On grape varietals: Knowing that your wine is made from the Chardonnay grape, because that's what's on the label, is such an easy identifier, but can actually be a terrible categorization. The other day at work (I work on the floor of a restaurant as a sommelier), a table ordered a bottle of California Viognier. When I opened it for them, they didn't like it because they thought it was "too sweet." Not wanting to presently get into an extensive discussion of sweetness and dryness in wines (which are actually incredibly confusing descriptions both to give and to receive), suffice to say that the wine had almost no residual sugar. What the customers were actually reacting to and perceiving as sweetness were low acid, over ripeness and over oaking. When selecting their next bottle, they requested a "normal" bottle of California Viognier, described as "light, fresh, dry." Viognier can be a grape that expresses some of these characteristics, but this is hardly the general description for mainstream California Viognier.
Therein lies the point that ordering by grape varietal totally ignores the fact that a multitude of factors (including but not limited to: macro-, micro-, and mesoclimate, pruning and training procedures for the vines, ripening period, fermentation processes, use of oak, malolactic fermentation, and all manner of highly technical considerations and practices) determine how the particular wine in that bottle tastes.
Before shifting to a discussion of various Old World wines and ideas, let's first consider a strikingly New World example that puts into perspective the idea of creating wine that Old World winemakers propagate. The title of my entire blog is "No More Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc," and rest assured that I will tackle the meaning of that title soon, but it's a good model for the consideration of the sense of place that can be more important than the raw material used (though the place strongly influences what material can be used).
The aromas of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc makes it one of the most distinctive wines in the world. It's the kind of wine you pray to get on a blind tasting (I once heard someone say that classic NZ Sauvignon Blanc can be identified when it's poured from the bottle, so strong is its aroma). But, to a large extent, most Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc smells and tastes the same. The common descriptors of intense aromas of citrus, cat's pee, and gooseberry are central to any classically made wine from this region. And it's not all because of the grape. Descriptors of a myriad of different fruits, minerals and herbs are given to Sauvignon Blancs from other parts of the world. Plainly, what makes Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is where it comes from and how it's made.
And this is the exact same concept that extends to Old World wines. Sancerre (also made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape) is known as Sancerre because it smells and tastes like it is from Sancerre. The methods of production (known as viticulture and vinification) determine the characteristics of the wine, and the actual varietal selection is to some extent secondary. Thus, when you order Sancerre, you pretty much know that it's going to taste like Sancerre, because that's what the growing site and the winemaker make it taste like.
Now it's just a matter of figuring out what characteristics you like and where you need to go to find them. And that's all the fun.
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