With pubs, bars and restaurants reopening, we are happy to be able to head out and have a tipple of red with friends to celebrate. This is a rather good time to familiarise yourself with all the different varieties of red wine that we have available to us. Whether South African wine, Italian or French, all red wine is different. Here, we will go through all the major varieties of Red Wine, so you can leave this article knowing everything you need to know to enter the world of red wine.
Table of Contents
Cabernet Sauvignon
This bold wine is high in acidity and features savoury, and dry tones. This is a no-nonsense wine for a proper wine drinker. It’s also a pretty safe bet if you are ordering off a menu or buying a full bottle. It could be complex, but it is also something that a lot of casual wine drinkers will be used to drinking. It is also the most widely planted kind of grape in the world, and also the best known among consumers.
Food Pairing: Best to pair it with something salty and fatty – a nice steak for example is a perfect pairing.
Merlot
The dark horse of wine gets a bit of hate because when it’s bad – it’s REAL bad. It’s also a much simpler and sweeter wine than what a lot of people might be accustomed to. his can be confused with a lack of quality. This is wrong, however, as it is lusciously, juicy, and fruity – a very drinkable variety of wine indeed. Just give it a proper chance!
Food Pairing: This is so versatile, but we recommend vegetable dishes and tomato pasta.
Malbec
This is somewhere between the muscle of a cabernet sauvignon and the fruity softness of the merlot sits the malbec. This is therefore considered the best of both worlds – the perfect intermediary. It has become very popular over the past several years for this very reason.
Food Pairing: BBQs, Pulled Pork – sweet, spicy smoky foods are best to compliment this wine.
Pinot Noir
This subtle, silky and fruity wine has a little more complexity to it than merlot. It is the second most popular kind of wine behind cabernet sauvignon. Pinot Noir has a lighter body and is not tannic. All this means that it is a drinkable and respectable variety of wine.
Food Pairing: This is a rare red wine that you can pair with fish, thanks to its low tannin comment. Ideally, barbecue glazed salmon.
Syrah/Shiraz
These two wine varieties are separate yet related. They are the same grape genetically, but Syrah is usually french and lighter than Shiraz, its Australian counterpart. Red wine fans will like both.
Food Pairing: Spicier foods are a great choice for this – why not try Indian or Thai food?
Zinfandel
This is mainly grown in the united states, it is both a fruity and spicy wine – with a high alcohol content to boot! There are a variety of zinfandels, and some will have a cherry or strawberry leaning juiciness.
Food Pairing: Cheese is king here – pair with Pizza, Lasagna, and anything else with a lot of cheese.
Sangiovese
This is classically Italy’s patriotic wine – the most planted wine variety in Italy, Italian wine is much more tart in nature as well as light in body and more acidic than you might find in other styles. It is dry, savoury and better enjoyed with food than on its own. Make sure you get your wine from a reputable natural wine shop.
Italy is also known to have a lot of dishes which are worth trying, this isn’t a problem.
Food Pairing: Aside from Italian Foods, gamey meats are outstanding when it comes to Sangiovese wines. The wine allows you to bring out a lot of sweetness in meat, venison as well as duck. It goes very well with tomatoes, vinaigrette or even balsamic sauces and dressings. Anything a bit acidic will go well with this wine.