How to Find Your Favourite Red Wine (and When You Should Enjoy It)
Updated: Jul. 24, 2019
In our red wine guide, we're sharing everything you need to know about the different types, so you'll feel more confident choosing a bottle or ordering a glass.
We’ve rounded up the need-to-know grapes and the styles of wine they make, plus a few food pairings. And while most red wines are dry, there are definitely a few sweet reds out there. You can also look for riper, fruit-forward red wines which won’t be truly sweet but will give you enough of that juicy flavour to satisfy your palate. Now, let’s get started!
Carménère
This grape has an interesting story. Carménère went from almost extinct to the poster child of Chile’s wine industry. The grape is a member of the Cabernet family and shares the same blackcurrant, blackberry, cocoa and cedar flavours—but it’s famous for its distinctive green bell pepper aromas. It’s magical with this lamb chop recipe.
Zinfandel
Many wine drinkers will associate Zinfandel with California, but the grape actually has Croatian origins. It’s also heavily planted in the south of Italy where it’s known as Primitivo. There are plenty of impressive dry Zinfandels. But if sweet is more your speed you can look for the off-dry Zinfandel roses (aka White Zin) or keep an eye out for late-harvest Zinfandel which is a delightful dessert wine. Serve with grilled and barbecued meats, turkey (it’s a great Thanksgiving wine!) and tomato-based pasta sauces.
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is lighter-bodied and more floral than its offspring, Cabernet Sauvignon, but it does share some of the same black fruit, minerality and tobacco notes. You’ll also get more raspberry and strawberry in a glass of Cabernet Franc. Made in both red and rose styles, Cab Franc shines with meat dishes as well as roasted bell peppers.
Pinot Noir
Another excellent choice for anyone who prefers light to medium-bodied wines is Pinot Noir. The classic grape is pure elegance with flavours ranging from red and black cherry to strawberry, fresh earth, violets and spice. It’s a red wine you can serve with fatty fish, like salmon.
Lambrusco
We’ve covered a few dry styles, so let’s dive into some of the sweets. Both the name of the grape and the wine, Lambrusco is an Italian grape famous for the sparkling and semi-sparkling reds it makes. They come in a range of dry (secco) to fully sweet, so if you’re keen on something with a bit of sugar, look for amabile (semi-sweet) or dolce (sweet) on the label. Drink Lambrusco with pizza, cured meats and pork.
Syrah
Loaded with dark plum, ripe blueberry and black pepper, Syrah (aka Shiraz) is for lovers of bold wines. Less jammy styles like the ones you’ll find in the Northern Rhone can take on a gamey, smoky note with a hint of licorice. It’s a must for grilling and any time you decide to smoke, roast or barbecue meats.
Sangiovese
The quintessential Italian grape is responsible for the wines of Chianti and Brunello. Sangiovese is on the savoury side of things, full of lovely herbal notes mixed with cherry, red plum, violets and earth. Uncork a bottle of Sangiovese with pretty much anything in tomato sauce.
Brachetto d’Acqui
Sweet wine lovers take note—Brachetto d’Acqui is the sparkling dessert red you’ve been searching for. Another Italian grape, this time from Piedmont, Brachetto is usually made into a semi-sparkling sweet wine. Raspberries, cherries and rose petals characterize this lovely bubbly wine. We’d definitely serve this one up with chocolate cherry desserts or as something unique for Valentine’s Day.
Tempranillo
Tempranillo is one of Spain’s great wines. The best of the bunch comes from Rioja and Ribera del Duero, but marvellous examples exist across Spain into Portugal where it’s called Aragonez or Tinto Roriz. Tempranillo unravels with aromas and flavours of cherry, red plum, dried herbs, leather, clove and occasionally, dill. Lamb dishes always complement a glass of Tempranillo, as does roasted veggies, tapas and savoury dishes with plenty of tomatoes.
Grenache
Grenache boasts plenty of lovely berry flavours like strawberry and raspberry. It’s a dry wine but gets quite ripe. Folks who like fruit-forward wines should pick up a Grenache from a warm region (read: Spain or blends from the south of France). It’s a versatile grape. Red wines made from Grenache go well with everything from grilled fare to your favourite hearty dishes. Grenache is also made as a rosé and is fortified for certain dessert wines. Look for examples from Banyuls.
Corvina
Famous for making up a large part of the legendary Italian wine Amarone, Corvina and its blending partners are also responsible for the sweet red wine Recioto della Valpolicella. It’s made by partially drying the grapes on straw mats to concentrate flavour. The wine itself tastes of ripe black fruits and chocolate. While it makes a sensational dessert on its own, you can also drink a glass of recioto with your most decadent chocolate desserts.
Merlot
With its splendid raspberry, plum, baking spice and vanilla notes, Merlot is a fantastic choice for people who enjoy a bit more ripeness in their wines. Merlot may be bottled solo or it can be blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Cabernet Franc. One thing we can assure you, it makes a truly fine wine. Meat and cheese go well with Merlot (hello, cheese board!). Pork and veal are also especially tasty pairings.
Touriga Nacional
Probably the highest quality grape to come out of Portugal, Touriga Nacional has been making waves for its intense dry wines. Packed with blackberry, blueberry, earth and herbs, as a dry wine, Touriga Nacional is exceptionally complex. Sweet wine drinkers should note that Touriga Nacional is the main grape of Port and you can’t go amiss with Port if you have a sweet tooth. Drink dry Touriga with stews and roasts and save your Port for nutty chocolate desserts.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most popular wines around. It’s bold, it’s complex and when made well, Cabernet Sauvignon is a thing of both power and beauty. This black, fruit-driven wine intermixes bramble fruits with a hint of mint and spice. When in doubt, go with Cabernet.
Nebbiolo
Named for the fog which blankets the vineyards in autumn, Nebbiolo is one of Italy’s finest wines. Outrageously complex with cherry, rose petals, earth, violets, truffle and licorice notes, it’s also high in acid and tannins, making it a real sensory experience. Drink with duck, beef, mushroom dishes or truffles.
Black Muscat
Like all grapes in the Muscat family, the aromatic Black Muscat gets ultra-ripe, making it the perfect candidate for dessert wines. Sweet Black Muscat wines taste of roses, dried stone fruit, cherry, lychees and berry jam. The wines are produced in warmer climates like those found in California and Australia. Though it occasionally makes its way into wine, Black Muscat typically appears as a table grape. Looking for a pairing? Three words: no-bake chocolate tart.
Next, find out how to spend a wellness day in wine country.
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