Articles | The Best Red Wine Types

How do you find the best red wine if you are learning to be a wine connoisseur? The first step is to understand how red wine is made. Red wine is made from a variety of European grapes, which come in a variety of colors. The grapes are crushed whole, along with their skins which give the wine its distinctive color, whether red, deep purple and even blue, and the mixture is fermented to produce the beverage.

Red wines can be divided according to their body or the way they taste on the tongue. This, in turn is determined by the amount of alcohol of the wine and the amount of dissolved solids (tannins) in it. A light-bodied wine, for example, has less presence on the palate and lower tannin content. On the other hand, a full-bodied wine can have the highest alcohol content and feel heavier on the tongue. In between, there are medium-bodied wines that fall in the middle of these two classifications. Light-bodied wines are those which come from cool wine growing areas such as the UK, Germany and Austria, while full-bodied ones include Cabernet Sauvignon from California, Shiraz from Australia and Malbec from Argentina. Medium-bodied ones are those that are produced in areas such as Washington, Bordeaux and Burgundy.

Another factor to consider when choosing the best red wine is the types that are available. There are numerous variants in the market but there are several prominent ones that you should be familiar with, including:

Syrah/Sirah. These are full-bodied wines produced from a grape interchangeably known as Sirah or Syrah depending on the region where it is grown. These wines are made in the US and France under the name of Syrah while Sirah is used in other regions such as Australia, Italy and Portugal. This wine is a deep red in color and is often served with food such as beef or wild game as well as with dark chocolate.

Cabernet Sauvignon. This is one of the best known red wines and is produced from grapes originally grown in the Bordeaux region of France although they are now signifcantly produced in California vineyards as well. Cabernets can be full-bodied or medium-bodied and have high tannin content. Cabs are best served with foods such as red meats, hearty red pastas, strong-flavored cheese, lamb and dark chocolate.

Merlot. Made with the fabled Merlot grape from the Bordeaux region, Merlots are highly-drinkable medium-bodied wines that have juicy fruit flavors. This is a versatile wine that can be matched with a wide variety of foods such as red meats, poultry and even salads.

Pinot Noir. This wine is produced from Pinot Noir grapes grown in the vineyards of Burgundy in France. Since these grapes are difficult to grow, Pinot Noir is produced in smaller quantities and is thus more expensive than other wines. This wine is well-paired with various types of meats such as beef, lamb and poultry.

One of the best ways to discover the best red wine variants is to become a member of wine clubs that will enable you to develop your palate by tasting various wines under the mentorship of experts.