Is that pineapple in my wine? Wine fruit characteristics explained.

 Recognizing the fruit in the wine can help you determine a lot about the wine. The grape variety will impact the fruit flavor. It is essential to train your mind to identify the different fruit characteristics. Red wines tend to fall into either “red” fruit (strawberries, cherries) or “black” fruit (blueberries, plums). White wine can have more exotic (tangerine or orange) or subtle citrus (lemon or lime) fruit aromas or flavors. 

Red Fruit – Pinot Noir, Grenache, Sangiovese, Zinfandel

Black Fruit – Cabernet, Merlot, Petite Sirah, Syrah

Exotic & Tropical – Viognier, Marsanne, Chardonnay, Riesling

Subtle Fruit – Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc

In this short video, Curt Dunham, LDV Winemaker, discusses the characteristics of wine’s fruit.