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Red Wine Pairings 101

Red Wine Pairings 101

By Annemarie D'Alessandro

Welcome back to our wine pairing blog series! If you missed the post from last week, White Wine Pairings 101, please check it out! It’ll give you a great intro on the major flavor profiles and pairing methods, allowing you to dive headfirst into red wine pairings. 

The diagram below was included in the post last week, but it’s great to have on hand for this week as well!


 
To refresh your memory, the dark green lines connect the best pairings, purple connect the second best, and light green connects the third best. The dotted gray lines represent pairings that are not recommended.

The overall flavor profiles of red wines tend to be bitter, acidic, and sweet. Bitter tends to be the most prominent of the three, and red wines also tend to be much less acidic than white wines. The sweetness depends on the wine, but most red wines tend to keep this profile at a minimum. Red wines are known for creating fantastic pairings with foods that contain the same flavor profiles (congruent pairing).

There are also three primary styles of red wines: light-bodied, medium-bodied, and full-bodied. Light-bodied wines tend to be pale in color and they have the lowest amount of tannins. They also tend to be higher in acidity than medium or full-bodied wines and the acidity makes up for the lack of tannins to cleanse the palate. Medium-bodied red wines are commonly referred to as “food wines” because they often have the best balance between flavor and acidity. Full-bodied red wines are characterized by a deep red color (it’ll be hard to see through the glass!) and a high concentration of tannins. A full-bodied red wine is the best choice if you want a wine that will cleanse your palate and be able to shine on its own. 

Now that we have a general idea about the styles of red wines and their overall flavor profiles, let’s dive in and break down some of the most common red wines. As I did in last week’s post, I’ll give some recommendations for each type that we carry here at Passion Vines! 

Up first is Pinot Noir! Overall, Pinot Noirs tend to be lighter bodied which means they also tend to have a lower concentration of tannins. Pinot Noir also typically contains a decent amount of acid, more than most other red wine varieties. When tasting a Pinot Noir, you’ll most likely taste hints of red fruits (cherries, cranberries, etc.) and sometimes root vegetables (beets, rhubarb, etc.). So for a Pinot Noir, you may want to pair it with a dish that’s slightly acidic, not very sweet, and has fruity or root vegetables as the star. Pinot Noirs also tend to pair wonderfully with pork, veal, cured meat, and French or German-style cuisine.
 
A top pick of mine for a Pinot Noir is the A to Z Wineworks 2016 Pinot Noir. The wine is produced in Oregon, a region well known for creating some of the best Pinot Noirs. This Pinot Noir is unique because it contains grapes from 50 different vineyards throughout Oregon – yes, 50! – giving you an opportunity to taste all of Oregon’s splendor in one bottle. It showcases many red fruits but mostly focuses on black cherry and cranberry. It also was awarded 90 points by Wine Enthusiast, so you know you’re getting a great bottle of wine! And, at the current price of $15.99, it’s hard to find a better Pinot Noir. 

There is also an alternative to Pinot Noir, Gamay, that steals the spotlight in the fall around Thanksgiving. If you’re looking for a Gamay later this year, keep in mind that most bottles are labeled with “Beaujolais” or “Beaujolais Nouveau” as the wine is produced in the Beaujolais region of France! This wine will tend to have a similar mouthfeel to Pinot Noir, but the flavor tends to be lighter with a heavier focus on floral and herbal notes. In general, it’s better to pair a Beaujolais with food compared to drinking it on its own. 

One of the Gamay wines we carry in stock year-round is the Terres Dorées – Côte de Brouilly 2018. This one is fantastic because it hails from the Burgundy region of France and it utilizes the traditional fermenting processes of that region. The fermenting process includes gentle filtration and minimizes the amount of sulfur in the wine. If you typically love Pinot Noir, you’ll definitely enjoy this Gamay despite its slightly higher price point of $23.99 per bottle. 

Now let’s jump into some common medium-bodied wines. Merlot is a common medium-bodied wine that has a heavier black cherry flavor with hints of plum and possibly some chocolate on the finish. As a medium-bodied wine, it will tend to have a decent amount of tannins, but not enough to completely cleanse your palate. It also features a medium amount of acidity which is a great balance for any dish! Merlot is most commonly paired with meals containing beef or lamb and many firm cheeses (parmesan or romano are some great choices!). 

One of the best Merlots we carry at Passion Vines is the Francis Coppola Merlot, Diamond Series Blue Label. You’ll be able to experience all of the traditional flavors found in a Merlot (plum, cherry, and cocoa) with bonus hints of vanilla and allspice that really make the wine exceptional. We tend to have this bottle in stock very often, but at only $15.99 per bottle we do occasionally sell out! 

Zinfandel is a wonderful wine that is usually medium-bodied, but it sometimes can be classified as full-bodied. Regardless of full or medium-body status, Zinfandels are lower in tannins and very low in acidity. The tasting notes tend to be more fruit-heavy, featuring notes of nectarine, blackberry, and plum. In some Zinfandels there is also a hint of Asian 5 spice powder, making it a great choice for Chinese, Thai, or Indian cuisine! In terms of specific meats, Zinfandels will pair well with a wide variety including chicken, lamb, beef, and even barbecue. Full-flavored cheeses like cheddar are also a great compliment to this wine. 

Rabble Wine Company produces some fantastic wines at reasonable prices, and their Force of Nature Zinfandel is no different. The grapes are grown in Mossfire Ranch, which tends to have a fairly extreme climate that stresses the vines just enough to produce fantastic Zinfandel grapes. In the wine you’ll be able to taste notes of raspberry, cocoa, and black pepper and its lively acidity will balance with any meal perfectly. The artwork on the bottle also comes to life when you download the Rabble augmented reality app, making it a great conversation piece. Give it a go for $19.99!

Now onto some full-bodied red wines! Syrah (sometimes labeled Shiraz) is a full-bodied wine that contains a lower concentration of tannins than most full-bodied red wines. It also tends to be fruit heavy and more acidic than most red wines. Syrah tends to feature pleasant notes of blueberry and plum. Hints of black pepper make the Syrah unique and adds some spiciness to its flavor profile, making this wine a great congruent pairing with foods with heavy flavors. Most commonly, Syrah will be wonderful with dishes containing smoked meats (beef, lamb, etc.) as well as firm or hard cheeses. 

Earthworks is a family-owned and operated company that brings unparalleled quality to the table. Their Earthworks Shiraz Barossa 2016 is a reasonably priced Shriaz that highlights notes of dark berries and plum, complemented by mocha and black pepper. The vineyard’s wine production process also makes this wine smoother than most. Next time you’re hosting a barbecue, make sure to have a bottle or two of this wine on hand for $15.99! 

Last but not least, we have Cabernet Sauvignon. This full-bodied wine is high in tannins with a moderate amount of acidity. This makes the wine a perfect choice for dishes with multiple strong flavored components, as it will cleanse your palate more effectively than Syrah. Cabernet Sauvignon also features black cherry notes contrasted with baking spices and even cedar. As with Syrah, this wine will be great paired with smoked red meats and various firm cheeses. 

One of the Cabernet Sauvignons I always recommend is the Broadside Cabernet Sauvignon Margarita Vineyard 2017. It has a rich, deep violet color with a decent amount of tannins to cleanse the palate. It offers bold cherry flavors that start out bitter but will tend to taste sweeter with exposure to air. It also has some underlying hints of smoke that adds to the overall complexity. The Broadside Cabernet Sauvignon was also awarded a 90 point rating from Vinous, which makes it an outstanding wine you definitely need to try, especially for only $18.99 per bottle. 

And that wraps up Red Wine Pairing 101! I hope you’ve learned a few things about pairing and that you’ll give some of my recommendations a try. Wine pairing isn’t an exact science in any sense, so feel free to experiment with some of your favorite wines – you might even find some pairings that are better than ones suggested here! 

 

 

All sizes are 750mL unless otherwise noted.
Vintages, ratings and product packaging (images) are subject to change at any time.
All pricing and availability are subject to change.
Artwork does not necessarily represent items for sale.

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