types, particularly in Italy, that have different names even within Italy. What the grape is called in one place may not be what it is called in another.
It boggles my mind.
I couldn’t even begin to give you a list. Just be aware.
Then there is Syrah in France and many other countries. It is Shiraz when it is in Australia and South Africa.
There are a number of these issues where a grape has a different name in another language.
This one, however, takes the cake:
I was planning a comparative tasting of 3 rosé wines for a YouTube Video on my Channel. The 3 rosés were: Rosé of Sangiovese, Rosé of Mourvèdre, and Rosé of Graciano. All 3 were from the same winery in the Paso Robles, California area.
Here you go:
Here’s a link for the video, or you can wait for the story. Spoiler alert: You will notice in the video that the rosé wine made with Graciano grapes is much darker.
I knew nothing about Graciano. So I started to research it. Everything online said it was a grape found in Spain.
How did it get to Paso?
The grape Mourvèdre is frequently used in wines from Paso. The winemakers often make Rhone style wines, which are often red blends of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. It is referred to as a GSM blend. (There will be links below for my many posts on Paso Robles.)
A Spanish clone of Mourvèdre (called Monastrell in Spain) was being sold in California. In Paso, these grapes were being used in many of the GSM style blends for quite a few years.
Then someone questioned whether it was really Mourvèdre, and had it sent for DNA testing.
(I never knew this was a thing for grapes, but now we all know it is!)
It turns out is was not Mourvèdre, but Graciano.
Yep!
It turns out that while Mourvèdre is “Monastrell in Spanish, in French, Graciano is referred to as “Morrastel.
OOPS!
Now you can watch the video. It’s a fun one.
You can clearly see that the wines are not the same color. As the title gives away, we did choose the same favorite. Watch to find out which. Although choosing a favorite was not my plan.
Just like the Graciano grape: OOPS!
As for insanely confusing grape names, let’s just figure out what we can and enjoy the process.
At least we didn’t create 3 years worth of mislabeled wine. Clearly not the end of the world.
Wine should add to your life whatever it is called.
CHEERS!!
