Red Wine - a Guide to Red Wine

There are several different kinds of red wine.many similar attributes. It pairs well with tomato
Most wines are made from grapes, includingsauces and can match just about any dish. While
syrah, cabernet and zinfandel varieties. If only oneit has an Italian origin, it's also widespread in
variety (merlot, for example) is listed on the label,California.
the wine is varietal and is named after the grapeCabernet sauvignon is generally accepted as one
with a capital letter.of the best varieties of wine, period. A wine that
Further complicating things, some varieties areusually undergoes an oak treatment, it's best
known by two different names. This is the casewhen paired with simply prepared red meat.
with shiraz or syrah grapes. European wineSometimes, Cabernet sauvignon has a slight vanilla
makers only use the name syrah, but someflavor to it, though it comes from the oat
Australian and American vintners use the nametreatment and not the fruit itself.
shiraz. Typically, this kind of wine is made inPinot noir grapes are extremely difficult to grow,
France, California and Australia.but the wine tastes so good it's well worth the
If you aren't too familiar with red wine, you mayeffort. Fantastic with chicken, salmon and lamb,
want to start off by drinking Merlot. It has a softthe wine is made in France, California, New
flavor that is easy to introduce to people whoZealand and Austria.
haven't had much experience with wine. It pairsOf all of the reds, Zinfandel wine is the most
with just about any food, and is made along theversatile. Zinfandel wine can be a rich and heavy
western coast of America, Chile, Italy andred wine or it can be a light and fruity blush wine.
Australia, among others.Found only in California, it has a zesty flavor with
Barbera isn't as popular as Merlot is, but it haspepper and berry.