Major Reds and Their Regions
Here’s a primer on some of the world’s most popular black-grape varieties - their characteristics and where they’re notably grown.
Pinot Noir
Color - pale to medium
Tannins - low to medium
Acidity - high
Flavors - red-fruit flavors (range from fresh to cooked as grapes ripen)
Pinot Noir, by far is one of the fussiest black grape varietal out there. It is known for it’s thin skin and it’s susceptibility to rot and disease - making it a very coveted grape to grow for winemakers, but also highly sought after by consumers. In general, it’s typically a single varietal grape, known for it’s fruity and refreshing flavors, and usually best when drank young.
Climate: Cool to Moderate
France: Burgundy
Villages with Burgundy such as Gevrey-Chambertin AOC, Nuits-Saint-Geogres AOC(from Cote de Nuits) and Beaune AOC and Pommard AOC (from Cote de Beaune) are famous for their Pinot Noirs. They offer high flavor intensity, complexity and finish length, and also develop some subtle oak aromas from aging in oak barrels.
California
While initially the California climate may seem too warm for Pinot Noir, regions cooled by coastal breezes can produce great examples of Pinot Noir, such as Los Carneros (cooled by morning fogs from San Pablo Bay), Sonoma (cooled by winds from the Pacific Ocean), and Santa Barbara County which is also cooled by the coastal sea breezes. These Pinot Noirs lean heavily on the ripe-red fruit flavors with hints of oak.
Chile
Chile’s Casablanca Valley is also cooled by sea breeze and morning fogs coming from the Pacific Ocean. These Pinot Noirs also have red fruit flavors but also some herbal notes.
South Africa
Walker Bay is South Africa’s coolest coastal region. Strong breezes from the sea encourage refreshingly bright red-fruit flavors.
Australia
Like California, it may seems a lot of Australia is too warm for Pinot Noir, however, the moderate and cool climates excel well with the grape. Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula are cool enough to produce the grape, due in part to the cooling breezes from the Southern Ocean. The style here can be light and fragrant to ripe and cooked-red fruit, with medium tannins.
New Zealand
Here, Pinot Noir is the premier black grape grown and is well suited for Martinborough and Marlborough. Additionally, despite being further South, Central Otago is well known for their most ripe and powerful flavored Pinot Noirs (the region is protected by a ring of mountains) that have medium to full body and medium tannins.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Color - deep
Tannins - high
Acidity - high
Body - medium to full
Flavors - black fruit, herbaceous
Cabernet Sauvignon is known for its pronounced black fruit aromas, high tannin and high acidity. Because of the high acidity and tannin content, these wines can mature and develop for many years.
Climate: Moderate to Warm
France: Bordeaux
Bordeaux boasts a fairly moderate climate, and Cabernet Sauvignon particularly thrives on the Left Bank due to it’s gravel-filled soils. These regions include Haut-Médoc AOC (Margaux AOC, Paulliac AOC), and Graves AOC (Pessac-Léognan AOC), which all have great aging potential.
California
Napa Valley’s subregions of Oakville, Rutherford and Calistoga are known to produce ripest and full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignons (especially in Calistoga).
Chile
Cabernet Sauvignon is Chile’s most widely planted grape variety. Central Valley’s Maipo Valley and Colchagua Valley are the most important sub-regions for the grape - protected by the Andes mountains in the East and Coastal Ranges in the West. Often Cabernet Sauvignon can be found blended with Merlot and local variety Carmenere. Single varietals here can pick up more of an herbal or herbaceous flavor.
South Africa
Stellenbosch is a high quality, mountainous region that produces a range of varieties. Often Merlot and local specialty Pinotage is blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, which is known as the Cape Blend.
Australia
Margaret River is known for their production of Cabernet Sauvignon. Here it’s sometimes blended with Merlot. Coonawarra in South Australia produces Cabernet Sauvignons with distinctive herbal/mint characteristics and blackcurrant.
New Zealand
Most notable is moderate-climate Hawke’s Bay - here it is also blended with Merlot.
Merlot
Tannins - medium
Acidity - medium
Body - medium to full
Flavors - fresh red fruit to cooked black fruit flavors depending on ripeness
Merlot is the perfect middle-of-the-road grape varietal - medium acidity, medium tannin, medium body. While it differs significantly in style from Cabernet Sauvignon, it generally grows in the same places.
Climate: Moderate to Warm
France: Bordeaux
Wines labeled Bordeaux AOC or Bordeaux Superiur AOC are generally Merlot-dominated blends. The Right Bank is known for their quality Merlots from Saint-Emilion AOC and Pomerol AOC, producing full-bodied wines with pronounced black fruits and extensive oak maturation.
California
Napa Valley and Sonoma are known for concentrated, full-bodied examples of Merlot and are generally single varietal.
Chile
Chile’s Central Valley produces high yields of Merlot, leading to soft, medium bodied Merlot for high-volume brands for immediate consumption.
South Africa
Stellenbosch is known for their complex, age-worthy Merlots as well as their Cape Blends (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage).
Australia
Margaret River in Western Australia produces Merlot that is traditionally blended with Cabernet Sauvignon.
New Zealand
Just like their success with Cabernet Sauvignon, Hawke’s Bay is plentiful with rainfall and produces a single varietal Merlot as well as a blend with Cabernet Sauvignon.
