Saturday, December 22, 2007

Grape Varieties

There are more than 600 kinds of grapes and wine grape varieties is only a small portion. Each grape variety has its own unique combination of characteristics including color, size, skin thickness, acidity, yield per vine and flavors. While many grape varieties are used to produce wines, only a few grapes have distinguished themselves as being particularly suited for the production of fine wine and must still be matched with the right micro-climate and winemaking techniques in order to live up to their potential.

You can view this link to understand the various grape varieties: http://www.cellarnotes.net/key_grape_varieties.html

In Malaysia, red wine dominates the market with almost 80% of volume sales. Cabernet (28%) is the most popular red variety followed by Shiraz (18%), largely due to the popularity of Australian wines. Chardonnay (36%) and Sauvignon Blanc (21%) are the most popular white varietals. White wine is generally preferred by females.

I'll explain the above wines flavored by Malaysians in my following blogs.

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