Red Wine Varieties

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 Red Wine

Red wine is made by fermenting the juice of black grapes. Yeast is added to absorb the sugar in the grape juice and convert it to alcohol. The process of fermentation depends on the type of flavour and structure the wine-maker wants to create. Red wines get their colour from the skin of the grape and can be anything between light red, deep red, purple and almost black. The skins also impart tannins that influence the wine’s flavour and texture.

Some of the smells and flavours associated with red wine include berries, dark chocolate, plums, peppers, tobacco and spices. Red wines range between soft and supple varieties like Merlot and Chianti to fuller, more substantial types like Cabernet Sauvignon or the wines produced in the Bordeaux region of France.

Red wine is best enjoyed with red meats, whether grilled, roasted or smoked, as well as creamy dishes and a variety of cheeses. Spicy dishes should be avoided since the strong flavours of the food clash with the acidity in the wine.


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Barbera

Hailing from the vineyards of Piedmont, Italy, this wine now also enjoys success in New South Wales, Victoria’s King Valley and most notably, McLaren Vale, Australia’s best known wine-producing region.

Barbera enjoys a warm climate and is known for its versatility: as a young wine, it shows a lot of character with its powerful bouquet of berries. With aging, it becomes more complex with notes of vanilla and smoked wood (drawn from the barrels in which it ages) blending with the fruity flavours.

Typical Barbera is deep ruby in colour, full in the mouth with low levels of tannins and higher levels of acidity helping to even out the flavours. In keeping with its heritage, Barbera works wonderfully as a pairing for Italian cuisine, especially richer dishes prepared with plenty of tomato sauce.


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Cabernet Franc

Not as robust as its parent Cabernet Sauvignon but certainly complex and bursting with character, this wine is used mostly as a blend to boost the flavour of the meeker Merlot and also to mellow punchier varieties like Shiraz (or Syrah).

Cabernet Franc is a bright red wine made from small, thin-skinned grapes that flourish in the slightly cooler climates prevailing in the Clare Valley, McLaren Vale and northern Victoria. Besides success as a key blending grape, Cabernet Franc can also be enjoyed on its own. Flavours vary slightly depending on the region in which it is grown, but generally it’s a spunky, fruity wine featuring notes of plums, tobacco and sometimes a little spice (often pepper) on the nose.

It is excellent served with white meats, pasta, mildly flavoured vegetarian dishes, pate and couscous.


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Cabernet Merlot

Wineries the world over are blending Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot (and sometimes a little Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot) to create a more complex wine, often the producer’s finest and most popular bottles. Australian Cabernet Merlots are grown in the southern regions of Australia along the Limestone coast and in the famed Barossa Valley.

These wines are a classic pairing and the result is a beautifully balanced wine with a smooth, silky finish. Cabernet Merlot features a complex array of flavours varying between dark chocolate, blackcurrants and plums, all of which become more refined as the tannins mellow during aging. It’s delicious when partnered with grilled red meat, saucy pastas and strong cheeses.


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Cabernet Merlot Shiraz

Cabernet Merlot Shiraz combines the flavours and characteristics of the three best-known red wines. The Cabernet lends its sturdy structure and robust flavours to form the backbone of this wine. Shiraz contributes its signature spiciness and fruitiness, while the Merlot adds softness. This wine prevails in the area around the Margaret and Franklin rivers and throughout the western regions of Australia.

The combination of the bigger Cabernet and Shiraz with the temperate Merlot creates a smooth, velvety wine. It is supple and flavoursome with elements of plum, dark chocolate and berries making up the bouquet. This is a full-bodied wine that should be enjoyed young.

Cabernet Merlot Shiraz wines are great pairings for red meat and pasta dishes prepared with a creamy sauce.


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Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is probably the best loved red wine in the world, famous for its ability to age for decades at a time and its no-nonsense, audacious character. This sturdy grape thrives in the Coonawarra region and has also enjoyed success in the Yarra and Barossa valleys.

Cabernet Sauvignon is a deep red wine, complex and powerfully aromatic. The bouquet is rich with fruity notes of black cherries and currants, herby notes of peppers and olives and spicy notes of ginger. Typically, this wine features naturally high levels of tannin but barrel aging allows for slow oxidation to reduce these levels and also infuses the wine with its flavours.

Cabernet Sauvignon has a tendency to overwhelm most foods, so it’s best paired with rich, starchy, creamy dishes that will neutralise the tannin and bring forth the flavour of the wine.


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Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz

This wine combines the big flavours of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, two of the best-known varieties in the red wine category. In Australia, these wines are produced in the Barossa and Eden Valley regions.

The combination is usually 55% Shiraz and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon. The result is a no-nonsense wine, slightly dry with plenty of character and something of a stern disposition. It is complex, deep red in colour and fragrant with notes of ripe berries and spices. The big flavours make for an intense taste sensation, full in the mouth with refined tannins.

Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz should be served with grilled red meat and creamy, cheesy dishes.


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Cabernet Shiraz

Shiraz Cabernet is a complex, full-bodied wine, deep red in colour with layers of berries, plum and herbs making up the bouquet. It combines the strong flavours of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon but doesn’t feature the high tannin levels typical of both wines.

Shiraz Cabernet is cultivated in the southern regions of Australia. Where the combination of these dominant wines would have been chaotic, the result is a friendly yet flavourful blend perfect for everyday drinking. The light, soft finish belies its fullness, while the pleasant lingering aftertaste has become a trademark.

It’s an excellent accompaniment for grilled meat (particularly lamb); it’s sure to be a resounding hit at the next barbeque.


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Chianti

As far as wines go, Chianti is Italy’s national pride. One of the true traditional wines still produced in Tuscany, Chianti is a blend featuring Sangiovese as the dominant grape, but it may also contain Cabernet Sauvignon and other grapes.

The best varieties often feature hints of floral complexity in the bouquet. The firmly structured medium-bodied flavours burst with notes of ripe berries, dry, nutty undertones and dark plum. Chianti is a perfect red wine to accompany most Italian cuisine with flavoursome tomato combinations as the base. It’s certainly full of character despite the medium-level tannin content, making for a balanced wine in every respect.

 

Dolcetto

One of the easier-drinking red wines in its category, Dolcetto is a native Italian wine that’s been cultivated in Australia for almost 150 years now. Its deep red colouring belies its friendly character, although it features higher-than-average tannin levels that contribute towards the trademark slightly bitter finish.

Typically Dolcetto wines are soft and somewhat dry, fruity and fragrant with flavours of liquorice, almonds and plums. Dolcetto can often provide good quality, deep ruby and purple wines that are reasonably priced, and even after a few bottles with dinner, its gentle nature doesn’t allow it to become overwhelming. Dolcetto wines make a great partner for creamy pasta dishes and pizza.


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Grenache

Thriving in the hot, dry conditions of the Barossa region, Grenache boasts the reputation of being the world’s most widely planted grape. It produces a fragrant, sweet wine often considered hardy for its lack of acidity and high alcohol content.

It is most popular as a blend that helps to tone down the harsher flavours and characteristics of red wines like Shiraz, resulting in impeccably balanced blends every time.

Grenache is also well-known as the dominant component of European rosés because of its mild colouring and soft berry flavours. It lends its sweetness to a number of Australian ports. On its own, it’s delicious served chilled with spicy, ethnic cuisine like Indian or Moroccan fare.


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Italian Red

This is a category of wines originally cultivated in Italy, most notably in the Piedmont regions, Tuscany and Sicily. Better known for its reds than its whites, Italy boasts some of the most popular grape varieties in the world, like Sangiovese from Tuscany, known to be Italy’s pride and instrumental in the blending of Chianti.

Other noteworthy Italian varieties include Nebbiolo and the lesser known but equally brilliant Nero d’Avola, the soft and fruity Dolcetto and darkly coloured and brightly flavoured Barbera. Grapes indigenous to France are also blended into Italian wines, among them the imposing Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.


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Marzemino

This distinctive wine is cultivated from grapes said to have been Mozart’s favourite, probably because of its unusual colour and mysterious oriental flavours and bouquets.

Not the easiest grape to cultivate, Marzemino eventually produces a cheerful wine that’s more bright purple than red. Marzemino ripens late in the season and is sometimes susceptible to damage in wet weather. This wine is produced in the northern regions of its native Italy and is also successful in north-eastern Australia.

Despite its youthful colouring, this wine is surprisingly flavourful without being heavy, lending itself well to light, easy drinking on its own or as part of a blend. Marzemino is exceptional when paired with strong, soft cheeses and savoury white meat dishes.


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Merlot

Merlot is enjoyed as a young, supple wine with aromas of black cherry and plum with hints of tobacco and mint. It is one of Australia’s most important red grape varieties, doing especially well in Western Australia and along the Limestone Coast.

Blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot helps to produce a blend with a softer, more agreeable complexity of aromas and flavours. Merlot also shines when featured as the majority of the blend. For example, the rare and expensive Ch?teau Pétrus grown in Pomerol, France, is made almost completely of Merlot.

A rich, fuller Merlot goes well with heavier dishes like lamb stews or dark chocolate puddings, while a medium Merlot is ideal for soups, salads and pasta dishes. Both types are wonderful with soft cheeses.


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Nebbiolo

Much like Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo has a reputation for being a difficult grape to nurture, but does well in the wine regions of New South Wales, Geelong and Adelaide Hills. Different climatic conditions will result in different flavour combinations and varying levels of tannin and acidity.

Typically Nebbiolo is considered somewhat brash with its dark hue, strong tannins and high acid and alcohol content. It’s certainly a bold wine with plenty of presence, especially in terms of its rich, fruity bouquet and intense flavours reminiscent of berries, herbs and sometimes tobacco. Nebbiolo ages well to become a smoother, tamer drink as the tannins and acid mellow over the time.

Its strong disposition lends itself to warm, home-cooking type meals like rich stews, creamy casseroles and steak well done.


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Other Red Wine

The love of wine extends further than knowing the names of the greatest varieties and how they should be served: it’s also about discovering new wines. There are so many alternative grapes used to make the most wonderful red wine, but they’re nowhere near as well-known as the Merlots and the Cabernet Sauvignons of the wine world.

A true connoisseur is always interested in the possibilities of wine and seeking out the lesser-known varieties. Red wine is cultivated all over the world, some in sprawling vineyards, others in small pockets of the countryside nobody knows about. We are dedicated to bringing you the best wines from Australia and around the globe.


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Petit Verdot

One of the more distinctive red wines, Petit Verdot is rich in colour and contains high levels of tannin. Its strong characteristics make it a popular wine for blends, and imparts its concentration of deep colour, strong tannins and full flavours to these blends. In fact, only a small percentage of Petit Verdot is required to really boost a red wine blend.

Petit Verdot struggled in its native France, with many of the Bordeaux wine producers become frustrated with the grape and stopping its cultivation completely. In the New World however, Petit Verdot is far more successful, doing particularly well in southern Australia where the world’s largest Petit Verdot plantations is to be found.

Although used to boost Bordeaux blends, Petit Verdot is an exciting wine on its own, exuding notes of tropical fruit over the decisive tannins and a slight woodiness in the bouquet. It makes an excellent accompaniment for starchy food and red meat dishes served with creamy sauces.


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Petite Sirah

Dark, tannic and tasting of sharp plum, Petit Sirah is one of the most widely produced wines in Australia. Originally from French stock, this grape is also referred to as “Durif”, named after the French botanist who tried to boost its longevity on the vine.

Today’s Durif vines are sturdy and do well in almost all types of earth. Because of its intensity and high levels of tannin, Durif is often used in blends to boost over-fruity wines and also to mollify the character of more robust wines. As a single varietal, Durif is a distinctively peppery wine with herbaceous aftertastes, sometimes taking on the flavours and smells of the vine itself.

Often described as a big and honest wine, Durif’s decisive flavours make it a tasty complement to grilled red meat, roast turkey, duck and sauced lamb.


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Pinot Noir

The Pinot Noir grape produces some of the most sophisticated wines in the world, full-bodied and flavourful without being heavy or too acidic. It has earned the reputation for being the most difficult wine to grow and ferment and tends to struggle in Australian vineyards. It only flourishes when the conditions are just right, such as those prevailing in Geelong, the Yarra Valley and vineyards in southern Australia.

When successful, it turns out a soft, silky red wine with fruity tones reminiscent of strawberries and red cherries. These wines are known for taking on the smell and flavour of the soil they were grown in as they age, so expect earthy overtones on the palate when enjoying an older Pinot Noir.

A full-bodied Pinot Noir is excellent with substantial meat red dishes featuring venison, beef, lamb stews and rabbit. A lighter Pinot Noir is best served with fois gras, scallops and goat’s cheeses.


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Red Blend

It's seldom that a standalone varietal possesses the qualities of a truly great wine. Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz are considered hardy, imposing wines for their high acid and tannin levels, while Merlot, while sometimes adequate on its own, is thought to be too meek to be bottled alone. Petit Verdot is rich in colour, texture and flavour – many think it too robust and balanced to stand on its own.

The solution? Combine wines with opposing qualities in the right measures for the perfect balance of flavours and bouquets. Herein lies the art of producing wine, and winemakers, with centuries of knowledge to consult, are still trying to perfect the combination for the ultimate blend.


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Red Bordeaux

"Bordeaux" is the name given to wines produced in the Bordeaux region of France, the world’s second-largest wine-producing region. Red Bordeaux is usually a blend of red grape varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabenert Franc and some little Petit Verdot for colour and flavour. These grape varieties grow well in Australia, and thus some wonderful Bordeaux -blends are happily crafted in the vineyards in the south-east of the country, Victoria and New South Wales.

Bordeaux wine is produced in mass quantities each year, ranging from the everyday wines for light lunches to some of the most expensive bottles in the world. A smooth, balanced Bordeaux brings forth berries and dark plums and the dark chocolate from the Cabernet Sauvignon.

It can either be a light, easy bottle to enjoy with simple white meat dishes or a powerfully aromatic and full drink to be savoured slowly with roasted red meats like beef or lamb.


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Red Burgundy

Wines from the French region of Burgundy, or Bourgogne, are given the region’s name. Red Burgundy is made from the famously fickle Pinot Noir grape while white Burgundy’s dominant grape type is Chardonnay.

Owing to Pinot Noir’s rarity, Burgundy wines rank as some of the most expensive in the world, although there are cheaper variations made with what are referred to as second-grade grapes. Whereas ranks are bestowed on the individual producers of Bordeaux, Burgundy is classified according to the location of the producers. In the same way, Burgundy takes on the character of the soil in which it is grown (terrior), so two Burgundys cultivated the same way in two different areas will show different characteristics.

Burgundy is excellent with fois gras, game and seafood like tuna steaks or salmon.


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Rose

Rosé is a light, easy-drinking wine, often varying shades of pink and best enjoyed chilled on a hot day. In the past, Rosé was made when wine producers simply added a splash a red wine to white wine, just enough to tinge it pink, but this method has fallen out of vogue with wine producers.

Now production methods are varied, some of which involve removing the skins and the juice early in the processing. The colour of Rosé may vary from a light pink dusting to a deeper hue closer to purple, and it is enjoyed young for its zesty freshness.

Rosé is a perfect match for cultured cheeses like brie and goat’s cheese, as well as pasta with a tomato sauce base and light white meat dishes.


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Sangiovese

This famous Italian grape is probably best known as turning out an excellent blending wine, laying the foundation on which some of the finest Chiantis in the world are built. However, winemakers in Italy and all over the world have realised its potential as a wonderful stand-alone wine.

Sangiovese grapes ripen slowly in warm, dry areas like McLaren Vale and New South Wales. When savoured young, it burst with cheery fruity flavours laced with spicy notes. With age it becomes somewhat more refined with the musty tones of the wood intermingling with the fresher flavours of the strawberries.

Sangiovese may have a reputation as a blending wine, but there are rather complex, expensive varieties out there that boast the kinds of qualities that rival the finest Chiantis. Sangiovese is delicious when served with light food like simple pastas, pates or something savoury like gherkins or olives.


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Shiraz

Shiraz (also known as Syrah) has the lofty title of being the most widely grown grape in Australia, and considering its popularity as an alternative to the pricier Cabernet Sauvignon, it’s not difficult to understand why. Shiraz has a far sterner disposition than most of the red wine varieties because of the higher alcohol content, but the low acidity and fruit explosion still make it highly enjoyable.

The weather in the area where it’s grown has an effect on the flavour of Shiraz: those grown in warmer weather are have a fruitier, more plum-like taste while Shiraz cultivated in cooler climates yield a slightly spicier wine. For example, the wines from Victoria are spicy, the thicker, the smoother wines come from Clare Valley, the more syrupy wines hail from the Barossa Valley and the grainy varieties are cultivated in New South Wales.

Shiraz goes well with meaty dishes like steak, venison and mild ethnic cuisine.


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Shiraz Cabernet

Shiraz Cabernet is a complex, full-bodied wine, deep red in colour with layers of berries, plum and herbs making up the bouquet. It combines the strong flavours of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon but doesn’t feature the high tannin levels typical of both wines.

Shiraz Cabernet is cultivated in the southern regions of Australia. Where the combination of these dominant wines would have been chaotic, the result is a friendly yet flavourful blend perfect for everyday drinking. The light, soft finish belies its fullness, while the pleasant lingering aftertaste has become a trademark.

It’s an excellent accompaniment for grilled meat (particularly lamb); it’s sure to be a resounding hit at the next barbeque.


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Tempranillo

Originally from Spain, Tempranillo is starting to make its presence felt in the Australian wine community, migrating from its native Rioja to the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale with ease.

Although it is used mostly in red wine blends and rarely bottled as a single varietal, Tempranillo is beginning to shine as the new darling of red wines in Australia. As a blending grape, it works well with Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon because of its relatively low tannin and acid contents, doing well to lend its colour and berry-freshness to these harsher wines.

On its own, Tempranillo is wonderfully earthy, often described as bringing to mind the smell of leather and fresh herbs when savoured on the palate. Almost predictably it pairs well with Spanish cuisine, particularly the finger-food style tapas and smoked meats.


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Zinfandel

Said to be the genetic twin of the Primitivo grape and often referred to by that name, Zinfandel is a curious variety that ripens early in Adelaide Hills and New South Wales. The thin-skinned little grapes turn a distinctively sweet wine high in alcohol, but not all Zinfandel wines sport the same characteristics.

Bunches ripen unevenly, so when one bottle is more expensive than another, it’s usually evidence of the wine producer taking pains to remove the grapes that haven’t ripened properly. When and how the grapes are harvested certainly influence the character of the wine: it can be light and fresh as a red wine, syrupy and sweet as a port or smooth and matured if left to age not longer than five years.

Typically Zinfandel is light, friendly wine with flavours of fresh berries, excellent when paired with meat grilled on the barbeque.


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