10 Grape Varieties You Need to Know as the World's Best Sommelier

This coming Sunday, the finals of the prestigious World Sommelier Championships will take place. The winner will bear the title of ASI Best Sommelier of the World. Adriaan Visser is the Dutch candidate, but unfortunately, he didn't make it to the semi-finals. Nevertheless, it's a tremendous achievement, as the questions are challenging. Knowing three Chinese wine regions or the name and year of France's first AOC isn't enough.

On the organization's Instagram channel – Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (@asisomms_) – several questions were shared, including this one about grape varieties and where to find them. Well, I can tell you, I'd never heard of most of them.

It's high time for a concise article about these ten grape varieties. Lest we forget them.

Yan 73

It tastes a little less good than Chardonnay, but okay. Yan 73 comes from China and is a surprising cross between Muscat d'Hamburg and Alicante Henri Bouschet. It's a red grape variety, and approximately 5,000 hectares were planted in 2016.

Negrette

Negrette is a red grape variety that originated in southwestern France, initially in Gaillac, but now primarily in Fronton. For example, an AOC Fronton must consist of 50% Negrette.

Koshu

Sounds Japanese, and it is. A guess is always an option. It's a pink-skinned grape variety that has been cultivated in Japan for 1,000 years. How it got there isn't entirely clear. It's a descendant of Vitis Vinifera, the European grapevine. An article on Jancis Robinson's website states that its aroma profile is somewhat similar to that of Sauvignon Blanc.

Canada Muscat

Things are never easy or logical in the wine world, so I think the chances of this grape actually originating from Canada are slim to none. It's a cross between Muscat d'Hamburg x Hubbard seedless, developed by Richard Wellington in New York. The flavor profile is similar to Muscat as we know it. There are some plantings in Canada, as well as in McLaren Vale, Australia.

Bishty

Even Google had trouble with this, but Jancis Robinson's great book, Wine Grapes, provides the answer: it is a white grape, probably from Uzbekistan, where it is mainly grown in the Bukhara region.

Cienna

From Australia. It's a cross between Sumoll (a grape sometimes found in the Penedès region for cava production) and Cabernet Sauvignon. It's now grown in warm areas of South Australia.

Chinuri

Yes, I know this one from Georgia. It's a white grape variety with high acidity, usually used in the production of Kartli sparkling wines, for example, in PDO Atenuri.

Magna

This is a hybrid red grape variety from Brazil. It's a cross between two other unknown varieties: Rúbea and Traviu, and descends from both Vitis labrusca and Vitis vinifera. Red wines have the so-called foxtone, an unpleasant aroma often associated with wines from American vines.

Anab-e-Shahi

It's a white grape variety, originally from India. It's primarily used for raisin production, not wine.

Bobal

I know this one, thanks to a hugely inspiring masterclass by Toni Sarrión, who made bobal his life project with Bodega Mustiguillo in Utiel-Requena, Spain, where the grape comes from.

Gamaret

Gamaret even grows in the Netherlands: Domein Heenwerf in Kruisland has it planted. It originates from Switzerland and is valued for its early ripening and resistance to rot. It's a cross between Gamay and Rechensteiner, developed by André Jaquinet in 1970.

About ASI

ASI stands for "Association de la Sommellerie Internationale," a non-profit organization that promotes and supports the profession of sommelier (a wine expert working in restaurants and other similar establishments) through education, certification, and networking opportunities. ASI's mission is to raise the standard of wine and beverage service and to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of wine and other beverages among consumers. ASI offers a range of programs and initiatives, including courses, tastings, and competitions, to support its members and advance the sommelier profession.

Would you also like to participate in the ASI Sommelier of the World?

Don't you get stressed out by these kinds of wine facts? Then the ASI exam might be for you. Start locally and register with the Dutch Guild of Sommeliers (assuming you work as a sommelier), and they can help you with the ASI exams .

PS: Do you, like me, love researching these grape varieties and learning more about them? Then I recommend the book Wine Grapes by Jancis Robinson. Perfect material for questions like these. Good luck!