ON THE GRAPEVINE
SAM WYLIE-HARRIS ON... THE GRAPES YOU’VE BEEN MISPRONOUNCING
TO HELP you navigate the world of wine and be familiar with some of our favourite styles, here are eight commonly mispronounced grapes and how to say them like a pro...
ALBARINO: Predominantly grown in Galicia in north-west Spain, and some parts of Portugal. Pronounced ahl-vah-ree-nyo, it makes light, zesty, white wines with high acidity, has a slightly saline finish and goes especially well with seafood.
BOBAL: The second most planted red grape in Spain – pronounced bow-bal – is usually used in a blend but is increasingly being made into standalone spicy reds.
CABERNET SAUVIGNON: A Bordeaux red always has a measure of cab sav in the blend – it’s only fitting that cab-er-nay saw-vin-yawn should effortlessly roll off the tongue. In its DNA are baskets of blackcurrant, firm tannins, scents of cedar and cigar box.
FALANGHINA: This signature white hails from Campania in southern Italy and is known for its light honeyed richness, with notes of peach and almond, and sometimes some lemony zest. It owes its name to the word ‘falangae’ – the stakes that support the vines – and we say it with a lovely lift on the end: Fa-lan-ghee-nah.
GEWURZTRAMINER: Always a tricky customer to say: Guh-vertz-tramean-er, but a grape that’s worth getting to know for its beguiling bouquet of roses, lychee, ginger, exotic spice and its natural affinity with Thai and Asian food.
RIESLING: Reece-ling can wear many hats. It can be very sweet or bone dry, lean with high acidity or soft and fruity - it all depends where it’s planted. Predominantly though, riesling is Germany’s hero grape.
VIOGNIER: A lovely sing-song grape, vee-oh-nee-aye is one of the best and rarest French white grapes. Grown worldwide but its claims to fame are the prestigious wines of Condrieu in the Rhone Valley. It has a floral bouquet of honeysuckle, peaches, apricots and violets, and a sensual, oily texture.
PINOT NOIR: Pee-noe-nwahr is the classic red grape of Burgundy, but the best also call New Zealand and California home. This grape’s calling cards are its silky texture, summer fruits and earthy aromatics that unfurl effortlessly onto the palate.