Red wine is simply wine produced from red (or black) grapes. The way that the red wine gets its color is by letting the skins soak in the juice until the red color bleeds out. Not only does soaking the skins give red wine  its color, it also imparts a substance known as tannin. Tannin is what gives red wines a complexity that is beyond that of most white wines. Tannin has a mouth drying quality that causes the wine to feel firm in your mouth. When a red wine is young, this firmness can be quite intense. Over time, the qualities of the tannin will mellow and blend harmoniously with the other characteristics of the wine. This is one of the main reasons that red wines usually age better than whites.

Major Red Wine (Grape) Varieties that you can find in our stores:

Cabernet Sauvignon - Thick skinned grape with lots of tannin. They have a blackcurrant flavour and smell similar to pencil shavings.

Merlot - Usually higher in alcohol and will taste of black cherries and sometimes mint.

Pinot Noir - The most finicky of grapes producing the widest range of quality. The best are hauntingly silky, with aromas of truffles and decaying leaves.

Syrah/Shiraz - Rich and spicy wine with lots of tannin and the sweetness of blackberries.

Zinfandel - Ranging from light and fruity to big and spicy depending on the quality. The best examples are from California. 

Additional Red wine varieties

Barbera - Low tannin with high acidity. Creates a fruity and refreshing wine.

Carmenere - Produces a rich and spicy wine and is popular in Chile.

Malbec - A smooth and plummy variety from Argentina.

Sangiovese - Main grape in Chianti. This wine has medium acidity and tannin.

Enjoying Red Wine

Red wine is usually intended to be consumed with a meal instead of on its own. The bold flavors and characteristics (compared to most whites), will stand up to and sometimes complement flavorful foods. But you can enjoy a good red wine all by itself.

Red wine will really shine when it is served at the proper temperature. If the temperature is too cold, the subtle flavors and textures will be lost. If the temperature is too warm, the wine will taste somewhat flat and totally non-refreshing.

Most people know to drink red wine at room temperature, but that is not really true. Most reds taste best between 62°F to 65°F (16°C to 18°C).

General Temperature Guidelines

• Simple, fruity red wines should be consumed at the coolest temperature of the other reds.
• Complex, heavier wines should be consumed at the warmest temperature (but still cool) of the other reds. 
• More expensive, higher quality wines should generally be served at the warmer temperatures. 
• Less expensive wines generally need to be served at lower temperatures.

The important thing to know is that a red wine needs to be warm enough to experience all of the flavors, but cool enough to be refreshing. Never drink a red wine above 68°F (20°C) if you can help it.

The glass of a red wine should feel slightly cool in your hands.

Tip - It takes about 3 hours to chill a bottle of wine down to the temperature of the refrigerator. Before drinking, take the room temperature wine and let it sit in the refrigerator from 15 to 40 minutes (depending on the type).

Tip - It's always better to serve a red wine at a temperature that is too cool than too warm. You or your guests can always just warm the wine with your hands or simply wait a couple of minutes before drinking.

Tasting Characteristics of Red Wines

Sweet and Sour – The sweet and sour fruity flavors are common in Italian wines. They prefer to drink wines with their meals as opposed to by itself, so this style works well when accompanied with certain foods such as duck. Many Italian grapes produce that sour, cherry-like flavor. Some examples are, Sangiovese, Barbera, and even Chianti.

Fruity and Juicy – For those that don’t prefer the mouth drying quality that tannin causes, these wines fit the bill. They are usually fairly light, with an emphasis on fruit flavor and are designed to drink young. No need to age these wines. There can be vibrant blackberry, cherry, plum or maybe black currant flavors. Merlot is the kind of grape used for this style. California and even Chile produce some fine examples of light, fruity reds. These wines also are good for dinner because they go well with a variety of foods.

Soft, Strawberry – Mellow, strawberry or raspberry-like flavors with more noticeable tannin than the fruity wines above can be found in wines such as Pinot Noir and Red Rioja. Pinot Noir is a finicky grape so the quality varies wildly. Aging also helps to achieve the mellowness and complex aromas.

Rich, Spicy – Deep fruit flavors, hints of chocolate, black pepper and other spices are common in the Syrah or Shiraz grape. Australian Shiraz sets a benchmark for the style. Sometimes smoky flavors accent the Rhone Valley’s Syrah in France. Often these wines have an earthy or mineral quality. These great tasting wines are better suited to cooler weather because of their rich, almost warming characteristic.

Firm, Blackcurranty – For full flavored richness with the distinct taste of blackcurrant and firm tannins, Cabernet Sauvignon is the perfect choice. Aging makes a big difference in its mellowness and range of flavors. A good quality Cabernet Sauvignon should exhibit a complex depth of flavors. The aroma sometimes resembles pencil shavings or cigar boxes. Because of the high tannin content, they are sometimes blended with Merlot grapes to soften it up. Even though price and quality varies, the Cabernet Sauvignon grape creates a fairly consistent tasting wine.

Wine and Food Pairings

The whole purpose for finding good wine and food pairings is simple. Since wine can change the way your food tastes and vice versa, you want to pick a combination that will make the whole dining experience a pleasurable one. At best, you will find a combination that makes both the wine and the food taste better together than they ever would by themselves. At worst, you will find a combination that makes an otherwise great wine or entrée completely unpalatable. Taste is more art than science. Just because something tastes good or bad to you, does not mean that they will taste bad to others.

Some Suggested Wine and Food Pairings

Don’t Forget the Sauce – Sometimes a strong tasting sauce or seasoning is more important than the meat itself.

Red Wines	Recommended Foods, Sauces, etc	Avoid
Barberra	Pizza, Lasagna, Lemon Chicken, Pasta	Sweets with syrup
Cabernet Sauvignon	Steak, Lamb, Roasts, Dark Chocolate, Duck	Tomatoes, Fish
Merlot	Grilled Meats, Barbeques, Chicken	Sweets
Syrah or Shiraz	Peppered Red Meats, Sausage, Stews, Barbeques	Fish
Pinot Noir	Duck, Salmon, Tuna, Beef Sroganoff, Lamb	Very Spicy Foods

Again, the art of wine and food pairing is a very personal thing. Experimentation is the best way to figure out what works for you.

Wine and Cheese Pairing

When setting up a tasty wine and cheese pairing, the only thing you have to know is: If it tastes good, do it!
Even though it comes down to personal taste, certain guidelines have been proven favorable by a majority of enthusiasts. Here are some of those basic truths:

• White wines match best with soft cheeses and stronger flavors.
• Red wines match best with hard cheeses and milder flavors.
• Fruity and sweet white wines (not dry) and dessert wines work best with a wider range of cheeses. 
• The more pungent the cheese you choose, the sweeter the wine should be.

When offering several cheese choices in a wine and cheese pairing spread, white wines fair better than reds. That’s because several cheeses, particularly soft and creamy ones, leave a layer of fat on the palate that interferes with the flavor in reds, rendering them monotonous and bland.

Quite the opposite, most of those sweeter whites nicely complement a full range of cheeses. Additionally, the “sparkle” in a sparkling wine or champagne can help break through the fat in heavier cheeses. Therefore, the spicy zing of a Gewürztraminer or the peachy zip of a Riesling is ideal if you’re going for wide-reaching appeal.
If you’re a cheese adventurist, meaning you go for the stinkiest of cheeses, pick a big wine to back it up.

Tip! For a safer bet when serving several wines, choose Parmigiano  cheeses. They go with most wines.

A Few Common Wine and Cheese Pairings

White Wines	Recommended Cheeses
Champagne or sparkling	Brie, Camembert
Chardonnay	Mild Cheddar, Gruyere, Provolone
Gewurztraminer	Swiss, most German cheeses
Riesling	Gouda
Sauternes	Roquefort, Blue
Sauvignon Blanc	Goat Cheese

Red Wines	Recommended Cheeses
Cabernet Sauvignon	Camembert, Sharp Cheddar, Blue
Port	Stilton, Gorgonzola
Shiraz	Sharp Cheddar

A Wine and Cheese Pairing Party to Remember!

Here are a few tips for setting up a memorable and fun wine and cheese pairing party for your friends:

• Purchase your cheeses in large wedges for an ideal presentation.
• Cheeses should be served at room temperature. Pull them out of the fridge a couple hours before your party.
• Serve most wines fairly cool — whites between 50-55 degrees and reds between 60-65 degrees. 
• Let your reds breathe 15-20 minutes after you open them. 
• Make handwritten name cards for all your cheeses and use a pretty upside-down fork display the card upright in the cheese. 
• Display cheese on a pretty china platter, a wood cheese board, or even a slab of marble.

Ultimately, the perfect wine and cheese pairing is not a match made in heaven. It is a match made on the palates of individuals of all tastes.