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Types of Red Wine Part II
The Smells and Tastes
Each of these grapes produces a ton of varietals and blends. The different types of red wine for beginners also have different characteristics and can easily be recognized by their flavors. If you are still having trouble recognizing these different smells and flavors, check out our Nose of a Wine page for some recommendations to hone this most important sense in wine tasting.
Cabernet Sauvignon (Sometimes people just call it cabernet for short)-typically tastes of green pepper, black currant and hints of vanilla. Most cabernets are aged in oak barrels, giving them their vanilla flavor. Also, cabernet is an almost overbearing wine and it is normally produced as a mixture with another wine, like Merlot or Cabernet Franc.
Merlot-typically tastes more of berry than cabernet, bell pepper may also be present, and chocolate is typical. Because of this, it does pair well with good quality chocolate. Make sure to buy several different types of chocolate so that you can see which tastes best with your bottle.
Zinfandel-typically tastes like berries and a lot of them. Blackberry, boysenberry, and cherries. These are balanced by black pepper and spices, such as cloves. This is like having a fruit explosion in your mouth.
Pinot Noir-typically has strong raspberry and cherry flavors, balanced by violets, chocolate and truffles. Made popular by the movie Sideways, my favorite thing about this wine is that it goes so well with salmon. The first time I heard this, I thought I was in heaven.
Tempranillo-typically has a strong cherry flavor, (Mmmmmm) blackberries and currants. It also has vanilla undertones when aged appropriately in oak barrels. It can be overly oaky. It ages well in barrels and, historically it was left in them out of laziness rather than to improve the wine.
Cabernet Franc-typically has raspberry, strawberry and bell pepper flavors. Violet and chocolate become more apparent with age and sometimes as it breathes. This is another wine that is typically blended with Cabernet Sauvignon. In Bordeaux types of red wine most signature wines have a mixture of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Since these are considered the best wines in the world, they must be doing something right.
Syrah or Shiraz-typically a spicy licorice, chocolatey bouquet with strong berry flavors. A good red for strongly flavored foods.
Barbera-typically it is flavored of berries and oak, or vanilla as it mellows. In my opinion this wine needs to age a bit more than many ready to drink wines. I have had it in the 2-3 year range and in the 4-5 year range and it was much better later. Earlier, it was weak to me. It did not get better after five years. So, be sure to pull the cork around then.
Sangiovese-typically fruity with smells of strawberry, blueberry or plum. Often it is rounded out by violet florals. This is the primary grape used in the Chianti region, but in Italy the number of grapes are almost as numerous as the villages. The end result is that there are several types of sangiovese and I recommend trying as many as possible. This wine ages well for 5-7 years. Blends may age longer.
Nebbiolo-typically flavored of cherries, anise, and black licorice. It will gain truffle with age. Any wine that gains truffle with age is worth trying. The fact that these are a major part of the famous Barolo types of red wines is another indicator that this is a great grape.
Mourvedre-typically flavored of blueberry, blackberry, and other dark berry fruits and leather. This is another wine that takes on truffle characteristics with age. This is one smell to know, truffle adds so much to a wine. These grapes are typically grown in Spain or Provence where their gamey taste could be attributed to the additional stress they must go through. Provence is known for its Mistral, a wind that rips through a house and chills people to the bone. This definitely causes some stress to the vines.
And there you have it. A fairly extensive list of the types of red wine produced by these grapes. There are other wines and as times change, the types of grape used will change too. So, check back here, where we will continue to keep you updated as to what is available. If this is too much, focus on the first four. They will take you everywhere from California to Bordeaux to Australia to Argentina to South Africa. Add the others as you encounter them and if you find a new favorite, let us know!
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