Ondenc

Posted by Unknown at 23:59

Ondenc (on-denk or on-dohnc) is a rather obscure French variety, which has been defined relatively recently (late 1980s). It was grown in different areas of southwestern France under different names without being recognised as the one variety.The name Ondenc comes from an area near Toulouse.

In Australia it has been known as Sercial in South Australia and as Irvine’s White in Victoria. There were 23 ha of Ondenc in Australia in 1990. It was probably among the many varieties called Piquepoule collected by James Busby in 1832 and the Victorian plantings may come from that source.The identity was lost and the name Irvine’s White commemorates the vigneron at Great Western who made the first substantial plantings. It appears in the Rutherglen collection as Blanc Select, so was presumably imported at some time as Blanc Selection Carrière.

Orange Muscat

Posted by Unknown at 23:57

Orange Muscat (orong muskat or or-ongh mus-kat) is an old variety which has been used as a table grape in Europe. Its French synonym, Muscat Fleur d’Oranger, translates as Orange Blossom Muscat, doubtless derived from the subtle aroma of its juice.Other synonyms are Muscat Primavis and Muscat de Jesus. It has not been widely planted worldwide. There were 66 ha in California in 2002 and probably about the same in Australia. One source suggests that its origin is Syrian.

Palomino

Posted by Unknown at 23:56

Palomino (pal-oh-mee-noh) is an important Spanish white grape variety, providing about 90% of the grapes used for sherry. In South Africa it was formerly known as White French and is an important and widely grown variety.The areas elsewhere are rather small. In California, where about 300 ha are planted, it has sometimes been erroneously called Golden Chasselas; in France it is known as Listan; in Australia it has sometimes been known as Paulo. It should not be confused with the so-called Common Palomino in Australia, which is in fact Cañocazo. 92 ha of Palomino were harvested in Australia in 2003.

Pedro Ximenez

Posted by Unknown at 23:54

Pedro Ximenez (ped-roh zim-e-nes or pedroh him-ay-nes) comes from Spain, where there are substantial plantings of this white grape variety, mostly in the Estremadura, Andalusia and Levant regions. Although it is a permitted variety for sherry, only a small proportion of the plantings are in the sherry area. It is the most important recognised white wine variety in Argentina. In California there were less than 100 ha by 1976 and no new plantings had been made for many years. Around 68 ha of Pedro Ximenez are planted in Australia. For best results it needs a reliably dry period for ripening and harvest, which Australian viticultural areas cannot provide.

Petit Verdot

Posted by Unknown at 23:52

Petit Verdot (pe-ti vehr-doh) is a minor red grape variety from the Bordeaux region of France. It has long been part of the varietal mix in Bordeaux but has probably never exceeded 5% of the total planting. The area planted in France decreased from 685 ha in 1958 to 338 ha by 1988, then underwent a minor revival to reach 380 ha by 1994. It is grown mainly on the left bank of the Gironde from Margaux to Saint-Estephe, and produces a highquality wine.

In Argentina two varieties are grown under the name Verdot: one is a clone of Malbec, the other is the true Petit Verdot. It is also planted in Chile, and there were 359 ha of Petit Verdot in California in 2002. In 2003 the total area harvested in Australia was 1337 ha, a rapid increase from less than 100 ha in 1998. There has been increasing interest in the variety, with some excellent wines produced.

Pinot Gris

Posted by Unknown at 23:50

Pinot Gris, (pee-noh grih) like Pinot Noir, is grown in many countries including France, mostly in Alsace, in Germany where it is known as Rulander, and in northern Italy. It is also grown throughout central and south-eastern Europe, one of its more interesting names being Szurkebarat (Grey Friar) in Hungary. In 2002, 1637 ha of Pinot Gris were harvested in California. Pinot Blanc is probably the least-grown of any of the Pinot family.The situation has been confused because Chardonnay has often been called Pinot Chardonnay or even Pinot Blanc Chardonnay and so has come to be called Pinot Blanc in some areas. In South America Chenin Blanc has been wrongly identified as Pinot Blanc, while in California the variety Melon has been wrongly called Pinot Blanc. The true Pinot Blanc has only recently been imported into Australia and earlier plantings by that name would be either Chardonnay or derived from the Californian Melon. There is some true Pinot Blanc in France, mainly in Alsace, in northern Italy and a little in Germany and central Europe.

Pinot Noir

Posted by Unknown at 23:48

Pinot Noir (pee-noh nwah) is the variety used in the superior red wines of Burgundy and one of the principal Champagne varieties. Plantings in France increased from 8500 ha to 17 300 ha between 1958 and 1979 and reached 22 000 ha by 1988. It is one of the few black varieties that ripens early enough to succeed in the coolest viticultural areas, such as those of Germany and Switzerland. It is grown in practically every wine-producing country, usually not extensively and only in the cooler areas such as northern Italy or the coastal valleys of California. There were nearly 10 000 ha in California in 2002, and in 2003 Australia had 4270 ha.

Pinot Noir is a very old and variable variety and we can see its progression from vines similar to the wild grapes that grew in Europe before cultivation, to highyielding selections sometimes thought to show less varietal character in the wine. There are about 30 different recognised clones in Australia with observable differences in growth habit, bunch shape and so on. It is quite possible that some clones are better adapted to particular areas and this needs to be taken into account when evaluating the variety.

Riesling

Posted by Unknown at 23:46

Riesling (rees-ling) is the noble white wine grape variety of Germany, second only to Müller-Thurgau. Although often regarded as the standard by which white wine varieties are judged it is not planted to the same extent in any other country.There are modest areas in France, northern Italy and the eastern European countries. There is a little in Argentina and very little in Chile and South Africa.Most of the so-called Riesling in South Africa appears to be Crouchen. California (747 ha) and Australia (nearly 4000 ha) may well have the largest areas outside Germany and France.

In Australia it is often called Rhine Riesling to avoid possible confusion with Hunter River Riesling (Semillon) and Clare Riesling (Crouchen).The tendency to use the name Riesling for other varieties is not confined to Australia and similar distinctions are needed in other countries. Thus it is called Riesling Renano in Italy, Rheinriesling in Austria, Rajnai Rizling in Hungary and Rajnski Rizling in Yugoslavia, mainly to distinguish it from the variety known as Riesling Italico,Welschriesling, Olaszrizling or Rizling Vlassky respectively, which provides much of the Riesling wine from these countries. In California it is called White Riesling, to separate it from Grey Riesling, a grey-fruited form of Bastardo, and there are also such names as Frankenriesling (Sylvaner), Breisgauer Riesling (Ortlieber), Budai Rizling (Kleinweiss) and Banati Riesling (Creaca).

Roussanne

Posted by Unknown at 12:11

Roussanne (ruh-sahn) is a minor white wine grape variety from the Rhone Valley of southern France, where it is often overshadowed by its more widely planted counterpart Marsanne, with which it is often blended.There were 120 ha planted in France in 1990, mainly in the departement of Herault and Vaucluse. It is a permitted addition in several regional appellations in the south of France, including Chateauneuf-du-Pape. It is also grown in the province of Lucca in Italy. Five vineyards in Australia listed Roussanne among their plantings in the 1998 Australian and New Zealand Wine Industry Directory, but the overall area is quite small.

Nebbiolo

Posted by Unknown at 12:11

Nebbiolo (neb-ee-ol-oh) is a red wine grape variety from the Piedmont region of northern Italy around Turin.Two famous wines made from the variety are Barolo and Barbaresco, named after villages in the Monferrato hills near Alba. Further north in the Novaro region the variety is known as Spanna. There are only about 5000 ha of Nebbiolo in Italy, but its reputation far exceeds its volume.There are small plantings of the variety in Switzerland, Uruguay, Argentina and California, the latter reporting 80 ha in 1997. In Australia, around 17 vineyards list plantings but the total planted area is very small.

Rkaziteli

Posted by Unknown at 12:15

Rkaziteli (ruh-kat-sit-elli or ruh-kat-set-elli) is a local white grape variety from the Tbilisi region of Georgia. It is also grown in Moldavia on the Black Sea coast, where it is known as Gratiesti, and in Bulgaria where the wine is exported to Germany under the name of Sonnenküste. It was imported into Australia in 1971 and a small amount has been planted in the warm irrigated region of the Murray River Valley.

Rubired

Posted by Unknown at 12:09

Rubired (ruh-bi-red) is a relatively new variety from H.P. Olmo, released in 1958. It is a cross of Tinta Cao, a port variety, and Alicante Ganzin, which has an Aramon × Rupestris rootstock as one parent. This means Rubired has one-eighth of the wild American species Vitis rupestris in its make-up. This has some advantages, such as a degree of resistance to fungus diseases, but also leads to some problems, such as dense foliage and numerous light bunches. Plantings in California reached 5300 ha by 1974, declined to 2773 ha by 1992 then increased to 5345 ha. A few fairly substantial plantings were made in Australia around 1970 but they have been largely grafted over or removed. A related variety, Royalty, a cross of Bastardo and Alicante Ganzin, was released by Dr Olmo at the same time as Rubired. It is reported to be more demanding as to soil type, less vigorous and lower-yielding. Originally planted in California to about the same extent as Rubired, Royalty did not expand to the same degree, reaching only 1200 ha by 1974 then declining to its current level of 222 ha.

Ruby Cabernet

Posted by Unknown at 12:08

Ruby Cabernet, (ruh-bi kab-er-nay) a cross between Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon, is a variety bred by H.P.Olmo at the University of California, Davis, and released in 1948. Its major commercial exploitation has been in California, where approximately 3300 ha are planted.The area currently planted in Australia is 2530 ha.

Semillon

Posted by Unknown at 12:06

Semillon (sem-il-on or se-mih-yohn) is the major white wine grape variety of the Bordeaux area of France. A little is planted in Italy and Yugoslavia and perhaps more in the former Soviet Union. California currently has around 500 ha, but the main plantings outside France are in the southern hemisphere. Semillon is the leading white variety in Chile, and there is somewhat less grown in Argentina and South Africa, where it is known as Greengrape. In Australia, of the total 6283 ha about three-quarters is growing in New South Wales and most of the rest in South Australia. It proved to be wellsuited to the Hunter Valley and became known as Hunter River Riesling. There has been much confusion between Semillon and several other varieties in Australia.

Sauvignon Blanc

Posted by Unknown at 12:04

Sauvignon Blanc (so-vin-yohn blohnc) ranks high among the white wine grape varieties of France.The main plantings are near Bordeaux, where it is used as a minor but important partner of Semillon. There are smaller plantings in the Loire Valley, where it is used on its own. There would be a few thousand hectares of Sauvignon Blanc in northern Italy and it has also spread to eastern European countries. California has 5884 ha, but most of the socalled Sauvignon in Chile is a closely related variety known as Sauvignonasse in France and as Tocai Friulano in Italy. In Australia most of the 2953 ha of Sauvignon Blanc is grown in South Australia with the rest divided between Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia.

Barter syndication

Posted by Unknown at 01:14

The offering of television programs to local stations free or at a reduced rate but with some of the advertising time sold to national advertisers. The remaining advertising time can be sold to local advertisers.

Sangiovese

Posted by Unknown at 12:01

Sangiovese (san-gi-o-ve-see) is the leading red wine grape of Italy, in terms of area planted and grapes produced. Because of mixed plantings (trees and vines) the area is not well-defined, but approximately 500 000 tonnes of grapes are produced each year.The variety is thought to originate from Tuscany but it is also recommended for many other parts of Italy. Apart from Argentina, Sangiovese does not appear to have been planted much in other countries. In Australia it was found only as odd vines at Mudgee under the name of Canaiolo, another Tuscan variety. The planted area in Australia is currently 657 ha.

Solvorino

Posted by Unknown at 05:08

Solvorino (sol-vor-ee-noh) is another white grape variety which is known only from Australia at this stage. It has clearly been in Australia for well over 100 years and may have been one of the varieties introduced by Busby in 1832.Two varieties bred as table grapes have been named Solferino, a white in France from about 1850 and a red in Italy from about 1920. Both are thus too late to be connected with the Australian variety. Solvorino is grown commercially at Roma in Queensland and also occurs as previously unidentified vines in mixed plantings on two vineyards at Great Western in Victoria. One of these was planted in 1868 and can be traced to earlier plantings in Australia.

Sultana

Posted by Unknown at 05:04

Sultana (sul-tah-nah) is primarily a drying grape but in some seasons, in Australia, more sultanas are crushed for white wine than grapes of any other single variety. In 2003 about 9685 ha of Sultana was used for wine-making in Australia. In California it is called Thompson Seedless to distinguish it from another variety introduced earlier, erroneously, as Sultana. An even larger proportion of the crop is used for wine in California and there are also districts which specialise in the production of table grapes. In western Europe the variety is known as Sultanine or Sultanina. It seems to have originated in Asia Minor or the Middle East and is grown for dried fruit throughout the area from Greece to Afghanistan and north into the neighbouring republics. There are also small plantings in South Africa and South America.

Souzao

Posted by Unknown at 05:07

Souzao (suh-zay-oh) is a Portuguese variety, this name being used for it in the Douro Valley where it is ranked in the second highest-quality group for producing port. It is also grown in the Minho region where it is known as Vinhao, and to a slight extent in the neighbouring areas of Spain under the name of Souson. It has also become very successful in California and South Africa.

Sylvaner

Posted by Unknown at 05:02

Sylvaner, (sihl-vah-nah) spelt Silvaner in Germany, was formerly the leading white wine grape of that country, but in recent years has declined considerably with the rise of newly bred varieties such as Kerner, Scheurebe and Bacchus.The variety may have originated in Austria (although only a small area is planted there) and it can be found under various names through central and south-eastern Europe.There are small plantings in France, California and Australia.

Taminga

Posted by Unknown at 05:00

Taminga (tam-ihn-gah) is a white grape variety bred by CSIRO Plant Industry at its Merbein laboratory in Victoria. It is a cross of the Merbein selection MH 29-56 (Planta Pedralba × Sultana) and Traminer.The cross was made in 1970 and the variety released in 1982. Approximately 200 ha have been planted in Australia, mainly in the Murray River Valley.Taminga is a highyielding, late-ripening variety, which produces high-quality wines with a distinctive spicy bouquet. The juice composition has been good with low pH and high titratable acidity.

Tarrango

Posted by Unknown at 04:58

Tarrango (ta-rang-goh) was also bred by CSIRO Plant Industry Division of Horticulture at Merbein. This red grape variety is a cross of the Portuguese port variety Touriga and the ubiquitous multipurpose variety Sultana. Approximately 170 ha of Tarrango have been planted in Australia, mainly in the warmer regions along the Murray River.

Tempranillo Grape

Posted by Unknown at 04:56

Tempranillo (tem-prah-nil-oh) is one of the most highly regarded varieties in Spain for making red wine. Blended with Carignan, it makes the best wines of the Rioja. In La Mancha it is known as Tinta Fino or Cencibel and is used in the claretes of Valdepenas and Manzanares. In Portugal it is known as Tinta Roriz, and Negretto in Italy may be the same variety. Tempranillo was authorised in 1976 for planting in the Mediterranean region of France. It is an important variety in Argentina, and less in California (308 ha), where it is called Valdepenas. Current plantings in Australia are small, at 216 ha.