-
Can Hybrid Grapes Produce Age-Worthy Wine?
For many wine enthusiasts, the phrase “age-worthy wine” immediately brings certain grapes to mind:Cabernet Sauvignon,Nebbiolo,Pinot Noir,Syrah,Bordeaux blends. Hybrid grapes rarely appear on that list. In fact, one of the most persistent assumptions in American wine culture is that hybrid wines are meant to be consumed young and cannot develop meaningful complexity with age. But assumptions in wine are not always reliable. And increasingly, some wineries are discovering that under the right conditions, certain hybrid grapes may evolve in surprisingly compelling ways over time. Why Hybrid Grapes Developed a Reputation for Early Drinking Part of the reputation comes from history. Many hybrid grape varieties were developed primarily for: Early hybrid wines…