Tasting notes decoded

Melon

Although there are many types of melon – watermelon, canteloupes, crenshaw, to name a few – when we talk about melon flavours in wine, we generally mean those associated with the honeydew melon.

In the wine tasting lexicon, melon is found among other tropical fruits such as pineapple, lychee and mango. The flavour profile of ripe melon is generally fruity, fresh and sweet, although its sugar content is not normally as high as that of pineapple.

Rosé wines can be a good place to find melon notes, particularly Provence rosés, such as Domaine Gavoty 2013, and some Californian rosés, like Arnot-Roberts, Clear Lake Rosé, Lake County 2016. Melon can also be found in rosé Champagnes, such as De Castelnau, Rosé Champagne NV, where fruity melon is balanced by floral beeswax notes.

Elsewhere, you might also find melon notes in full-bodied white wines from warm climates, such as Chardonnay from California’s Napa Valley and Sonoma County. Melon can also be a tasting note in some Italian white wines, including premium Pinot Grigio, or fruit-forward Prosecco wines.