Winegrapes are much like people. They can be simple or complex, ancient or recent, mutable or resistant to change. Their story is fascinating.
Ancient winegrapes
We know very little about the antiquity of winegrape varieties still in commerce. Perhaps with the advance of biotechnology we will someday be able to learn the nature of wine residues in those 6,000 year-old amphorae found in the Caucasus. At present, the best candidates for winegrape antiquity, according to Carole Meredith, retired professor of enology at UC Davis, are Pinot Noir and Chenin Blanc. Both very finicky in their French homeland and abroad. Pinot Noir is highly mutable and has sported more clones than any other winegrape, red or white. Chenin Blanc has shown its capacity to lead to exquisite wines over the entire dryness scale—but only in its native region, the Loire Valley in central France. Elsewhere the wines are largely disappointing with a few exceptions such as those from California’s Clarksburg AVA and Santa Barbara County’s Los Alamos, which are more than creditable but do not compete with the best French examples.
Syrah is also very old but known to be a natural hybrid involving the old grape Mondeuse. While both Italy and Iran have laid claims to its origin, it is certainly of French parentage. So of the ancient winegrapes that have withstood the test of time, all appear to be French.
Modern hybrids and clones
It may be surprising, but the world’s most celebrated red winegrape is of recent origin—very recent origin. And that would be the felicitous 18th century accidental field crossing of Sauvignon Blanc with Cabernet Franc that gave us Cabernet Sauvignon. Unlike the ancient varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon, along with its parent varieties, is successfully grown worldwide under a wide range of climates and terroirs.
Zinfandel is another relative newcomer. It appears to be a mutation of the Italian Primitivo grape which until recent times has never been regarded by the Italians with the reverence awarded to Sangiovese or Barolo. Today there are superb examples of Italian Primitivo, but nothing quite like the lush, fruity Zinfandels from California’s top producers such as Rosemblum’s Single Vineyard Zinfandels or Ancient Peaks’ estate Zinfandel from Paso Robles. The success of California Zinfandel is testimony to the proposition that winegrapes do not always perform best in land of their origin.
It is well established that cuttings taken from one location and grown elsewhere do not always replicate the original profile. Cuttings of Pinot Noir taken from Romanée-Conti have been planted in Paso Robles with very little resemblance to the great wine of Burgundy. But other cuttings from Romanée-Conti, grown in California’s Santa Lucia Highlands, produce splendid Pinot Noir—different to be sure from Romanée-Conti, but nevertheless sumptuous.
There has been an explosion of new clonal offerings over the past two decades ranging from Viognier to Syrah, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Modern winegrowing practice attempts to identify those clones that have an affinity for specific terroirs, but in many cases the end result is likely to bear only a passing resemblance to the original. Some vineyards seem to do best when planted to a single clone, often the case with Syrah. Many Pinot Noir growers, on the other hand, are increasingly drawn to mixed-clone plantings.
Alan Boehmer - Alan Boehmer has conducted regular wine seminars and wine tours since 1967. Originally based in Los Angeles, he served as a consultant for ...
Join the Conversation