While many people try to pigeonhole the taste of varietals in ways such as "Pinot Noir tastes flowery and are light", it is possible to produce several types of wine from one grape. Often, wines can be described by their flavors more than just the varietals or geographical location from which they came.
For instance, Chardonnay varietals can fit into three or four different flavor categories depending on how the grape is processed and made in to wine. Winemakers can make Chardonnay grapes into wines that are clean, crisp and light bodied or they can make Chardonnay grapes into wines that are smooth, round and medium bodied or they can make Chardonnay grapes into wines that are rich and full-bodied.
Different techniques of wine making, such as using oak for aging or not using oak for aging, allow winemakers to make Chardonnay grapes in to all of these different types of flavors. While the Chardonnay grape is probably the most versatile grape for making it into different flavors, most varietals are open to some leeway in flavor.
Pinot Blanc and Pinot Grigio both lend themselves to wines that taste clean, crisp and light bodied or that taste smooth, round and medium bodied. Pinot Blanc is also possible to make into a style that is rich and full-bodied while Pinot Grigio is also possible to make into a style that is off dry or aromatic dry.
While winemakers usually make Sauvignon Blanc to taste clean, crisp and light bodied or smooth, round and medium bodied, they sometimes stretch the boundaries and make it taste rich and full-bodied. However, when a wine maker makes a Sauvignon Blanc in a style that tastes rich and full-bodied, the winemaker usually calls it Fume Blanc rather than Sauvignon Blanc.
Winemakers also have plenty of leeway in what style they will make red grapes taste. Winemakers can make red wines taste fruity and light-bodied, smooth and medium-bodied or rich, hearty and full bodied. The most versatile of the red grapes is the Merlot.
It is common for winemakers to make Merlot grapes in styles that taste fruity and light, smooth and medium or rich and full. Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon usually taste rich, hearty and full-bodied or smooth and medium bodied. Pinot Noir is usually a fruity, light-bodied wine or a smooth, medium-bodied wine.
The difference in how wines are processed makes a difference in how they are going to taste. Any time wine makers leave crushed grapes in a vat with skin and seeds longer, the wine will have more acid or tannins in the flavor whether they are making wine from Pinot Noir grapes or Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Any time a wine spends aging in oak will make it taste a little bit richer and add flavors similar to toasty vanilla whether they are making wine from Chardonnay grapes or Sauvignon Blanc grapes.
Therefore, if you are looking to be able to decide if you like a wine just by what type of grape is in the wine, you might end up being disappointed. While one winemaker might insist on making Chardonnay wine only though oak aging, another winemaker might believe that the Chardonnay grape stands on its own and does not need oak aging to taste good.
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