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Hard
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| Red
Wines |
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Pinot
Noir
Pinot
Noir may be the toughest grape to grow, but the
effort is well worth the investment. It is a
fickle grape that demands optimum growing
conditions, demanding warm days consistently
supported by cool evenings.
Pinot Noir is a lighter colored
and flavored red wine.
Pinot Noir’s forerunner and
modest inspiration hails from red Burgundy, one of
France’s most prized wines. Today, Pinot Noir is
planted in regions around the world including:
Oregon, California, New Zealand, Australia,
Germany and Italy.
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Due
to the stringent growing requirements for Pinot
Noir, it is produced in much smaller quantities
than other popular red wines. Traditionally, you
will also pay a little more for Pinot Noir, as the
“supply and demand” theories kick in.
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Flavor
Profile:
It’s flavors
are reminiscent of sweet red berries, plums,
tomatoes, cherries and at times a notable
earthy or wood-like flavor, depending on
specific growing conditions.
Food Pairing
Pinot Noir is
well-suited to pair with poultry, beef,
fish, ham, lamb and pork. It will play well
with creamy sauces, spicy seasonings and may
just be one of the world's most versatile
food wines.
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Cabernet
Sauvignon
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Cabernet
Sauvignon, often referred to as the “King
of Red Wine Grapes,” originally from
Bordeaux, with a
substantial foothold in California’s wine
races, has the privilege of being the
world’s most sought after red wine
Cabernet Sauvignon grapes tend to favor
warmer climates and are often an ideal wine
for aging, with 5-10 years being
optimal for the maturation process to
peak.
Because
Cabs take a bit longer to reach maturation,
allowing their flavors to mellow, they are
ideal candidates for blending with other
grapes, primarily Merlot.
This
blending softens the Cabernet, adding appealing fruit tones,
without sacrificing its innate character. |
Flavor
Profile
Cabs
range from medium-bodied to full-bodied and
are characterized by their high tannin
content which serve to
provide structure and intrigue while
supporting a rich, ripe berry, tobacco and
sometimes green pepper flavor.
Food Pairings: Red meats,
flavorful and heartier (red) pastas, lamb,
strong-flavored cheese, and chocolates
(especially dark).
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| Merlot
The
classic Merlot grape originated from the Bordeaux
region of France.
It
produces a soft,medium-bodied red wine with juicy
fruit flavors while its flavor profile is similar
to Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot tends to be less
distinctive and slightly more herbaceous overall
in both aroma and taste.
Ripeness
seems critical; both under ripe and overripe
grapes lean away from fruit and towards
herbaceousness.
Merlot
has slightly lower natural acidity than Cabernet
and generally less astringency, therefore usually
a more lush mouth-feel
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Flavor
Profile:
A range of fresh flavors such as plums, cherries,
blueberries and blackberries mixed with
blackpepper tones, typically dominate this smooth
red wine. The tannin levels are fairly low and the
fruit flavors are typically very forward - making
this a prime wine candidate for consumers just
"getting into" red wines. Merlot is
often used to blend with other varietals, such as
Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
By
blending Merlot with these wines, a symbiotic
relationship can exist. The Cabs are softened,
mellowed a bit and the Merlot is better structured
and defined.
Food Pairing
Fairly versatile when it comes to food pairing
options.
Poultry, red meat, pork, pastas, salads - Merlot
can handle them all well.
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Red
Zinfandel  |
The
Zinfandel grape has been a cornerstone of the
California viticulture scene since the mid-1800s.
Research
has now shown that the zinfandel grape originated
in Italy, others
are sure it's roots were firmly planted in Croatia
- either way it is a dynamic red grape that has
made itself quite at home in the New World.
This
versatile varietal is known and loved, Zinfandel,
meaning the red wine, is known for its rich, dark
color scheme, medium to high tannin levels and a
higher alcohol content. but this wine is
now primarily grown in California. Zinfandel grows
its best in cool, coastal locations.
Red
zinfandel should be served at around 65 degrees,
which is NOT room temperature nor fridge
temperature.
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Flavor
Profile:
raspberry, blackberry, cherry, plums, raisins,
spice and blackpepper all wrapped around various
intensities of oak.
Food Pairings
Red Zinfandel pairs well with a massive
variety of foods, ranging from Cajun fare to Asian
fare, from BBQ chicken
to heavy-duty seafood entrees.
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Shiraz
You
say "Shiraz," I say "Syrah" -
it's the same grape none-the-less.
Syrah
gained its reputation in France’s Rhone region.
While it is known as Syrah in France, in Australia
and South America, the grape is better known as
Shiraz.
It
is the dominant red grape grown and used in
Australian fine wine. It is also an
increasingly popular grape grown in California,
where it usually referred to as Syrah.
It is also known as Hermitage, Marsanne Noir,
Petite Syrah, and Sirac.
Syrah/Shiraz
is usually full-bodied with a richly textured
taste. It can be fruitier with hints of smokiness,
very rich and complex with forward fruit, or
exhibit strong spice and pepper qualities.
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Flavor
Profile:
Shiraz
wines display firm tannins (although they are
typically ripe and smooth, not abrasive like
younger reds can be), a
fuller body, and the rich round flavors of black
cherry, blackberry, plum, bell pepper, black
pepper, clove, licorice, dark
chocolate and smoked meat.
Food Pairings:
Shiraz is great for grilled meats or
veggies, wild game, richly flavored red meats,
beef stew and meat lover's pizza.
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Bordeaux
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With
over 12,000 winegrowers and over 50 diverse
growing appellations, it is no wonder that
Bordeaux is the red wine hound of France.
Over
80% of the wine produced in Bordeaux is red,
primarily from Cabernet Sauvignon,Cabernet Franc
and Merlot grapes. The two prevailing red
wine-producing sub-regions of Bordeaux are aptly
referred to as "Left Bank" and
"Right Bank." The Left Bank has soils
with higher gravel content that favor Cabernet
Sauvignon grapes.
French wines from the Left Bank usually require
more time to mature and will age for years. While
the Right Bank
lends itself to soil with more clay, preferring
the Merlot grapes, with their early-ripening
characteristics. The Right
Bank wines are typically better suited for
beginning Bordeaux wine drinkers, as they have
lower tannin content, more
fruit-forward flavor and are more inviting
initially.
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Flavor
Profile:
This deeply colored red wine is characterized as
very sharp and dry, rather than round and fruity.
Its
generous tannin and astringency has been compared
at times to teas, herbs and minerals.
Food Pairings: Bordeaux is great
with beef, lamb, pork, and wild game and other
strong flavored foods.
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Other
Wines Available |
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