Skip to content Skip to footer

The Different Types of Red Wine

First things first, red wine is well … red, but why? Its color can be originated from a large assortment of grape varietals ranging from grapes that are reddish, deep purple, as well as a stunning blue on the color scale. These grapes generate a wine that is color categorized with such descriptors as garnet, almost black, dark red, light red, ruby red, opaque purple, deep violet, maroon and the list goes on. It is the grape skins that are responsible for the red wine’s distinct color spectrum. The skins touch with the grape’s juice throughout the fermentation process, allowing the dispersion of both color and tannins. The individual wine’s particular red hue depends upon the grape type made use of at the same time and the length of time the skin’s pigmentation is in contact with juice. There are right around 50 essential merlot varietals that consistently materialize themselves in today’s around the world wine market.

Red Wine Style

As with all wines, the particular wine maker will have appropriate “state” in the style of wine he will produce. That stated, red wines are commonly classified by “body-type.” For example, one might state that a certain merlot is “light-bodied”– describing the mouth-feel and tannin structure. A light-bodied wine will have fewer tannins present and less presence on the taste buds. These wines tend to be less requiring partners with flavor-filled foods. An example of a light-bodied red wine would be one stemmed from the Gamay grape varietal, such as France’s well known young red wine: Beaujolais Nouveau. A medium-bodied red wine will include more tannins than the above Beaujolais Nouveau, however will not have near the pucker power of a high-powered California Cabernet Sauvignon or an Italian Super Tuscan. Typical examples of medium-bodied merlots consist of: Merlot, Shiraz or a Chianti. Full-bodied merlots boast the highest tannin (and often alcohol) material. Prime examples of full-bodied reds are France’s respected Bordeaux wines, California’s vital Cabs and Italy’s sizzling Super Tuscans. In general, light-bodied wines have the tendency to “feel” more like water in the mouth. In contrast, “full-bodied” wines feel heavier, more like milk, this result is due in large part to the greater tannin (and once more, alcohol) material.

Key Red Wine Varietals

The top merlot varietals that you are likely to come across are: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Shiraz, Sangiovese, Malbec, and Grenache.

Occasionally, you will certainly hear of red wines described by their popular regional names. For instance, a “Bordeaux” is a merlot from France that is made mainly from three varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes. Or move to ordering a wine from Italy and you will certainly frequently become aware of a Chianti- made from the Sangiovese grape varietal, or take a look at Piedmont’s Barolo or Barbaresco wines (both of which hail from the Nebbiolo varietal). Malbec is Argentina’s very star red wine grape and is an increasing star on the planet of merlot. Curious about which Malbecs to try? Have a look at some best bet Malbecs with us.

Red Wine Stains

It takes place … merlot spills, stains and other accidents. Don’t panic, there are numerous very efficient techniques of handling the inevitable merlot stain, look into the Best Ways to Deal with Red Wine Stains.