Wine Tasting 101:What Am I Really Tasting? (The Final Chapter)
A Description of Common Wine Varietals and Flavors – The Bold Reds
I hope that everyone is enjoying their summer so far! I would love to hear about your WEE! for the summer’s events. If you have tried some the whites and lighter reds, and you’re ready to move on to a bolder wine-stay tuned! Bold reds traditionally go well with grilled meats (think summer BBQs) and summer veggies like tomatoes, squash and mushrooms.
Shiraz/Syrah Even though it is called by different names (depending on its origin), the Syrah grape originated in Rhone, France and is called that everywhere except Australia, where it is called Shiraz. This is a great transitional wine when moving from a lighter red to something with more boldness. This wine is generally very fruit forward with flavors of blackberry and red currant, it is sometimes referred to as jammy depending on how deep the fruit notes are. There are some spice notes to this wine as well. A well balanced Syrah will have spicy notes of peppercorn and cinnamon. This wine pairs wonderfully with grilled pork tenderloin with a wild mushroom demi glaze and and grilled vegetables like corn on the cob.
Zinfandel If you are thinking about the pink zinfandel, we need to chat further about wine… Zinfandel is a beautifully rich red wine with flavors of wild blackberries, peppery spice, with an earthiness and sometimes hints of chocolate. It is considered a medium-heavy bodied wine, but is indeed one of the more bold reds. It pairs wonderfully with higher fat content meats, so for summer fare try it with brats on the grill with some sauteed peppers and onions and a tomato caprese salad (and let me know when you’re having that and I’ll stop by!)
Cabernet Sauvignon For the longest time I was by all accounts a “Cab Girl.” It is one of the fullest bodied reds with hints of black current, black berries, cassis, cedar, slate, even lead. Now while those flavors on their own do not sound highly appealing, but together…mmm, like a sweet serenade of the first time your true love said, “I love you.” Cabernet Sauvignon pairs so well with so many dishes, that maybe why it was my favorite for a long time. It is one of the only truly bold reds I would pair with sashimi tuna. (While that may be enough info for some, tuna is not for everyone.) Cab also pairs wonderfully with wild game, duck and lamb, pastas with hearty red sauces, and nothing is better than a bleu cheese crusted, medium rare, bacon wrapped filet with a glass of spicy flavorful cabernet sauvignon. But I digress. For summer fare: try the filet with a pasta salad with some fresh herbs, Italian dressing, mushrooms and grilled squash/zuchinni or eggplant.
If you haven’t figured it out by now the bold reds are my favorites. I love to cook and pairing wine is just part of the fun. I hope you are building your WEE! Let me know how your tastings go!
Cheers!
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