Red wine details

People starting with wine often gets confuse with the type of red wine available. Shall I have the “Red Bordeaux” or the “Cabernet Sauvignon”? For all you know, you could be having the same wine! The problem is that some wine producers name their wine after the region where the grape is grown and others based on the variety of the grapes used.

As a simple rule, wine from France and most of Europe is named after the region while wine from the “new world” region like USA and Australia are named after the grape. Before we go into the popular types of red wine grapes, we’ll touch on the different styles of red wine, which is more useful for wine beginners. At the bottom, we’ll talk more about “Old World” wine regions - French, Italian, Spanish and the grapes used for making the wines.

Styles of Red Wine

There seems to be a enormous selection of red wines available and it can be daunting for the wine beginner who doesn’t know where to start. My personal opinion is to start with red wines that are light-bodied and not so intense (concentrated). Avoid the expensive, high end red wines as well - you may not be able to appreciate it yet and the wine would go to waste. At the same time, try to avoid wines that are below US$10 - they may give you a bad impression on wines! As you taste more wines, your palate would usually improve and you’d want to progress on to the more intense and full-bodied wines. I propose the following order of appreciating red wines:

1. Light Bodied, low tannins, crisp red wines

Styles::These wines are generally light red in colour (not opaque), have a light body, little tannins and is crisp, almost like white wines. They are usually flavourful/fruity but single dimensional and not complex. Very easy to drink on its own.

Examples:Beaujolais (Gamay grape), inexpensive Burgundies (Pinot Noir grape), Bardolino, Valpolicella (both Italian) and red table wines from France and US.

2. Medium Bodied, low tannins, firm red wines

Styles:These wines are medium red in colour and have a heavier body, low/mid tannins and is more firm(less acidity). Flavours tend to be stronger but not powerful. Generally, still very easy to enjoy on its own but some food is preferred.

Examples:Inexpensive Bordeaux wines, most Chianti (Italian), Rioja (Spanish), some Merlot (grape), Burgundies (Pinot Noir grape), inexpensive Cabernet Sauvignon (varietal) from Australia or Chile.

3. Medium Bodied, mid tannins, soft red wines

Styles:These wines are dark red in colour, often opaque. They do not taste crisp and usually have some detectable level of tannins. Flavours tend to be complex coupled with oak. Some people describe it as “bitter” and others have added sugar or coke (sigh!) to make it taste better! May not be easy to appreciate without food.

Examples:Most mid-range Bordeaux wines, good Cabernet Sauvignon (grape), better Merlot (grape), Zinfandel (grape) from California and Shiraz (grape) from Australia.

4. Full Bodied, high tannins, intense red wines

Styles:These wines are opaque red in colour and have a heavy body, high tannins and high alcohol. Flavours tend to be powerful and complex. Good ones are like fruit-bombs that explodes in the mouth, completely overwhelming it. This should go with food but most take it without as you’d just want to appreciate it.

Examples:High end Bordeaux and Burgundy wines, excellent Cabernet Sauvignon (grape) and Zinfandel (grape) from California, good Shiraz (grape) from Australia, Barolo, Barbaresco and Brunello di Montalcino (Italian). Most of these are at least US$50 and above.

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