A Comprehensive Guide to Red Wines: From Sweet to Dry
Wine is easily one of the most popular drinks in the world. With so wide different varieties and tastes, there’s something for everyone, except those with oenophobia (fear of wine). It’s also one of the oldest drinks. Researchers found wines that date back to the Neolithic period, 8500-4000 BC, but they believe that the art of creating wine started around 6000 BC.
Ancient Egyptians and the Hellenes were big fans of wine and established big industries that became very successful. Australia also has a long history with wine. The first vineyards were planted in the 1800s, and now we have more than 60 wine regions that produce red and white wines. In many cases, the red one outsells the white and it’s probably the favoured one in Australia.
Shiraz
Shiraz is the wine that best represents Australia. It arrived here in 1832 as part of the James Busby collection, and Australians took to it right away. Shiraz grows nicely with the Barossa Valley region, which has a history of over 160 years of wine production because shiraz can grow in dry and hot weather. Australia is a country with the greatest range of shiraz styles in the world because it has the perfect climate and the best manufacturers. You can buy red wine online at any moment, especially this one, because it’s so widespread and among the all-time favourites.
If you grow shiraz in a warmer climate, you’ll get a rich, dark fruity flavour with berry hints. The one that grows in colder climates has thinner skin, which means fewer tannins. This will make the wine savoury. These types of wines are mixed with red instead of black fruits and manufacturers add white pepper instead of black.
Australians frequently combine this wine with straightforward dishes that don’t have strong flavours, such as beef and kangaroo. Plus, it also goes nicely with duck, chicken, grilled vegetables, BBQ, Gouda and even lamb stew. Shiraz has also been creatively used in a number of popular mixed drinks, including Caruso, Ruby, Blood & Tonic and Absinthe Special.
Cabernet Sauvignon
This grape is one of the most widely grown in Australia. It has a long and rich history, making it undoubtedly one of the oldest wines produced in the world. It arrived in Australia in 1832 and has since reigned our wine culture. Some even refer to it as the “king of reds.” The Coonawarra and Margaret River regions acted as their initial bases, but they also successfully expanded to the Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Langhorne Creek, and McLaren Vale. The flavour-packed cabernet sauvignon wine is even better thanks to each region’s distinct traits.
Its flavour pallet includes fruits such as plum, black currant and black cherry. For freshness, it’s frequently infused with undertones of cedar, mint, or eucalyptus. If left undisturbed, cabernet wine has the capacity to mature for many years. With ageing, it will become softer while retaining its fruity qualities.
The flavour, intensity, and durability of cabernet sauvignon are influenced by three factors. The first factors are the area, soil, and climate where it grows. For instance, Barossa Valley is rich in blackberries, Coonawarra adds mint, and McLaren Vale adds hints of dark chocolate.
Vineyard management is the second factor and the third one is the winemaking process. This includes the method of pressing the grapes, how you use carbonic maceration, the kind of yeast used for fermentation, how many hours the wine has exposure to the seeds and skins, and how you use the oak during the process. These factors collectively provide the wine with richness and personality.
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is in Australia since the 1800s and the best region to plant it is Coonawarra. By the 1960s it was planted all over the country. Its quality is constantly improving, which accounts for its iconic status and the fact it’s easy to find and buy red wine online of this kind. Pinot noir can survive even in frigid climates because winemakers are constantly looking for new places to plant it. These grapes must be treated cautiously due to their delicate skins, which could alter and ruin the wine’s flavour.
Along with the Macedon Ranges, Tasmania has the ideal climate for this grape. The wines made here feature depth together with delicacy and strength. You can find elegant and delicate pinot noirs in the Mornington Peninsula, and robust cherry and berry flavours in the Adelaide Hills. It has plum shades, but it’s not so rich in colour. Because of this, it might need more than 10 years to age and get the ideal berry flavour.
Dolcetto
The dolcetto is a bright wine full of flavour that has a vivid colour. It came from Italy and has been in Australia for one century. It can grow in both warm and cool areas and is a perfect replacement for bold red wines because it has a light flavour. You can sometimes find it in some blends, as sparkling wine or as a rose. The most common flavours you’ll find in it are cherry, blackberry and plum.
The best way to consume it is while it’s young and fresh. But if you want it to age just keep it in a dark, cool place where the temperature doesn’t change a lot, just for a few years. The dolcetto is a wine to consume throughout the whole year. During the summer chill it a little bit, and when the winter period comes consume it at room temperature. You can best enjoy it with pizza, tomato-based dishes, roast turkey, and spicy meals.
Tempranillo
There are more than 200 producers of tempranillo in Australia. It comes from Spain and it’s used to make the famous Rioja wines. A flexible and pleasant grape, tempranillo thrives in a variety of Australian climates, from warm, sunny locations to chilly, high-altitude areas. It works well in blends and you can pair it with many foods such as cured meats, firm cheeses, tapas and antipasto and tomato-based dishes. It has a vivid colour, bright flavours of spice, black cherry and raspberry and a beautiful fragrance.
Durif
Durif wines are produced in Australia for more than a century, and they’re strong and robust. After you taste them, you’ll experience intense flavours that will impress you. This grape is related to shiraz and comes from the south part of France. The best weather to cultivate Durif is warm and sunny. This will give the wine a nice rich flavour. Producers also use it in blends and sparkling reds. The most common flavours you can find are chocolate, spice, berry and plum. You can always combine it with stews, casseroles, aged cheeses and roasted and grilled red meat.
In Summary
You can buy red wine from an online store or go to the local supermarket and pick your favourite. Enjoy it with your friends and family, make some new memories and eat some good food. No matter if it’s an organic wine, Dolcetto, Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon, drink responsibly and you’ll even get the many health benefits that come with red wine.