If the first glass of red wine didn’t exactly make your palate sing, keep exploring. Banning these wines will mean you’ll miss many beautifully-made wines. Red wines can be as fruity, balanced and pleasing to the palate as any other style of wine. But like acquiring a taste for anything new, it might take some guided practice before you’re hooked.
As mentioned in the previous article about understanding white grapes, it is best to start out by understanding the differences between the most common grape varietals, and their flavours and styles. After all it’s only logical that wine consumers will choose and make better evaluations when they have some idea about what the grape varietal or style might offer. Like white grapes, red grape varietals have unique characters and flavours inherent to the grape itself. One of the biggest differences in red and white wine production, or vinification, is that most white wines are made with very little, if any, contact with the skins (depending on the grape and style) whereas red wines rely heavily on the skins to provide colour and all-important “tannic structure” to the finished wine.
Is skin contact important in red wine? Absolutely! The grape skins contain all of the “phenolic” content of a grape, or rather, all of the anti-oxidant rich, health benefits of wine. Much like blueberries, pomegranates, or other phenolic-rich berries the red grape offers fantastic anti-oxidant, health benefitting properties, if consumed in moderation of course. So, in red wines, not only does the grape juice contribute to the wine’s overall flavour but the bitterness from the grape skin and the “phenolics” also add structure (good for ageing) and character to the finished wine.
Here are a few basic guidelines on the flavours and characters of most commercial “styles” of red wine.
Generally speaking, Cabernet Sauvignon wines are medium to dark red/garnet colour. The taste can be described as dry, e.g. they have plenty of tannins that dry the mouth to varying degrees after the wine is swallowed and may have a bitter quality to the finish. Generally, the “body” or weight of the wine in the mouth is medium to heavy- bodied depending on the ripeness of the fruit and the heft of the tannins.
When talking about the tannins, which is key in this varietal, these wines can be very grippy and drying (tight) when young but with can also offer a smooth aftertaste if there is enough balanced fruit flavour present on the palate. If the wines are a bit older they tend to offer better integrated, smooth tannins with more delicate aromas and concentrated, yet refined, flavours.
Classic Cabernet Sauvignon aromas are of cassis, blackberries, pencil shavings, and mint with hints of cedar and spice depending on the winemaker style and the wood used to age the wine. These wines generally pair well with red meats since the fat and texture of the meat is complimented by the tannins in the wine. They can also be great with cheese soufflés, roasts, and cheese platters of any sort.
The Sangiovese grape is most noted for its high acidity and dominant cherry flavour, whether sour or ripe. Most classic examples are dry, tart, full and fruity when young then become luscious and velvety in texture and style as they mature.
Depending on the winemaker and region, the wines show red fruit flavours and sometimes give a stewed fruit character. When they are blended with Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot the wines tend to be fuller, fleshy, and more stylized toward the International palate.
In broad terms a Chianti/Sangiovese will offer earthy, smoky, spicy, raisins, and leather aromas. These wines pair beautifully with Italian dishes: from meat and cheese, to pastas with red sauces. No surprise! That’s what Italians eat and drink!
For many Burgundy devotees there is no contest in the discussion on where the quality Pinot Noir comes from. For less devoted Pinot Noir drinkers there are some exciting, and delicious wines to enjoy from the New World. So what are the basics?
Pinot Noir is a light red wine, with a medium to light texture. On the palate the wine is delicate and smooth even when youthful. On the nose Pinot Noir gives aromas of cherry, briar, forest floor/ earthy aromas which carry through to the palate and are complimented by rich, round, meaty flavors. If you think about where the wines originated…e.g. Burgundy…it’s cold there. Then it's no surprise that these wines compliment the range of French dishes with cream sauces, duck, goose, wild fowl and red meats.
From the New World most Pinot Noir drinkers are looking towards New Zealand, a naturally endowed Pinot Noir region that is an ideal climate for this persnickety grape. Pinot Noir wines from New Zealand tend to offer very approachable, easy to understand wines that are not Burgundy pretenders, but are stellar examples of a more modern style of Pinot Noir wines. Sonoma in California and the Yarra Valley in Australia also offer fantastic examples of these wines.
Merlots can be softer than Cabernet Sauvignon and usually have characteristic aromas of plums, red fruit and can be spicy. Though generally fruitier, Merlots are far from frivolous… particularly the St. Emilion versions.
Like their Cabernet Sauvignon blending partner in Bordeaux, Merlots are generally good with meats: roast beef, steaks, lamb, pheasant, quail, grilled sausages, ham, roast fowl, and don’t forget the cheese!
In general a Syrah wine, a.k.a Shiraz, will be a medium to dark red colour and may even be opaque. Depending on where the wine is from the flavours can offer very intense raspberry, blackberry and spices with aromas that are peppery, full of dense fruit and even hints of soy sauce.
These wines usually pair well with grilled lamb, hard cheeses, and in the case of some Australian Shiraz wines, just on their own!
This grape makes a dark, sometimes brick red wine that offers dark red fruit, spicy flavours that are often framed by an oaky structure but have good acidity. The aromas give red fruit with hints of leather, currants and tobacco. Some inexpensive examples can be a bit rustic, but those with some age are usually very good food companions.
Pair these wines with with red meats, ham tapas and salty hard cheeses.
These are the 6 most common red grape varieties, but there are plenty of others to discover.
If you're keen to try something new, go to the Wine Search and under TYPE choose 'red' + tick the 'recommended only' box on the bottom right of the search grid. TLN will recommend some great examples of new varietal wines. Ever tried a Barbera? Bonarda? Nebbiolo?
Seek out some great value wines in the TLN search results!
Contributed by Ed Soon (Broad Nose) and Sarah Mayo (TLN Editor)
