RED WINES
There are literally thousands of red wines from around the world, from Alaska to Argentina, from California to China, and everywhere in between. Instead of giving you the world view, here are 4 of the most popular grapes and regions.
Merlot
Tastes change over the years, what the public liked 10 years ago with respect to wine, is completely different than it is today. 10 years ago, it was the great surge of Pinot Noir and the bashing of Merlot thanks to the now famous movie Sideways. Everyone forgot about the great French classic, Merlot, and moved to another great French classic, Pinot Noir, but we did it all because of California grape tours on the big screen. Merlot is now back to being one of the most popular varieties and for good reason! It’s soft, easy to drink, great fruit up front, medium tannin, not to abrasive, and it’s good with or without food. You can purchase great bottles of Merlot from producers like Red Rock or Tin Roof in almost every store around the world, and it should run about $8-$10 a bottle. These are great wines for the price! Companies like Yellow Tail who was once hugely popular in the Merlot/Shiraz market have recently been falling out of favor as peoples palates and tastes change and develop. Tin Roof with its easy to drink flavor profile and determination to put out a quality product every year, has risen to the top of the pack of the bargain priced California Merlot. Merlot is an interesting wine with many foods and tends to bring out the lighter flavors. Try it with a bowl of minestrone soup and some buttered bread, or with beef stew.
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir on the other hand, is still wildly popular for those that want a lighter style red, with lesser tannins and still good fruit. What can make Pinot difficult to purchase is the wide variety of styles and price ranges that you can encounter. For example, Estancia Pinot Noir from California is a good entry level pinot, at about $13 a bottle, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tache is one of the best pinots in the world at about $1500 a bottle. Pinot Noir grows all over the US, in Chile, in Italy, in France, Germany, Canada, and New Zealand, but my focus is on Oregon. Oregon is the new standard in quality, good value, Pinot Noir. The Willamette Valley is where it’s at, and there are hundreds of producers such as Willamette Valley Vineyards, Ponzi, Primarius, Domaine Druhin, Cloudline, and my personal favorite, Evening Land, who make amazing Pinot Noir and sell them at amazing prices. If you like the inexpensive style of pinot, try some southern French vin de pays Pinot Noirs such as Fat Bastard or Red Bicyclette, which should be available for about $8-10 a bottle. Most entry level wines from Oregon will cost about $13-$17 a bottle, but I promise you that you will not be disappointed in the wine. Pinot Noir is great with many foods and has especially found a place in front of some grilled salmon. Most people avoid red with fish, but definitely try an Oregon Pinot with some salmon. They also work great with Beef Bourguignon, many different cheeses, filet Mignon, venison, and are some of the most versatile wines with vegetables because of the lower tannins.
Shiraz/Syrah
I simply can’t discuss popular red grapes and not bring up Shiraz. Despite a recent decline in the popularity of Australian wines, particularly because of peoples expanding taste profiles, Shiraz is still a very popular grape. Shiraz is exactly the same grape as Syrah, which is grown heavily in the Rhone Valley of France and in central and northern California. When you see the word “Shiraz” on a bottle, you should automatically assume that is from Australia. Australian Shiraz tends to be very high in alcohol because of how hot the climate is over many of the growing areas, and how ripe the grapes get in that heat. Shiraz also tends to be very jammy and fruit up front, making you think that the wine is almost sweet. This is a great “Entry Level” wine for beginning red wine drinkers. Great inexpensive Shiraz is made by Penfolds, Rosemont, Marquis Phillips, McGuiggan, and Lindemans. But don’t peg Shiraz as simply a Yellow Tail grape, there are some beautiful and incredible wines made in Australia, my favorite producer being Two Hands. They make wines ranging in price from $20-$200 a bottle, and routinely end up being the highest rated among all Australian wines from Wine Spectator Magazine. From their Angels Share to their Ares, and everywhere in between, amazing mouth watering Shiraz is definitely worth a try. I would hold off pairing Shiraz with food unless you are having the richest biggest food ever, as it can be overpowering of other flavors.
Malbec
I could talk about red grapes for days; I’m going to finish things up with Malbec, in particular Malbec from Argentina. Where as Cabernet tends to sit in the same category as Merlot, Malbec is truly a phenomenon in the wine world. The Malbec grape has been used in Bordeaux blends for centuries, and has been grown in the French wine region of Cahors for just as long; yet only recently has everyone become aware of just how yummy this grape can be. Malbec was brought to Argentina in the mid 19th century, but it wasn’t until the 1980’s and 90’s that we discovered that Argentina is starting to make great wine! As of 2003 there were just over 50,000 acres of Malbec planted in Argentina and it is now the National Grape of the country. Malbec is taking over where Australian Shiraz left off, being an easy to drink, soft, fruity red, nice and dry with medium to light tannins. Producers like Trumpeter and Trapiche are world renowned but there are hundreds of different Malbecs from Argentina on the market. Tamari makes a great Malbec at about $9 a bottle, Jean Bousquet at about $8 and Alamos at about the same price. All of these wines are really well made for the price, and have excellent mouthfeel and flavor. For a little step up, try Zuccardi Q, or Layer Cake. Beef is what this wine is made for, off the grill, off the stove, or out of the pot, this wine loves beef, as do the people of Argentina! Burgers and Malbec is a fantastic summertime treat at the picnic table!
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is a very well known red grape and has been used as the primary grape in Bordeaux for centuries. It is the result of crossing Cabernet Franc with Sauvignon Blanc. Cabernet is a medium to heavy red, depending on where it’s produced. In Napa Valley, cabernet presents itself very similarly to Merlot: dark red fruits, notes of leather and spice, with medium to heavy tannin. In Washington State, cabernet tends to be much more soft and jammy. In France and Spain, cabernet presents much more earthy notes, where the fruit takes a back seat to the earth and spice box aromas. Most of the time you see cabernet on a bottle, it’s been blended with other grapes, generally merlot and syrah to add fruit notes to the wine. Depending on where the wine is coming from, you’ll spend anywhere from $5.99 to $1,500 a bottle. You can find some great cabs in the $12 range such as Steak House from Washington, or Gnarly Head from California.
Get personalized recommendations for pairing your favorite foods and red wines! Call and speak to a Sommelier now! 1877-773-8485
Jon Link, Sommelier
