RELATIONSHIPS
Comparing white varieties by aroma and acidity: Comparative perspectives
Read geography, grape resources, and production processes separately.
White wine comparison.
Acidity · Aroma · Body
Sparkling character
Grape varieties + pressing + secondary fermentation
This is a schematic diagram summarizing the main text. It does not represent production areas or quality rankings. Sources and reference materials
FIELD NOTE 01
Entry to Light, Lively Whites
Do not dismiss Elbling and Rivaner simply as inferior varieties. They can be an entry point to wines expressing youthful fruit and lightness, and are useful for comparisons to understand raw material and winemaking. Alongside Riesling, record impressions of acidity and aroma, and avoid judging solely by the recognition of the grape name.
FIELD NOTE 02
Auxerrois and the Pinot family
Auxerrois, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris are key varieties for studying white wines and Crémant. Even if the wines appear similar in color, their aromas, body, and roles in blends differ. Do not confuse the name Auxerrois with a French place name or other synonyms; check its context as a white variety from this country.
FIELD NOTE 03
Cross-reference grape varieties and process.
Add Chardonnay and Pinot varieties as well, and compare both still and sparkling styles. Even from black grapes, white base wine can be made by avoiding strong extraction of skin color, so the grape color and the finished wine color are not strictly correlated. If you write down the variety, skin treatment, and presence of secondary fermentation in separate columns, it organizes things more clearly.
Depends on how much of the skin's color is extracted. The color of the finished wine is not determined solely by the grape variety's color.
PAUSE & REFLECT
Check your understanding.
Are all Crémants made with black grapes necessarily red?
Read the explanation ＋
Depends on how much of the skin's color is extracted. The color of the finished wine is not determined solely by the grape variety's color.
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Domaines Vinsmoselle: Crémant Varietal Blend and Lees Aging →
Sources and reference materials
These are the reference materials for the main text. For details of production regulations, consult the current documents. For individual wine specifications, refer to materials for the relevant vintage.
- Government AOP site: Grapes ↗
- IVV: AOP specification 2020 (government public version) ↗
- Domaines Vinsmoselle：Poll-Fabaire Brut ↗