Malbec
Malbec is a variety of grape used for making red wine. The
grapes tend to have an inky dark colour and robust tannins.
Long known as one of the six grapes allowed to be used
in the blend of red Bordeaux wines. French plantings of
Malbec are found primarily in Cahors in the south west
region of France. It is cultivated extensively under the
name Côt in the Loire Valley as well as in the Midi
region since the 1700s. Malbec blends well with Cabernet
Sauvignon because of soft tannins and a well defined fruitiness.
Malbec promises to be one of a range of high quality cultivars
grown in South Africa as it has adapted well to local conditions.
In South Africa Malbec wines are unique in odour and taste,
which means that it can be marketed as either a cultivar
wine or blended with other top red wines.
Petit Verdot
Petit Verdot is a variety of red wine grape of French origin
where it has been grown in the Medoc region for many years
and is principally used in classic Bordeaux blends. The
wine shows good colour and is rich in tannins with very
good ageing potential. Petit Verdot is blended with other
wines in small amounts to add tannin, colour and flavour
to the blend. It is also useful in ‘stiffening’ the
mid palate of Cabernet Sauvignon blends.
Shiraz
This cultivar is of French origin where it has been grown
in the Côte de Rhône since the Roman period.
Syrah (as it is called in its country of origin), is a
dark-skinned variety of grape. Syrah is grown in many countries
and is primarily used to produce powerful red wines, which
enjoy great popularity in the marketplace under the synonym, “Shiraz”.
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major varieties of red wine
grape grown in Bordeaux. It is mostly grown for blending
with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style,
but is also vinified alone. The wine made from Cabernet
Franc grapes resembles that of Cabernet Sauvignon but is
softer and consumable at an earlier age. Cabernet Franc
is lighter than Cabernet Sauvignon (of which a parent),
contributing finesse and a peppery perfume to blends with
more robust grapes. Depending on the growing region and
the style of wine, additional aromas can include tobacco,
raspberry, and cassis, sometimes even violets.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world’s most famous
and widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown
in most major wine producing countries. Cabernet Sauvignon
became internationally recognized first through its prominence
in Bordeaux wines where it is often blended with Merlot and
Cabernet Franc.
Merlot
Merlot – (pronounced: MERL-oh) is a red wine grape
that is used in blends and as a varietal wine. Merlot-based
wines usually have medium body with hints of berry, plum,
and currant. Its softness and “fleshiness”, combined
with its earlier ripening, makes Merlot an ideal grape to
blend with the sterner, later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon.
Roobernet
Roobernet is a grape cultivar that was hybridized by Professor
Orffer from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa.
This cultivar was released for commercial production in
1990. It is a cross between Pontac and Cabernet Sauvignon,
hence the red juice of the grapes (also found in Pontac).
The wine characteristics resemble that of Cabernet Sauvignon.
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