Avarietal wine is awine made primarily from a single namedgrapevariety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on thewine label.[1][2] Examples of grape varieties commonly used in varietal wines areCabernet Sauvignon,Chardonnay andMerlot. Wines that display the name of two or more varieties on their label, such as a Chardonnay-Viognier, areblends and not varietal wines. The term is frequently misused in place ofvine variety; the termvariety refers to the vine or grape, whilevarietal refers to the wine produced by a variety.[2]
The term was popularized in the US by Maynard Amerine at theUniversity of California, Davis afterProhibition seeking to encourage growers to choose optimal vine varieties, and later promoted byFrank Schoonmaker in the 1950s and 1960s, ultimately becoming widespread during the California wine boom of the 1970s.[2] Varietal wines are commonly associated withNew World wines in general, but there is also a long-standing tradition of varietal labelling inGermany and other German-influenced wine regions includingAustria,Alsace, and theCzech Republic.
The alternatives to the marketing differentiation of wines by grape variety are branded wine, such as Hearty Burgundy, or geographicalappellations, such asChampagne orBordeaux. The poor quality and unknown provenance of many branded wines and the multitude of potentially confusing appellations leaves varietal labeling as perhaps the most popular for quality wines in many markets.[citation needed] This is much less the case in places whereappellations have a long and strong tradition, as for instancein France. In the past, the grape variety was very uncommonly mentioned on the labels of Frenchwine bottles, and was forbidden for almost allAOC wines. New World varietal wines from newcomers likeAustralia andChile have made a significant dent in traditional French export markets like theUK, and so the French are adopting varietal labeling in some cases, particularly forvin de pays.
Australia has virtually completed a three decade long transition from labelling by style, e.g. "claret", "burgundy", "hock", "chablis" to a varietal system. While this has been done in response to pressure from the EU, particularly France, it has paved the way for growing interest among Australian consumers for so called alternative varietals, such asPinot grigio / (Pinot gris),Sangiovese andTempranillo.
Within theEuropean Union, a wine using a varietal label must contain at least 85% of that variety.[3] 85% is a common minimum standard; national regulations may set the limit higher in certain cases, but not lower.
In most regions of France,terroir is thought to surpass the impact of variety, so almost all French wines traditionally have no variety listed at all, and would in many cases not be allowed for AOC wines.Champagne, for instance, is typically a blend ofChardonnay,Pinot noir andPinot Meunier, but this is not indicated anywhere on the label. In Alsace,winemakers adopt theGerman custom of varietal labeling.
In recent years, varietal labels have become more common for French wines. Most of these wines are Vin de pays rather than AOC wines, but varietal names are also seen on some regional AOCs.
In the United States, theAlcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau regulations specify a minimum variety content of 75% of the labeled grape, forVitis vinifera wines, and 51% forVitis labrusca wines.[2] There is no restriction on the identity of the balance. Many states in the United States require specific compositions to qualify for sale under a particular varietal labels. For example, inOregon, wines subject to its regulation must be identified by the grape variety from which it was made, and certain varietals must contain at least 95% of that variety, although the new "Southern Oregon" sub-AVA allows for the minimum 75% figure.[citation needed]
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