Or perhaps as confusing, when is a Syrah not a Shiraz? Great query. Perhaps as great as: when is a Pinot Gris not a Pinot Grigio or when is a Sauvignon Blanc not a Fume Blanc. Confused? You’re not alone.

Grapes that have multiple monikers are perplexing. Perplexing not so much in their names but in what those names actually translate to in the bottle. All are pairs of synonyms, if you will, in wine speak. As actual grapes, there is zero difference between any of those pairs: Syrah and Shiraz, same thing (grape). Ditto for Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc and Fume Blanc. And the reasons for the name differences have historically much to do with the physical origins of said grapes or a style. Shiraz is the Anglo-Australian name, if you will, of Syrah, which is French, while Pinot Gris is the French name of the same grape which is Pinot Grigio in Italian.  Robert Mondavi coined the term Fume Blanc in the late 1960’s to distinguish his dry style of Sauvignon against the sweeter versions (mostly blended out) that had existed in California prior. But over time and with wine becoming more popular, wouldn’t it be nice if we could extrapolate style and wine expectations from the names and confuse people less. Let me explain… Continue reading »