Bold or mellow? Young or aged? French? Australian? Californian? Finding the answers is what it’s all about.From light and fruity to bold and oaky, red wine offers an unending expansion of flavors and textures that inspire all kinds of descriptions. They may be sweet or dry, have more or less acid or tannins, or include aromas from flowers to fruit to even gravel and earth.
You’ll hear about wines that are silky, robust, powerful and well-structured. These descriptors are largely influenced by the organic chemicals red wines are made up of-polyphenols like tannins, resveratrol and many other plant compounds.A major quality of many red wines is its tannic characteristic and body. Tannins, a type of molecule that wine shares with tea and dark chocolate, tend to make the mouth feel dry while adding complexity to the flavor.
The trick to pairing foods with a higher concentration of tannins are to serve with something rich in fat or salt. This will complement the bolder flavors of the wine and balance out the dry mouthfeel.The body of a wine describes the weight of it in your mouth. Is it powerful or playful? Does it feel
delicate or bold? Super Tuscans and California Cabernet Sauvignons are generally considered full-bodied reds. Merlot and Chianti are typically medium-bodied, while something like a Beaujolais is considered light. A good rule of thumb to pairing food with wine is pair light bodied wines with lighter meals like roasted chicken and seafood. Pair full-bodied wines with heavier meals like steak and pasta. As you shop our wines, be sure to check the icons in the “Goes Well With” section for a few clues on great pairings.
The color of wine comes from the skin of the red grapes from a plant pigment called anthocyanin. The juice of red or black wine grapes is clear on pressing. Generally, the longer the skins sit in the pressed juice, the darker the wine. Different varieties take on different tones and depth of red color too, from brick to eggplant, running right through cherry and magenta. You can even make a white wine of red grapes or a blush wine by separating the juice sooner rather than later. However, as these wines age, they become lighter in color.
Red wines typically age better than white wines because the color and tannins help preserve the juice for a longer period of time. When aging wine, proper storage is pertinent. Keep the wine on its side at cool, constant temperature, preferably 55 degrees. It is best away from light and vibration with a nice balance of humidity. If the air is dry, oxygen will seep into your wine.
