Red Wine 101

What goes into a red wine?

Of course we’ve all enjoyed a bottle … er, um, glass of a full-bodied cabernet sauvignon. But how did it get there? And how the hell do we talk about red wines (WTF is tannin and what do you MEAN “full-bodied”?!).

To start, the 3 main wine colors are determined by the grape type used or the way the wine is made. Red wines are made from black grapes. During the fermentation process, grape juice is fermented together with it’s grape skins, thereby giving color to the wine.

Noble Black/Red Grapes

What follows are the top 4 black grapes. Together, they account for over 70% of red wines world wide.

Bunch of red grapes on vine — *Red grapes*

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is the preeminent classic red grape. Often thought to only grow in Bordeaux, France, Cabernet Sauvignon can also be grown in Napa, California, Australia, and Washington state. Cabernet Sauvignon’s are angular and powerful when drank young, however, with several years of aging, the taste becomes more rich, elegant and complex. Due to the grape’s thick skin, the wine is typically a deep color and is high in tannins, acidity and intense aroma. Wines from a Cabernet Sauvignon can be medium to full-bodied.

Flavors: black fruits (black currant, black cherry), violets, bell pepper, mint.

Merlot

Merlots generally are a softer alternative to the Cabernet Sauvignon and produce wines that are full-bodied with low to medium tannins and acidity. The grape is grown in rocky, well drained soils in mountainous areas like Chile.

Flavors: blackberry, cassis, baked cherries, plums, licorice, dark chocolate, mocha. Sometimes a hint of green tobacco or dried sage.

Pinot Noir

Dubbed a “founder variety” the Pinot Noir grape has a thin skin and produces wines that have a supple, silky texture, light in color and body with low to medium tannins and high acidity. This grape is the most difficult to grow and thrives in cool and dry climates (the grape is notoriously sensitive to frost). Because of it’s thin skin, Pinot Noirs are highly reflective of it’s environment.

Flavors: Baked cherries, strawberries, plums, rhubarb, pomegranate, mushrooms, rotting leaves / forest floor.

Syrah / Shiraz

(Syrah in France and Shiraz in Australia)

These grapes produce wines that are rich, powerful and deeply colored. They are full-bodied, with medium to high tannins and are particularly known for their kinetic mouthfeel. Northern Rhone produces medium bodied wines with high tannins with aromas of black fruit, while Australian Shiraz’s are full-bodied, spicy flavors and soft tannins.

Flavors: black fruits, leather, smoke, coffee, spices, pepper, black olive, iron.

*Matrix of red grapes, their regions, tastes, color, body, tannins and ageability*

How It’s Made

The process of making red wine differs from white wine mainly because the grape juice remains in contact with the skins. Additionally, red grapes typically need a longer growing season than white grapes - thus, they’re generally grown in warmer locations because of this.

harvest

To yield the proper sugar to acid ratio (so a wine isn’t too dry or acidic), grapes must be harvested at the perfect time. Harvested too soon - the grapes risk not developing enough sugar content, thus yielding wine with low alcohol. Too late, the grapes could have too much sugar content, creating a very high in alcohol content wine.

fermentation

Before fermentation, grapes are crushed and stems removed. The resulting juice is kept in contact with the skins during the fermentation process to give color to the wine and add tannins. In winemaking, the process which turns grape juice into an alcoholic beverage. Yeast transforms sugars present in the juice into ethanol and carbon dioxide. As grapes ripen, the sugar content increases. During fermentation, the more sugar in a grape yields greater alcohol content, eventually leading to a fuller bodied wine.

sugar in grape juice + yeast = alcohol and carbon dioxide

The winemaker will then choose to use either wooden vats or stainless steel tanks (a more modern way of winemaking). The choice can influence the final taste and style of the wine. When the fermentation process is complete, it is pressed to remove the wine from the skins and then begins its maturation process.

maturation

The time for maturation varies depending on the style of wine the winemaker is producing. If matured in oak barrels, wines will develop an oaky flavor and aroma, if stainless steel vats are chosen, the resulting wine is very pure, without any oak flavors.

tannins

Perhaps one of the biggest differences between white and red wines are the presence of tannins. Not to be confused with sediment, tannins occurs in mature red wines. Tannins are a natural constituent of many plants - part of their biological makeup - that are used for protection, preservation and defense. Not all grapes have the same amount of tannins - some red grapes are genetically predisposed to different amounts of tannin. Since red wines are fermented with their (sometimes) tannin-loaded skins, the resulting wine includes tannin which ultimately provide the wine structure and ageability. Fascinatingly, tannins bind with protein in human saliva, when mixed with different foods, the way we taste those tannins can change in perception.

Red Wine in Situ

Here are some “rules” for red wines:

Since reds are often stored to age, when storing a wine long-term, it must be at a cool and constant temperature.
Again, for storing, the wine should be in constant contact with it’s cork (otherwise the cork dries out, letting in air, ruining the wine).
Serve at room temperature in general. A light-bodied red, like a Beaujolais, can be lightly chilled (maybe 55•F), whereas a medium to full-bodied red like a Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah can be served around 59-64•F.
Serve in large-sized glasses which allows the air to come into contact with the wine and allow it to develop it’s aromas and flavors.