LEARN ABOUT RED WINES
Red Wine Education
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Red Wines come from a variety of different grape variables. The world has hundreds of different red wine varieties to choose from from many different countries. The amazing part is every country offers a different flavor than the next even in the same style of wine! So whats the difference between red wine and white wine you might ask? Well red wines when ready to start to wine making process after being picked are put into barrels with the skins left intact on the grape. With the grape skin intact it allows the wine to adapt the color of the skins even more so. So the longer a wine stays with its skin the more likely it is to pick up that color. The inside of a wine grape generally does not have the same color on the outside and are usually lighter on the inside. So it can be that a white wine can be made from a red grape, the grape skin would be taken away much earlier in the process to achieve this result. So lets look below and learn about different types of red wines and their many characteristics. While you are here learn a little about what typically tastes well or pairs well with a certain type of wine.
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Types of Red Wine Grapes
Barbera Wine
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Barbera Wine is a great dinner wine grown in the Piedmont region of Italy as well as California but mainly as a blending wine in the USA. You will taste in this wine a well balanced flavor of fruits, oak (from storage),berry and a hint of chocolate. Barbera wines are great with pastas or any tomato based food.
Cabernet Franc
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These grapes make wines that are very smooth in tannin. In fact less tannic and more readily drinkable (especially if you are newer to wine drinking) than cabernet sauvignon. Cabernet Franc wines feature hints and aromas of berries, other fresh fruits and hidden herbal undertones.
Cabernet Sauvignon
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A variety of the black grape that makes a dry red wine. This wine is typically a favorite of the red wine drinkers as it is bold and medium to full bodied. Cabernet Sauvignon also carries a high tannin with flavors and aromas of cedar and cassis.
Dolcetto
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Soft or low tannins inspire this easy and highly drinkable style of wine. Unlike many wines they are ready to be consumed upon their release date. Dolcetto wines have the aromas and flavors of ripe fruits, jams, plums and even a light hint of flowers. These refreshing wines are light bodied and are also great with pastas, red meaty sauces and even hambuger.
Gamay
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Light skinned grapes that make a very acidic yet low tannin built wine. Hints of floral and red fruits as well as banana are embedded within the body and flavor of Gamay wines. Gamay wines are the backbone of the Beaujolais wines. Pair this wine with beef, veal chicken or tuna for great results.
Grenache
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This grape produces very rustic red wines. Grenache grapes help make some very full bodied reds with hints of black fruit, jams, pepper and spice. Can be paired nicely with duck or pheasant.
Merlot
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Featuring the soft fruit flavors or plum and blackberry as well as black cherry merlot is a well known grape in the red wine family. Merlot is very strong in tannins and is a full bodied wine. Some of the best and most expensive wines in the world are from the merlot blends especially wines made with nearly 100% merlot blend. I always think of a nice thick rare steak with a glass of merlot but also consider many believe it to be great with game meats, salmon and even pastas.
Malbec
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Flavors of plum, anise and tobacco inherit this full bodied wine. Malbec now plays main host in Argentina soils and is one of that regions top wines. Malbec wines are deep and dark in color with medium to well balanced tannins. This goes great with steak and other read meats.
Mourvedre
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Another wine deep in color as well as deep and rich in flavor. To add to the flavor this wine is also very high in tannins and alcohol content. Mourvedre is typically used as a blending wine and not often seen by itself in its own entity. However when blended with lower acidic wines and lower tannins wines it makes an excellent well balanced wine with a deep color. Mourvedre goes well with barbecued meats as well as meats that feature fruit based sauces such as venison with cranberry sauce.
Nebbiolo
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This wine is usually described as having a flowery rose-like and tar flavor. Now when you think tar don't think of a big bucket of tar ready to slap into a contruction site somewhere but rather a hint of tar picked up from the flavors in the soil which many find absolutely delicious. This type of wine needs a bit of age before drinking so as the flavors can become more balanced and soft.
Nero d'Avolo
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Taste best when aged with the luscious flavors of fruit while maintaning a deep dark bold color. However it can be consumed shortly after making but the best results come with age. Nero d'Avolo wines can also be used for the purpose of blending mainly to add body to another wine that is lacking in this area. This wine also features hints of cherry and berries as well as plum.
Primitivo
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Straight from italy this wine has the tastes of spice and plums. Also within the wine you'll experiences other berry fruits with milder tastes. Other notable mentions about Primitivo are its deep red colors and it also carries a high alcohol content. Try this wine with pizza or stromboli or pepper encrusted meats grilled tuna with black pepper ETC.
Petite Sirah
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This dark skinned grape creates a very inky, dark and bold wine. This wine contains high tannic content and shows its flavors of fruit. The fruit flavors that can be detected are plum, black berry and cherries. Pair this wine with spice or strong dishes and cheeses.
Pinot Noir
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Pinot makes a very sweet & fruity wine. As pinot noir ages it picks up scents and aromas of spices while the red fruits mellow. The pinot noir grape makes many wines that go well with many dishes including salmon, expensive rare meats and mushroom style dishes.
Pinotage
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Pinotage wines features a flavor of wild berries and is deep/dark red color. Pinotage has a smoky flavor to it as well as bold tannins. After first sip it screams to be ajoined at the dinner table by a nice rack of spare ribs or some smokey barbecue meats.
Continue Red Wine Education
Shiraz-Syrah
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This grape has two different names syrah and shiraz. However this is the same exact grape. Australians call the grape shiraz and in France they call the grape syrah. The grapes taste similar but the australian version shiraz tastes more on the fruity side than the French Syrah. Other notable flavors in shiraz-syrah are black fruits and pepper. Try these wines with meats or barbecued smoked meats.
Tempranillo
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With flavors of red fruit, cherries, spice and tobacco you may be wondering exactly how this wine may taste. The flavors brought to the table by wines made with Tempranillo are delicious and elegant. Tempranillo is the biggest contributor to making the sweet Port wines. Try this wine with a nice leg of lamb and jelly.
Zinfindel
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This grape is huge in California and the United States. I am sure at some point nearly everyone has had contact with a bottle of Zinfandel somewhere in our lives. Zinfandel grapes are very high in sugar and high in alcohol content generally. With soft fruit flavors and the sweet sugar content the Zinfandel wine makes an easy and ready to drink wine. Try with meats that are sweet or that include a sweet sauce like barbecue.
Hopefully you were able to learn the basics of red wines and we hope it helps in your decesion making for the right wine for you. You now have some basic red wine education and learned about types of red wine grapes. Check out our online store and make sure you come back we'll update constantly and as anything changes.
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