On its own, Cabernet Franc is a more tannic, earthy cousin to Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc Flavors: Violets, blueberry, earth, black olive, coffeeĪlong with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Cabernet Franc is part of the essential blending triad that makes up the majority of the Bordeaux blend (and Meritage) red wines produced in the United States. You can certainly choose to discover more beyond this short list, but for a quick and easy red wine 101, the following will fit the bill. Here, we cover the flavor profiles and regions of the most common red wine grapes. That being said, you’ll likely encounter only a handful of these grapes most often. With hundreds of varieties of red wine grapes, there is as much red wine information to learn about as there are red grapes planted in all corners of the globe. Photo by Eiliv Sonas Aceron / Unsplash Types of Red Wine Grapes Red wine has several acid types, though tartaric and malic are the main ones. When tasting red wine, the acidity is perceived as the tart and sour attributes which balance against sweet and bitter or tannins components. Acid is an essential component of wine it serves as a preservative as well as provides freshness and structure. The fourth characteristic of red wine is acid. Red wine characteristics are different from white wine because of the grape type and contact with the skins during maceration and fermentation. These flavors and aromas are not added to the wine, rather they comprise wine’s unique organoleptic properties derived from organic compounds typically found in acids and grape skins. Thank You! We've received your email address, and soon you will start getting exclusive offers and news from Wine Enthusiast. For example, Pinot Noir tends to have raspberry, cherry and forest floor notes, while Cabernet Sauvignon generally boasts notes of cassis, licorice and wet gravel. Different grape varieties produce aromas of fruits, flowers, herbs, spices and earthy characteristics. The third characteristic of red wine is its wide range of flavors. They soften over time, which is why many consider young, tannic wines best enjoyed after a few years of aging in the bottle. Tannins give a wine structure or framework like a skeleton. Sometimes tannins are considered ripe, smooth or well-integrated into the wine, while others may be perceived as rustic, green or astringent. They’re the source of the drying sensation in the mouth akin to black tea. Tannins are polyphenols that lend texture, structure and ageability to a wine. All of these elements of the grape bunch impart tannins to the wine. Red wines are made by macerating the juice of grapes with the skins and seeds, and sometimes even the stems as well, which is typically called whole cluster fermentation. ![]() The second characteristic of red wine is tannin. ![]() As red wine ages, its bright, youthful colors turn garnet and even brown. Red wines range in hue from deep, opaque purple to pale ruby and everything in between. The first and most obvious characteristic of red wine is the color. Alcohol occurs when yeast converts grape sugar into ethanol and carbon dioxide. During red wine production, the winemaker allows pressed grape juice, called must, to macerate and ferment with the dark grape skins, which adds color, flavor and tannin to the wine. Red wine is made with dark-skinned rather than light-skinned grapes. Red wine differs from white wine in its base material and production process. Starting with the basics, red wine is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting the juice of dark-skinned grapes. If you’ve ever wondered how the flavors of blackberry or raspberry get into a bottle only made from grapes, or how fruity red wine differs from spicy red wine or dark red wine from light-bodied red wine, we’re here to help. You love drinking red wine, but aren’t sure, exactly, what it is.
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