What are the Most Popular Types of Red Wine?

I must admit, given the choice between the three main types of wine I would rank my favourites as white then rose then red.  I enjoy red wine but not the same as the other two.  However, the problem might be as simple as I haven’t tried the right types of red wine to find what really works for me.  Let’s explore the options!

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Red wine basics

There are actually hundreds of types of red wine and all have a generally simple way of being made. But let’s not get too in-depth at this stage.  The key to any wine is to understand a little about it, what kind of flavours it has and what it works well with. 

Those food-wine pairings are no joke – you get the right one and both the food and wine taste amazing but get the wrong one and it is like coffee after a cupcake.  It just doesn’t quite work (or that could be me?)

Storing red wine

Red wine is often said to be best when it is aged but there’s a bit more to it than popping it in the utility room and leaving it for three years.  In fact, it is a pretty complicated matter that involves light, humidity and temperature.  For example, red wine should be kept at around 55 degree Fahrenheit (12 degrees C) which is about 10 degrees below the ideal serving temperature.

Ever wondered why red wine comes in darker bottles?  That’s because it is to protect it from UV rays which break down the wine, make it age too quickly and heats up the drink.  So keeping it out of sunlight is important as the coloured bottle can only do so much.

Red wine glasses

I love all the different types of glasses you can get but it wasn’t until I researched it did, I realise that there’s a lot of purpose to all those styles.  Take red wine – there are two main types of glasses that are best for it depending on the type of red you are serving:

• Tall, tapered Bordeaux glass – best for fuller bodied, higher alcohol red wine such as Cabernet or Merlot
• Wide bowl Burgundy glass – best for lighter bodied red with more delicate aromas as the shape traps these

Even if you don’t stick to these rules exactly, always serve red wine in a glass with a stem.  That stops the warmth of your hands transferring to the wine and changing the temperature (which isn’t a good thing).

Cooking with red wine

There are loads of ways to cook with red wine but don’t go for those ‘cooking wines’ you see in the shop.  They often have lots of sugar and other additives that drinking wine won’t include. 

Half bottles are a good solution if you want to cook and not drink.  And if the recipe calls for a specific wine, try to go with it as changing the wine could have a big change on the flavour of the dish.

Is red wine good for you?

The idea that red wine is good for you is certainly appealing but is it one that is backed in scientific fact?  The answer does appear to yes, although there is always the point that moderation is the best option.

According to the Mayo Clinic, red wine contains something called resveratrol.  This has been shown to prevent damage to blood vessels, to get rid of that ‘bad’ cholesterol and also to help prevent blood clots. 

It has also been linked to a reduction in inflammation levels which combined with clots can lead to heart disease.  It comes from the skin of grapes that are used as part of the wine making process and because red wine is fermented with those skins for longer, it has more of it than white wine – hence the ‘good for you’ tag.

Red wine is also said to contain antioxidants and we hear a lot about their benefits.  They have been connected with everything from increasing ‘good’ cholesterol levels to fighting cancer. 

Obviously, there are still lots of studies being done and those pesky genetics can play a part, but it seems that the odd glass of red wine generally could be good for your health.

The main types of red wine

Red wine is often categories by the red grape varieties used in making it.  if there is only one variety on the label, it is known as a varietal and has the same name as the grape, usually with a capital.  So Merlot wine is made with merlot grapes.  When learning about the different types of red wine, these are the first ones you will get to know.

Wine	Flavours	Dryness	Body	Tannins	Acidity
Barbera	Tart cherry, liquorice, blackberry, dried herbs, black pepper	⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Beaujolais	Pomegranate, blackberry, violet, potting soil, banana	⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cabernet Franc	Strawberry, raspberry, bell pepper, chili pepper	⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cabernet Sauvignon	Black cherry, blackcurrant, cedar, baking spices, graphite	⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️		⭐️⭐️⭐️
Grenache	Strawberry, grilled plum, dried herbs, blood orange	⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️
Malbec	Red plum, blackberry, vanilla, cocoa	⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️
Merlot	Cherry, plum, chocolate, bay leaf, vanilla	⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pinot Noir	Cherry, raspberry, mushroom, vanilla, hibiscus	⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Syrah (Shiraz)	Blueberry, black plum, milk chocolate, green peppercorn	⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tempranillo	Cherry, dried fig, cedar, dill	⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Zinfandel	Blackberry, strawberry, peach, cinnamon	⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️	⭐️⭐️

What types of red wine are sweet?

Sweet red wines are often less well known than their drier relations but come in three main groups – light fizzy, medium bodied and fortified and full bodied.  The last category includes the different port wines. 

Sweet wines are made by stopping the fermentation process earlier, leaving a little grape sugar in the mix.  Some use neutral spirits which makes them higher in alcohol volume.

Brachetto d’Acqui

This sweet red wine comes from Piedmont in Italy and has flavours of strawberry, sweet cherry, raspberry, violet and rose candy.  There are three main types that come in fizzy, full sparkling and a richer and sweeter variety.

Lambrusco Rosso and Rosato

Lambrusco is a fruit wine from Emilia-Romagna that is best known for its production of Parmesan cheese.  These wines do come in dry and sweet varieties so if you are looking for the sweeter options look for labels saying semisecco, amabile or dolce.  They have flavours of blueberry, cherry, violet and redcurrant.

Port wines

Originally from northern Portugal, port is now made around the world with different grapes.  They have a sweet taste but a good balance of tannins, so they don’t taste as sweet as some of the other red wines. 

Perfect types of red wine

This is just the start of the world of red wines – there are then the wines made from blending different grapes.  But that’s for another day!  Armed with the basics, we can go shopping for a nice