Grape Varietals at Mahan Family Wines’ Granite Ridge Vineyard Estate
“What is a grape varietal?”
Wine grape varietals are defined as the individual types of grapes that find their way into the world's wines. There are upwards of four thousand distinct grape varieties in the world, but the vast majority of wines we consume are from less than three-dozen of the world's finest varietals of the genus Vitis vinifera (source: winemonthclub.com).
“What grape varietals does Mahan Family Wines grow?”
At the Mahan Family Wines Vineyard in Harbor Country, Michigan, we grow four varietals: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gruner and Viognier.
If you are a wine enthusiast, you might be thinking “These are all white wine varietals!” and you’d be right. We love the crispness of great white wine, we love the inclusiveness of white wine culture and we love that there is no time of day when white wine doesn’t pair perfectly with the moment.
While you’ve probably heard of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, Gruner and Viognier might be new to your wine vernacular.
Chardonnay (shaar·duh·nei): One of the world’s most popular grapes, Chardonnay is made in a wide range of styles from your favorite sparkling wine to rich, creamy wine aged in oak. This varietal happens to be our Vinemakers’ (Phil and Ann) favorite! When they went about starting the vineyard, this was a must-have varietal for them. Interestingly, Chardonnay is said to be “made in the winery” as it gets so much of its flavor from the winemaking methods applied (i.e. being aged in oak versus steel).
Sauvignon Blanc (saw-vee-nyon blahnk): Meaning “Wild White” this grape owes much of its success to winemakers in Bordeaux and the Loire Valley in France and is traditionally a dry white that can be very zesty and herbaceous in flavor. New Zealand and California are also great regions for this wine, though producers in these regions have been known to leave a gram or two of residual sugar to give the wine a richer texture.
Grüner Veltliner (grew-ner velt-lee-ner): This is Austria’s most popular varietal and one that our Vinemakers, Phil & Ann, fell head over heels for when they were traveling through Austrian wine country (this also happened to be the trip during which the idea for Mahan Family Wines originated). If you’ve never tasted Grüner, you might compare it to a Sauvignon Blanc, fancy wine people will tell you Grüner Veltliner is “an exotic alternative” to Sauvignon Blanc. It’s dry, high in acidity and generally has vibes of starfruit, gooseberry, asparagus, white pepper and crushed gravel.
Viognier (vee-own-yay): If you like Chardonnay, but want to try something that you may have never tried before, you’d do well giving the Viognier a try. Fun fact: in the French Wine Condrieu in the Rhone Valley it is the only permitted grape. Viognier can also be found in regions of North and South America as well as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Israel.
photo shot at Aro Ha