What on earth is a “Cépage”?
“Cépage”, what does this french word mean? What’s the English for “cépage”?
The root of all wines
The vines on which grapes grows belong to a number of different varieties. Cépage is simply the French term for vine varieties.
There are over 8,000 different grape varieties worldwide, and over 200 authorised grape varieties are planted throughout France.
The main grape varieties grown in France for red wines are Merlot, Grenache Noir, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Pinot Noir. For white wines, Ugni Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Aligoté, Vermentino, Viognier, Sémillon and Chardonnay.
Wine labels provide key information to help you select the perfect bottle, including the grape variety (or varieties) used. Grape varieties are the root of every type of wine, and it's a good idea to know some of them and identify the ones you prefer.
Family ties
Grape varieties are categorised in two main families linked to the colour of the grapes. Black grape varieties are used to make red and rosé wines, while white grape varieties are used to make white wines.
Did you know that white wine can also be produced using black grapes? This type of wine is known as Blanc de Noirs, and is particularly common in sparkling wines (some crémants and champagnes).
The grapes from each variety present lots of differences. In their taste (more or less acidic, more or less sweet, floral, vegetal, neutral), their size (wine grape berries are generally smaller and less fleshy) and their colour (white or coloured skin and pulp).
The characteristics of each grape variety are passed on in the wine during the vinification process. A wine made from a single grape variety is called a single-varietal wine. When several grape varieties are selected for their complementary qualities and used to produce a wine, we refer to it as a blend.
Terroir links
The grape varieties best suited to the characteristics of the soil and climate are carefully selected to produce the best wines. Different regions, different terroirs, different grape varieties.
Here are a few examples:
Cabernet Sauvignon thrives in the region of Bordeaux, but is also well established in the south and south-west of France.
Pinot Noir, a grape variety particularly used in Burgundy, is not suited to hot regions.
Cinsault is a southern grape variety of Provençal origin which enjoys heat and adapts very well to warm, sunny terroirs.
Note: in France, the name of a wine refers to the terroir and therefore the region (and not the grape variety): Bordeaux, Burgundy, Languedoc.
Ever heard of ampelography?
Ampelography, from the Greek ampelos (vine) and graphein (to write), is the botanical and oenological discipline that studies, classifies and describes grape varieties.
This science combines the description and identification of grape varieties, the study of their development and the relationships between them, in addition to knowledge of their behaviour in relation to the different terroirs (soil, climate, etc.).
Which grape varieties do you prefer?
