Harslevelu

Posted by Unknown at 02:13

Harslevelu (hahsh-lev-ee-loo) is an old white grape variety from the Tokay region of Hungary, where it is blended with Furmint to make the famous sweet wines of the region. Both of these varieties seem well-suited to the concentrating effect of Botrytis cinerea – ‘noble rot’ – and produce wines that more than rival the wines from the Sauternes region of France.

Jacquez

Posted by Unknown at 02:07

Jacquez ( jak-ez or jah-kay) is one of a group of varieties to which the species name Vitis bourquiniana or V. bourquina has been given. The original members, including Jacquez, appear to be natural hybrids between V. aestivalis and V. vinifera. Jacquez, generally known as LeNoir in the US, is thought to have originated in Georgia or the Carolinas but has not been widely grown in that country. It became very popular in France after the vineyards were devastated by phylloxera, but was banned from the production of wine for sale about 50 years ago. It may still be used as a rootstock and remains popular for this purpose on suitable soils in South Africa. In Australia, where it has been called Troya, annual production has been about 100 tonnes, mostly in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area with a little in the Hunter Valley.

Malbec

Posted by Unknown at 02:06

Malbec (mahl-bek) (sometimes spelt Malbeck) is an approved synonym for Cot, the official French name of this red grape variety. Another synonym used in some areas is Auxerrois.Most is grown in Gironde, some in the departements to the east of Bordeaux, and some in the Loire Valley. It is permitted in wines of controlled appellation in all these areas and is the principal variety in Cahors. It does not seem to have spread elsewhere in Europe and there is only a little in California, but it is one of the most important black varieties in Argentina. There is a significant amount in Chile. In Australia at least two other varieties, Dolcetto and Tinta Amarella, have sometimes been incorrectly called Malbec, but in 2003 plantings were recorded at 488 ha.

Mataro

Posted by Unknown at 00:22

Mataro (mat-ahr-roh) is another variety from southern Europe, and needs more warmth than Grenache. In Spain it is also called Monastrell or Morastell. In France, apart from small plantings under the name of Balzac in the Cognac area, where the fruit does not ripen properly, it is confined to the warmest areas of Provence, where it is called Mourvedre. It was a very successful variety in Algeria but it is not clear how much of the 20 000 ha formerly planted has survived. There are about 264 ha in California. The 1092 ha in Australia are in South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. The name Balzac is used at Corowa, and at Great Western the variety is called Esparte.

Marsanne

Posted by Unknown at 02:06

Marsanne (mah-san) is a minor French variety from the Hermitage area in the Rhone Valley. There is also a little growing in the Valais in Switzerland under the name of Ermitage. About 265 ha are planted in Australia, the vast majority in the Goulburn Valley and north-eastern Victoria and the rest in New South Wales.

Merlot

Posted by Unknown at 00:20

Merlot (muhr-loh) is the principal black variety of the Bordeaux area and is also recommended in the south of France.The area planted in France increased dramatically between the late 1950s and the late 1980s.The variety has been introduced into other European countries and replaced local varieties. In Italy it is now recommended in more provinces than any other single variety, although it is far from surpassing Italian varieties such as Barbera and Sangiovese in area or production. In California there were almost no plantings before 1970, but by 1992 the area of Merlot was approximately 4050 ha and ten years later had increased to 21121 ha. It is a minor variety in Chile and Argentina. No early introduction into Australia has been traced.There were 10 350 ha of Merlot in production in Australia by 2003.

Meunier

Posted by Unknown at 00:18

Meunier, (meuh-nyay) or Pinot Meunier as it is often known, is a sport of Pinot Noir and could have been established independently on a number of occasions. It has recently been shown that Pinot Meunier is a chimera. The greatest area of the variety is in France. As with Pinot Noir, the area has been expanding, nearly all in the Champagne area where it is the major variety. In Germany it is grown mostly in Wurtemburg, where it is known as Schwarzriesling. In Australia, where the name has sometimes been translated as Miller’s Burgundy, the 120 ha of plantings are confined to a few small areas in Victoria. In l960 there was a very small quantity in New Zealand, but it has since lost favour and very little remains.

Monbadon

Posted by Unknown at 00:16

Monbadon (mohn-bah-don or mohnbah-dn) comes from France and is found mainly in the Bordeaux and Cognac areas, with a little in Provence. It is no longer recommended or authorised, and has declined in area. It is a minor white grape variety (approximately 602 ha) in California, where it is known as Burger. In Australia there is a little Monbadon in the Corowa–Wahgunyah area of north-east Victoria.

Mondeuse

Posted by Unknown at 00:15

Mondeuse (mohn-deuhs) is a minor variety in eastern France and its area has been decreasing slowly. In California there was a more rapid decrease, to about 40 ha in 1980. Although the variety is called Refosco in California it is different from any of the varieties known as Refosco in Italy. In Australia a small area of Mondeuse is grown commercially in north-east Victoria.

Montils

Posted by Unknown at 00:12

Montils (mohn-tils) is a minor white grape variety of the Cognac area of France, mainly grown close to the coast. Although it remains an authorised variety for the area, plantings have declined considerably. In Australia there are small plantings in the Hunter Valley, some as Montils and some under the name of Aucarot or Aucerot. This name is a corruption of Amarot, a variety introduced by James Busby in 1832, but, as happened in other cases, the plants were confused; Amarot is a large black grape.Montils was also tried experimentally in north east Victoria but the Aucerot in this area appears to be a different, as yet unidentified, variety.

Moschata Paradisa

Posted by Unknown at 00:10

Moschata Paradisa (mos-kah-tah par-ahdihsa) is the name by which this white grape variety is known in Australia and so far it has not been traced to any variety grown or described overseas. It is known to have been planted commercially only at Mudgee although there may be odd vines elsewhere. The early maturity and rapidity with which the fruit then deteriorates, combined with the softness and slightly unusual flavour of the berries, suggest that there may be a little Vitis labrusca in the ancestry of the variety. On the other hand the leaves show no sign of any species other than V. vinifera.There is some resemblance to the Malvasia Bianca imported from California but the two varieties are distinct.

Müller-Thurgau

Posted by Unknown at 00:09

Müller-Thurgau (muhl-ah toor-goh) was introduced into commerce in about 1920, and by 1970 passed Sylvaner and Riesling to become the leading wine grape of Germany. It is also grown in central Europe, particularly Czechoslovakia, Austria and Hungary but, apart from a very small area in Alsace, not in France or in North or South America. It comes from a cross made at Geisenheim in 1882 by Dr Müller, a Swiss from Thurgau, who returned to Switzerland taking his promising seedlings with him. In 1913, when its great potential was obvious, it was brought back to Germany for testing. It is supposed to be a cross of Riesling and Sylvaner, but recent DNA typing showed that Sylvaner could not have been a parent. From its character, some experts think that it is a cross of two Riesling clones, but DNA typing also showed that although Riesling was one parent of Müller-Thurgau, it could not have been both. In Switzerland and some other countries it is called Riesling × Sylvaner in deference to its breeder’s wishes. In Luxembourg it is called Rivaner. There has been very limited planting of the variety in Australia.

Muscadelle

Posted by Unknown at 00:07

Muscadelle (mus-kah-del) is a white grape variety of the Bordeaux region, where it forms a minor component in the famous wines of Graves, Barsac, Sauternes etc. There are currently around 174 ha of this variety in Australia where it is also known under the name of Tokay. Sauvignon Vert introduced from California has also proved to be Muscadelle. Sauvignon Vert is no longer favoured in California. There also appear to be plantings in Hungary, Romania and the Ukraine. Muskadel in South Africa is a different variety, Muscat à petits grains.

Muscat à petits grains

Posted by Unknown at 00:05

Muscat à petits grains (mus-kat ah-petigran) is the official French name for this variety, and means simply Muscat with small berries. There are three colour variants – white, rose and red. The two coloured forms mutate readily from one to the other and to white, but there appear to be two types of white – one is stable and the other mutates to the coloured forms.

The white form seems to predominate in Europe. In Italy the officialname is Moscato Bianco, and there are plantings in other Mediterranean countries. The name Muscat Blanc in California seems to indicate that only the white form is used there, and the plantings in Argentina are listed as Moscato d’Asti, among the white varieties. In South Africa most of the Muskadel, as the variety is known there, are of the red form. In Australia there are 560 ha. A little more than half is the red form and the name Brown Muscat used in north-east Victoria is very appropriate.

The fruit ripens early and, if left on the vine, wilts to give a very high sugar concentration.

Muscat Gordo Blanco

Posted by Unknown at 00:04

Muscat Gordo Blanco, (mus-kat gorh-doh blohn-koh) the name used in Australia for this variety, comes from Spain and translates as ‘fat white muscat’.The name best known internationally would probably be Muscat of Alexandria.The variety is also called Moscatel de Malaga in Spain, Muscat de Setubal in Portugal, Zibibbo in Italy and Hanepoot in South Africa. Although widely grown, it does not cover a very large area in any country. Australia has about 2500 ha. The fruit can attain a very high sugar content in the warmer areas but is then low in acid and has a high pH.

Muscat Ottonel

Posted by Unknown at 00:01

Muscat Ottonel (mus-kat oht-ohn-el) is an early ripening white grape variety grown in Austria, Germany and in Alsace in France.There is very little grown in Australia. Muscat Ottonel was propagated from a seedling by Robert Moreau and its parents are uncertain although probably Chasselas × Muscat de Saumur.