Old World wines are made in Europe; France, Italy and Spain are the most notable Old World producers. New World wines are typically from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South America and South Africa.  Our list is comprised of Italian Old World wines, and domestic New World wines.  This designation not only refers to geography, but also to the characteristics they display and how they are made.  The Old World style is typically elegant and subtle in its characteristics and often exhibit more austere, dry, earthy and mineral flavors whereas New World wines tend to be bold, vibrant and fruity.  We’ve compiled a directory of varietal characteristics to assist you in making selections from our list, please keep in mind the differences between the Old and the New worlds, and enjoy!

Whites

Chardonnay 
Very varied in Italy, Northern selections are light, crisp, metallic with green apple, tropical fruits and minerals, California selections tend to display oak, butter, pear, apple, and toast, although some are light, crisp and fresh, with exotic fruit tones.

Chenin Blanc 
A soft, round smooth taste with pear, melon and apricot. Cortese Light bodied with apple, citrus and honey,

Fumé Blanc 
The same grape as sauvignon blanc.  Lemon, lime, grapefruit, grass and straw.

Garganega 
The best make rich, full wines with intense minerality. 

Gewurztraminer 
Crisp but rich with spice, lychee and orange.

Inzolia 
Often blended with Chardonnay; this is a fresh, vivacious grape exhibiting apple blossom, flowers, pear and yeast.

Malvasia 
A very old Mediterranean vine, exhibits apricot, almond, musk.  Often blended with reds.

Müller Thurgau 
Explosive tropical fruit with very crisp acidity.

Pinot Grigio 
Crisp, with lemon, lime, almond, stone and mineral flavors. 

Pinot Bianco 
Similar to very flavorful, rich, fruity pinot grigio.

Riesling 
Peach, apricot and diesel.  Tends to be a sweet, but can be dry.

Sauvignon Blanc 
Lemon, lime, grapefruit, grass and straw.

Semillon 
Broad, cottony, honey and lanolin.  Can be dry or off dry.  

Sparkling 
Made with many varietals including chardonnay, pinot blanc, and pinot noir. 

Tocai 
Similar to sauvignon blanc with lemon, lime, mineral and yeast.

Trebbiano 
Crisp, refreshing with almond and stone.

Verdicchio 
Medium body with lemon and salty brine.

Vermentino 
Light to medium with grassy, mineral flavors.

Vernaccia 
Crisp and mineral.  Some can be aged in oak.

Voigner 
One of the world’s rare grapes exhibits honeysuckle, musky fruit, and a round lanolin type of texture.

Reds

Barbera 
Crisp with a touch of tannin, raspberry, blackberry, pepper.  Great food wine. 

Cabernet Franc 
Light to medium bodied, this grape displays dark fruit, leather and earth, into green vegetal tones.  Usually blended with merlot or cabernet sauvignon.

Cabernet Sauvignon 
In some areas, herbal and thin.  In others, world class with cassis, gravel, tobacco and leather
 
Corvina 
Medium to port like with bursting red cherry. 

Dolcetto 
Light and almost sweet with spicy berry fruit

Merlot 
Ripe plum, cherry and pepper flavors. 

Montepulciano 
Medium bodied with smoke herbal red fruits.

Nebbiolo 
Italy’s most noble varietal.  Dark red fruits, mushroom, tobacco, truffles, rose petal and tar. 

Negromaro 
Means “black and bitter” in Italian, flavors of dry fruit and toasted coffee.

Nero d’Avola 
Italy’s rising star.  Full bodied with fruit and herbs.
 
Petite Syrah 
Being a smaller grape, the flavors are more intense than syrah.  Leather, blackberries, smoke, pepper and spice.

Pinot Noir 
Typically light bodied.  Rich cherry, spice and mushroom.

Primitivo 
The clone vine of zinfandel.  Big, bold cherries and spice.
 
Prugnolo  
A Tuscan staple.  Ripe red cherry, red flowers and earth with sharp acidity.
 
Sangiovese 
High acids, firm tannins, spice, cherry, cedar, mushroom, tar. 

Syrah 
Full bodied with smoked meat, dark black cherry and black pepper.

Zinfandel  
Typically dry, jammy, and voluptuous.  Displays blackberry, boysenberry and plum.