If you forget about the terroir or the winemaker’s style producing a certain kind of wine…would the flavour of different varietals still be obvious? Should it be? No matter what kind of experience you have. Should the differences be as apparent as the differences between a Coke and Root Beer? When tasting a cab or pinot noir. Or a merlot and malbec. Lots of reds seem to share very similar nuances.
And no I have not done a taste test. Obviously. Just wondered what you all thought.
Andrew,
A simple answer to your question is that different varieties of grapes do have distinct differences in flavor and aroma.
A more complicated answer brings in factors like the close genetic relationship, thus similarities between many common grapes, the influence of new oak which obscures the underlying fruit, extreme ripeness which does the same, especially if ripeness approaches raisins, and the fact that as wines age they become harder to tell apart.
You should be able to tell the difference between an Cab and a Pinot Noir, but not necessarily between a Cab and a Merlot, and maybe not at all if the wines are 40+ years old.
P Hickner
Ok thanks Peter. Was curious to hear from experienced “winos”. 