About Red Wine

Varietals - Health - Links - Purchase Red Wine

Characteristcs of Red Wine

Color: From red to purple. The more blue or purple the younger the wine. Orange or bricky color denotes age.

Fruit: From red fruits to dark bramble fruit. Older wines tend to be lacking fruit.

Tannins: When they are young they are rough, an almost tactile sensation in the mouth. The harsh ones are from the seed and stems. The softer tannins are from oak. Harsh tannins can be softened with careful winemaking during the macerations period (skin contact);

Leather flavors in aged red wine are to be expected. Leather tends to be more pronounced once the fruit has fades.

Tobacco - along with cedar and leather are a product of well aged tannins.

Astringency: Different than tannins, this is the drying out of the mouth. It is due to acidity.

Off Flavors and Smells:

• Wet cardboard - Corked wine
• Wet horse blanket - Brett, a common bacterial spoilage, in smaller concentrations is more like dirt than merde.
• Slight sparkle - If it is slight it is dissolved CO2, if it is accompanied by a wet forest floor smell, than it is Malo-Lactic fermentation in the bottle.

Wine Making Flavors:

Malo-Lactic Fermentation - the process of changing the sharp malic acid (in apples) into the softer lactic acid (in milk). The process also leaves the by product DIACETYL, the taste of butter.

Carbonic Maceration (CM) - This is a quck way of making wine that results in fruity wines with no tannin and only slight varietal character. Strawberries, bananas, and raspberries, as well as cotton candy sweetness in the nose are typical.

Oak - If it is complex with cloves and woody spices, it is French oak. If it is forward with vanilla, it is American Oak. If it is musty, it is from old barrels.

Oxidation - Caramel and a dark, plum smell (Port). Light orange hues are another hint.

Blending - While not always obvious, a wine that tastes complex may have been blended wtih several grape varieties.

Climatic Characteristics:

Hot weather - A deep rich flavor lacking in acidity or bright fruit. The hotter the region the more flabby (less acidic) the wines tend to be. Because of the overripe fruit, and the propensity to oxidize hot fruit, the color tends towards brown shades of red.

Cool weather - Long cool growing conditions pronounce the fruit and the acidity. Tannins and color are low.

Temperate weather - If it is not too hot nor too cool, the ideal grape variety are thsoe wtih long growing seasons, but thick skins to protect the fruit. Tannin and color are products of the grape skin.

Varietals

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Barbera Pronunciation: bar-BEAR-uh: This is a hearty red wine that's usually blended into jug wines, but sometimes sold as an inexpensive varietal wine.

Beaujolais Pronunciation: bow-zhuh-LAY: This is a region in Eastern France that produces light, fruity, fresh-tasting red wines that are relatively low in alcohol. Beaujolais wines should be drunk while young.

Bordeaux wine Pronunciation: bore-DOUGH: The Bordeaux region in France produces excellent red wines, especially in the districts of Médoc, Haut-Médoc, and St. Emilion. These wines are rich and complex, and usually made with a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot grapes. Bordeaux wines with the generic label "Bordeaux Wine" usually aren't as good as those with more specific appellations, like "St. Emilion Wine." Red Bordeaux wines go especially well with lamb and poultry. See article on Right Bank vs. Left Bank.

Burgundy wine (red): Burgundy is a region in eastern France that produces excellent red wines, but the Burgundy wines produced in the United States are usually inexpensive jug wines made from different grape varieties.

Cabernet Franc Pronunciation: cah-burr-NAY FRAHN: Cabernet Franc grapes are related to Cabernet Sauvignon, but they make for a lighter, fruitier wine. The wine is often blended with others, but sometimes sold as a varietal wine.

Cabernet Sauvignon Pronunciation: cah-burr-NAY sow-vee-NYOHN: Cabernet Sauvignon grapes make a hearty, complex red wine that's especially good with roasted meats and heavy stews. Domestic Cabernets are often excellent.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape Pronunciation: shah-toe-nuff due PAHP: This is a village in Provence that's known for its excellent red wines, which are blended from as many as 13 grape varieties. These wines tend to be pricey.

Chianti Pronunciation: kee-AHN-tee: A lot of cheap domestic red wines go by this name, but the real thing comes from Tuscany and has a seal of authenticity on the neck. Italian Chianti is a hearty wine that's great with Italian food.

Gamay: This is a grape variety that the French use to make their famous Beaujolais wine, a fruity, fresh-tasting red wine. Wines made from these grapes outside of the Beaujolais region are simply called Gamay. Don't confuse this wine with Gamay Beaujolais, which is made from a blend of Pinot Noir and Valdiguie grapes, or with Napa Gamay, another name for Valdiguie.

Gamay Beaujolais: This name is given to American red wines made mostly from Pinot Noir and Valdiguie grapes. It's an unexceptional fruity wine that goes best with hearty dishes that have rich sauces. Don't confuse this wine with Gamay or Napa Gamay, both of which are superior. The name Gamay Beaujolais is scheduled to be phased out by 2007.

Grenache

Malbec Pronunciation: MALL-beck: This red wine is similar to Merlot. It's a good choice if you want a decent but inexpensive red wine to serve with red meat and pasta.

Merlot Pronunciation: mer-LOW: This is a hearty red wine that's similar to a Cabernet Sauvignon, but softer and less tannic. It goes especially well with pork, turkey, and pasta dishes.

Nebbiolo

Petite Syrah Pronunciation: puh-TEET see-RAH: This is a grape variety which produces an excellent red wine that's very dark and often described as "peppery." Don't confuse Petite Syrah with Syrah, another red varietal wine.

Pinot Noir Pronunciation: pee-no NWAHR: This earthy red varietal wine goes best with beef, ham, poultry, salmon, or tuna. Unfortunately, making it is tricky business, so the quality varies tremendously. A good one will be expensive and sublime.

Rhône wine Pronunciation: RONEs: Vineyards along the Rhône River in Southeastern France produce red, white, and blush wines, but they're best known for their excellent red wines. Châteauneuf-du-Pape is the region's most famous appellation, while Côtes-du-Rhône is the catch-all name given to lesser Rhône wines.

Rioja Pronunciation: ree-OH-ha: This is a region in Northern Spain that's known for its economical and fairly good red wines.

Sangiovese Pronunciation: san-joe-VAY-zee: This is the red grape variety that's often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon to make Italian Chianti. California Sangiovesi are hearty and good with Italian food. The quality of this wine varies tremendously, but a good Sangiovese is sublime.

Syrah or Shiraz Pronunciation: see-RAW: This wine is called Syrah in Europe and America, and Shiraz in Australia. It's a dry red wine that's especially good with barbecued meats, sausages, strong cheeses, and spicy foods. Don't confuse Syrah with Petite Syrah.

Valdiguie: This is a relative of the Pinot Noir grape, and it makes a red wine that goes well with hearty meat-based dishes. Don't confuse it with Gamay or Gamay Beaujolais.

Zinfandel Pronunciation: ZIN-fan-dell: This is a hearty red varietal wine that's especially good with sausages and barbecued meats. Don't confuse it with white Zinfandel, a fruity blush wine that wine snobs abhor. California Zinfandels are often excellent.

Health - Red Wine and it's Effects

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More Links about Red Wine

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Red Wine Grapes - A great read from DamnGoodWine.com with an online tutorial for impressing the neighbors featuring a pronunciation guide, and descriptions and characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel.

S-wine.com - Red Wine Ratings - The latest award winners or otherwise highest-rated by site members, and click around for more on their top ten picks, wine search, registration details.

Red Wine Making in France - A step-by-step description of the process starting with the crushing of the grapes followed by fermentation, maceration, raking and aging.

Red Bordeaux wines - A clickable map and neat fact sheet on where and how Bordeaux is produced, grape varieties used, plus details on color, aroma and taste, and a quick guide to serving and appreciating Bordeaux.

Cooking with Red Wine - Rule #1: Never cook with anything you wouldn't drink, with complete recipes for classics such as Asparagus Beef, Beef Bourguignonne, and Lamb Stew, along with new twists on Duck with Raspberry Sauce and Mussels Marinara.

Removing Red Wine Stains - A simple formula for getting out those pesky red wine stains with readers giving it a rave over at Strat's Place.com. And, no - the solution isn't white wine.

Professional Friends of Wine - If you want to know what the grapes look like, how to pronounce them, and every bit of information about a varietal. This is the place for you.

Purchase Red Wine

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Top Rated Wines at Wine.com

Ata Rangi 2006 Pinot Noir - Red Wine

Vinos Pinol 2004 Portal Crianza - Red Wine

Perrin 2004 Reserve Cotes du Rhone Rouge - Rhone Blends Red Wine

Estancia 2003 Merlot - Red Wine

Edmeades 2006 Mendocino Zinfandel - Red Wine

Sticks 2002 Shiraz - Syrah/Shiraz Red Wine

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