ABSTRACT
The most basic characters found on America's viticultural stage, of course, are the cultivars from which we get our wine grapes. Most are members of one species, Vitis vinifera, though a few native American and French-American hybrids remain important, primarily in the vineyards of eastern states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. Among the thousands of Vitis vinifera cultivars, four have risen to noble status; these are recognized by wine authorities and connoisseurs as capable of producing wines that are not only of the finest quality but also of distinctive character. Two of these noble grapes, Chardonnay and Riesling, are white; the other two, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, are red. Pinot Noir is the great red cultivar of Burgundy, the grape that provides us with the fine wines of the Cote d'Or; it is also one of two important red grapes in the Champagne region of France.
