Red wine is treasured across the world for its depth of flavour, level of sophistication, and easy pairability with a number of popular cuisines and dishes.
In this guide to red wine, we explore the prominent red wine varietals available, the common flavours and characteristics of each, and how best to consume and match food with each one.
Considering how many red-wine-producing grapes and blends that exist in the world, it would take a lifetime to explore each and every one of them in fine detail.
That being said, most of the bottles of red wine found in bottle shops, bars, and restaurants across the world can be narrowed down to the following individual grape types or blends, explored below.
Syrah, or shiraz as it’s called in Australia, is a medium to full bodied dry red wine that often includes flavours of dark fruits, spices, chocolate, and even gentle smoke balanced by medium to high acidity and tannins. Learn more about them in this thorough guide.
Often cited as the most popular red wine varietal in the world, cabernet sauvignon wines are full-bodied dry reds that are known for their prominent flavours of dark berries, herbs, and dry spice. Discover more about them in this complete guide to the style.
Pinot Noir wines are easily recognisable as some of the most popular examples of light-bodied dry red wine varietals available that often balance soft red berry flavours, subtle tannins, and higher levels of acidity together. Find out more in this thorough guide.
Hailing most prominently from Spain, tempranillo wines are medium-bodied dry red wines that often exhibit variable amounts of vanilla sweetness balanced by dark red fruits and gentle spice. Known for being food friendly wines, discover more in this complete guide.
With a world of red wine to discover, covering every single one in a complete guide would take a lifetime. Thankfully, in this guide to some of the other lesser known varietals, you can learn more about some of the more exotic varietals of red wine available.
