Red

Read best with: "Bottle Of Red Wine" by Eric Clapton

Red wine, in and of itself, is a bold thing. You think red wine, and you think confidence and spice. Much to the same of a good whiskey or tobacco, both of which could be found in the aroma and palette of a well aged red wine. Red wine is considered to be originated from Georgia, which is also known as the ‘cradle of wine’, or where wine had thought to be originated from, as some archeologists think. When looking at the history of winemaking and the history of red wine, archeologists have mapped the first wine creation back to 6,000BC by the South Caucasus people of Georgia. They used qvevri, a clayware vessel used to store smashed grape juice underground during the winter. At the time, grapes were uncultivated, meaning they had plenty of natural sugars and yeast so there was no additives. This red wine was most likely very astringent and thick feeling with the residue, or the lees, still floating around throughout the finished product.

Georgia is a relatively small producer of wine worldwide, yet they sell wines worldwide, but keep a large majority of there wines within the country for its people to enjoy. Only 3% of Georgia’s wines are made within these qvevri to appeal to the romantic history of the country.

Red wine, made in Georgia or not, is known for its boldness and full-bodied nature. What this means is red wine is typically heavy in tannins. Tannins are biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins, amino acids, and alkaloids, as well as other organic compounds. Precipitation is essentially the act of ‘cleansing’ the compound from contaminants in order to concentrate those compounds. Tannins are found in multiple things in nature (that list you will find in the tannin section of my Wine Basics post).

Red wine starts its journey in the end of September or early October with harvest. In Southern California, grapes are usually harvested through the night to avoid the heat, and crushed not long after they’ve been picked. The stems are removed, and the grape juice is then put into a wooden barrel and the skins are added with it. Usually, red wine will sit within wooden barrels for a few short years, extracting the woody, tannic flavor from the wood. Wooden barrels have three different charring levels burnt within on the inside that different flavors are extracted from. For a more light bodied, fruit-forward red, the char on the inside of the barrel is light, if there even is one. Light bodied varietals would be known as Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo, or Tempranillo. For a medium bodied wine where the tannic components begin to come forward, there would be a medium to heavy char on the inside of the barrel, offering more of a smoky, rustic aroma and taste. Medium bodied varietals would be known as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Malbec. A heavy, thick char on the inside of the barrel is used for heavy, bold, full bodied red wines. The tannic components, as well as that rich smoky, bourbon flavor are all found within full bodied red wines. Varietal examples would include Syrah, Zinfandel, or Bordeaux blends. The pH, TA and VA (more info on the acidity found in Wine Basics) are measured once the wine goes from the barrels to the temperature controlled stainless steel tanks to see what corrections are needed, and the wine is fermented until complete dryness, or clarity. The time and process of making a good red wine usually takes a couple years if you aren’t doing a vintage or a port. Vintages and ports usually take half a decade, if not multiple decades to become the consistency, taste, aroma, alcohol content, tannic content, and sweetness content to fall within numbers the Winemaker likes.

A good example of a delicious port was a 2002 Zinfandel port from a local winery in Southern California; rich, bold, thick, full bodied, yet sweet and fruit forward. The process of making this port began 20 years ago. That’s two decades of love and patients placed into a tiny 375 milliliter, and sold for a pretty penny. Rightfully so.

Virtual Wine Tasting that won’t break the bank:

1. Laetitia Estate Pinot Noir

   • Tasting Notes: Cherry, Sandalwood, Smoke

   • Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 14.1%

   • Region: Central Coast, California

   • Notes: Expect flavors of cherry, raspberry, sandalwood, and spice, along with crisp acidity and a lasting finish. Lighter on the tannic side, so would be good chilled as well for warm summer days, and lighter meals.

2. J. Lohr Estates Los Osos Merlot 2016

   • Tasting Notes: Candied Violets, Blueberry, Fleshy Plum, Crushed Blackberries, French Oak Spices

   • ABV: 13.8%

   • Region: Paso Robles, California

   • Notes: Fruit forward with a high juicy acidity than one might expect. This is due to the cooler, wetter climate of the pocket of Paso Robles this vineyard resides in. This wine is known for the lightness and freshness as well.

3. Opolo 2019 Mountain Zinfandel

   • Tasting Notes: Boysenberry, lavender, earthy herbs and a hint of rusty minerality

   • ABV: 15.7%

   • Region: Paso Robles, California

   • Notes: Tart red fruits meet with smoky oak flavors on the sip. A true Opolo classic. Pair with prosciutto wrapped figs with balsamic glaze or cheese and herb stuffed mushrooms.

4. Josh Cellars Reserve Bourbon Barrel Aged Zinfandel

   • Tasting Notes: Cracked black pepper and licorice complemented by notes of vanilla and blackberry

   • ABV: 14.5%

   • Region: California

   • Notes: The palate is full-bodied with velvety tannins and a long, smooth finish. Enjoy this wine with grilled sausages, BBQ chicken, or smoked eggplant.

5. Stokes Ghost Petite Sirah

   • Tasting Notes: Inky black in color, it delivers haunting aromatics, commanding flavors and red velvet tannins.

   • ABV: 14.5%

   • Region: Monterey, California

   • Notes: Oak barrel aged, pairs well with beef, cured meats, dessert - chocolate & coffee, as well as pasta.

Get up; get your man a bottle of red wine

Cheers,

Sara :)