Grape Variety Names

Thanks to the ideas expressed by three Berserkers in another thread, I am wondering how drinkers feel about regional names for the same grape variety versus the internationally adopted ones.

For example, within Spain, Tempranillo goes by differing names in separate geographic regions.

For Italy, Sangiovese may have many different names, albeit some might argue that there are specific mutations/strains/expressions of what is otherwise recognized as just “Sangiovese”.

Here in America, Mourvedre may be called “Mataro” or even “Monastrell”. “Black Malvoisie” is generally known as Cinsault. Differences in spelling “Cinsault” can be acceptable (“Cinsaut”).

• What are your feelings about by what name a specific grape should go?

• Is it best to embrace a popularly recognized moniker to avoid confusion?

• Should historic or regionally-specific names/spellings be celebrated?

• Are there certain exceptions to your choice?

I just would like to see how others feel about the topic.

• What are your feelings about by what name a specific grape should go?

I’ve no problem with them, unless it’s a synonym shared with many grape varieties.

• Is it best to embrace a popularly recognized moniker to avoid confusion?

When introducing a new grape variety to a region, I’d say yes. However, if there are many popular alternatives, it’s ok to choose any one of them. However, I find it a little odd if somebody picks up a very obscure name for a variety with one or many well-known synonyms. For example labeling a new world Chardonnay as “Morillon” feels like purposeful attempt at being obscure only for obscurity’s sake.

• Should historic or regionally-specific names/spellings be celebrated?

Yes. It’s always very considerate of the producer to explain the grape varieties in the back label with more widely known names, but I really don’t expect to receive such treatment.

• Are there certain exceptions to your choice?

Not really any noticeable ones that would pop to my mind. Although I find the obscure names used in California for varieties with more well-known synonyms rather odd.

It certainly is confusing for newbs, and I recall many years ago saying to a wine shop owner, “it’s Shiraz I’m looking for, rather than Syrah”. He handled my mistake very well.

Once we did deeper into learning the differences, often it is useful, as the different clones/biotypes, terroir, winemaking approach can make a very real distinction. E.g. I know to expect a very different experience from a vino nobile di Montepulciano vs. Brunello di Montalcino, despite in theory the grape being the same, and the regions being quite close together. Syrah vs Shiraz labelling is often a clue in new world wine regions, as to the style to expect, so that can be useful.

Ian d’Agata’s Native wine grapes of Italy does give a great understanding to how (and how much) grapes would be mis-classified and/or renamed as they traveled across countries and even around the world. Analysis continues and as it does many instances of mis-classification are unearthed, but even today there is still dispute. The national register in Italy is thus quite useful for bringing commonality to understanding.

Should the names be standardised? It’s clear the learning process continues and I’m sure there is much more to be done in the area of biotypes (e.g. Zin and Primitivo, which in theory are the same grape, but many would argue the differences are significant enough to avoid standardising the name). In addition, for some regions, that grape in that region is a long-established combination, that has effectively become a brand. There would be great resistance to the dilution of that brand.

So for me, no rush to standardisation, though if ever faced with a similar newb to me back in that wine shop, I hope we’d all be as considerate in how we helped the newb learn about such idiosyncrasies.

Regards
Ian

Standardized names would be nice. I still find myself looking-up the Portuguese varieties b/c I know many of them go by other names with which I am more familiar. Yes, Shiraz v. Syrah can give one some “clues,” but those “clues” are not always accurate; furthermore, the country of origin will always be somewhere on the label, so the “clue” isn’t really necessary, imo.

Well:
Here in STYRIA (Steiermark, Southern Austria) the name MORILLON is used for Chardonnay for ages … most probably since the mid 19th century … and most (all?) growers didn´t even know until app. 3 decades ago that it actually was Chardonnay (or a close relative of) - the grape used for white Burgundy.
Erzherzog Johann (Archduke John of Austria, 1782-1859) was very interested to raise the wine-quality in Styria in the 1st half of the 19th century. Rumor is that somebody brought the grape from the small town of Morillon in Burgundy (hence the name) … and because it proved to be successful in the terroir and climat of Styria, it was planted widespread. Simple.

Even now many people (non-wine-geeks) don´t know that Morillon and Chardonnay is (almost) the same grape, they wouldn´t buy a wine labelled Chardonnay, they want Morillon instead.

Moreover it isn´t totally sure that (the traditional) Morillon is identical to Chardonnay, it may be only a close relative.

Another popular grape here (in fact the greatest success nowadays) is Sauvignon blanc, 30 years ago it often was still called Muskat-Sylvaner (usually off-dry) … but this seems to have disapeared.

Other synonymes:
Weissburgunder - Pinot blanc - Klevner (Germany)
Grauburgunder - Pinos gris - Ruländer
Sämling 88 - Scheurebe
Grüner Veltliner - Weissgipfler
Roter Veltliner - Rotgipfler
Müller-Thurgau - Riesling-Sylvaner - Rivaner (Germany)
Riesling - Rheinriesling (Austria)
(Welschriesling is a different grape)

Zweigelt – Blauer Zweigelt – Rotburger (Germany)
Blaufränkisch - Lemberger (in Germany) - Kekfrankos (in Hungary)
Blauburgunder - Blauer Burgunder - Pinot Noir
(Blauburger is a different grape)

Well, I´m not so sure.

When a wine is labelled “Morillon” you know immediately it´s (a Chardonnay) from Styria (everybody elsewhere in Austria would call it Chardonnay).

A Shiraz is (usually) from Australia, when it´s a Syrah → it´s NOT …

It doesn´t help: simply do the homeworks !

I think we should all go back to Latin, or perhaps adopt Esperanto. All these different words in different languages for the same thing! Who needs them? In English, we should ditch “window” and adopt “fenster” (German), “fenêtre” (French) or “finestra” (Italian) so those poor furriners know what we’re talking about.

I like the synonyms when used in their place. Of course Morillon should be used in Styria, and Aragonez or Tinta Roriz in their appropriate regions of Portugal. As others have said, though, I don’t like them when they are used to be intentionally obscure in the new world. I don’t need to see a varietally labeled Morillon or Aragonez from Sonoma. Or a Grauburgunder from Oregon. That seems silly. However, if there are real clonal differences and the winemaker/winery really believe there’s a reason for the other name, so be it…the Primitivo example given above may be one such situation.

la plej bona estus uzi nur du vinberojn, unu blankan, unu ruĝan, kiu solvus plej multajn problemojn

That’s one white and one red toasting you.

The Esperanto-challenged may click here.

Great topic Drew. I really enjoy the threads you post

Very informative post Gerhard but damn you just shortened my list of different varieties of wines I’ve had

I don’t think I should have any input on what name a grape should have. The grapes were named. Sometimes multiple times. They are what they are.

Popularity has nothing to do with it, except for sales. Calling Chardonnay something else would likely make it harder to sell.

Celebrated? Not sure what that is supposed to mean. Are we supposed to have a Tribidrag party or something?

Exceptions? No. I just think the contents of the bottle are way more important that the letters on the label.

regional names for the same grape variety versus the internationally adopted ones.

Drew - the entire premise is flawed. Who determines what is “internationally adopted”? What something is known as to many people in the USA? That’s a very narrow world view.

Monastrell came from Spain. After WWII, the US became more familiar with French wine than with Spanish wine. So we got to know it as Mourvedre. Is that the internationally adopted name? Are the Spanish supposed to give up their own language? I realize that in the wine world, or at least on WB, the entire country of Spain is considered a “region”, but right now the Catalans are trying to separate from the rest of Spain, which was once a cluster of separate kingdoms that had evolved their own words and dialects, if not languages, and within those kingdoms are very many wine growing regions and some of them grow the same grapes as others but because of history, the grapes have different names.

Gerhard mentions Blaufränkisch, which was the blue grape of the Franks. That’s obviously a German word. But it was known elsewhere too and the Maygars called it Kékfrankos. Which of those is the “internationally” known one? The word “blau” or “blue” doesn’t exist in Hungarian. It’s actually Blue Franc in English.

Moreover, just because someone realized a few years ago that Primitivo and Zinfandel are the same grape, should people who have used a particular name for several generations now give it up? As to stylistic differences between the two, or between Shiraz and Syrah, I disagree with that premise as well. Australia is not a region and not all Shiraz comes from the Barossa Valley.

But the TTB is working for you. No matter what they call a grape in the country the wine comes from, if it’s not on the TTB list of known grapes, they can’t sell it under that name in the USA.

Excellent post Greg.

Different names for the same grape certainly leads to ‘confusion’ in the market - but I for one don’t want to be ‘forced’ to use one specific name if I don’t have to. Why should one have to use ‘Pinot Gris’ and not be able to say ‘Pinot Grigio’?

The idea of calling a wine ‘Mourvedre’ or ‘Mataro’ is a fun, geeky thing to discuss - but just that . . .

Cheers.

Not to mention garnacha, a Spanish grape that is probably better known as grenache around the world.

Except that in Sardinia, Grenache is Cannonau.

I was going to mention that, but my point is that the most common name (grenache) is not the name used in the grape’s home land.

If you’d like to see the grape variety names approved by the TTB for use on American wine labels, here’s the current list:
List of Approved Grape Variety Names

In addition, there are some names that have gained administrative approval by the TTB - they’re not yet on the formal list of approved names but they can be used on American wine labels. You’ll find a recent batch of those here, along with the TTB regulations regarding approval of new grape variety names for use on American wine labels:
Proposed Addition of New Grape Variety Names for American Wines

Thanks, Ken. The second list is quite interesting. There aren’t many names on there that I’d heard of, and most of those are relatively obscure: bourboulenc, brachetto, rieslaner, ribolla gialla and (the much less obscure) touriga nacional (nice that it can be named since more than 900 tons are harvested in California!). The rest are mostly made up names for hybrids.