Merlot – By ToTo of RecipesUnwrapped.com
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Merlot : (Mehr-low)
Merlot is a classic and the most popular red wine. Merlot Grapesare grown in the Bordeaux region of France. 
Some of the best Merlot also comes from Napa Valley, Washington State and Sonoma Valley in the US and various parts of Italy and Chile. Merlot flourishes in regions with both chilly and sunny climates. The grape is thin skinned. Due to this, Merlot is a bit harder to grow as it is more susceptible to fungus and mold diseases. Merlot varies widely in quality around the world depending on location and producer. This variety was first known for its success in the Saint Emilion and Pomerol areas of Bordeaux. Chateau Petrus is the stellar example of fine Merlot.
In areas such as northeast Italy, Merlot has enjoyed a long history of cultivation. Merlot has enjoyed an explosion in popularity, especially in the United States, South America, Italy and Australia. In California, plantings have risen from 4,000 acres in 1988 to over 50,000 today.
Although enjoyable as a varietal wine, Merlot is probably most successful when blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, which contributes the structure, depth of flavor, and ageability Merlot lacks.
Merlot bears a resemblance to Cabernet Sauvignon, but is usually not so intense. Merlot is usually lower in tanninsand more lush than Cabernets. These wines are Full-Bodied and deep red in color and are fairly high in alcohol. Merlot wine tends to be soft, fruity in texture and is smooth as it finishes in your throat. It is an easy-to-drink wine.
Merlot gets its Flavor from dark purple plum, black cherry, currants and yes, chocolate.
Merlot should be served slightly below room temperature. Ideal Serving Temperature for Merlot would be at 64F (18Celcius). Cooling the bottle for 15 or 20 minutes (but not much longer) in a refrigerator can be a good way to reach the desired serving temperature.
Because of the soft, fleshy nature of Merlot, it Pairs almost all foods exceptionally well. Grilled meats, vegetables, poultry, seafood, pasta. For cheese, pate or game, try a Cabernet Merlot blend, where you can enjoy all the supple sweet fruit characters of Merlot, enhanced with some acidity and tannin from the Cabernet.
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Pinot Noir – By ToTo of RecipesUnwrapped.com
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Pinot Noir : (Pee-noe Nwar)
Pinot Noir is the premier grape of France’s Burgundy region. This grape produces rich and complex red 
wines that are lighter in color than the Bordeaux reds such as the Cabernets or Merlot. This is a toughest grape to grow, but the effort is well worth it! Pinot Noir requires optimum growing conditions, demanding warm days consistently supported by cool evenings. Despite these difficulties, what motivates pinot noir producers to keep trying is that the grape can make marvelously aromatic, flavorful wines boasting a seductive perfume of raspberry, strawberry, black cherry, mint, violets, rose petals, tea, coconut and oriental spices and silky, ethereal flavors.
Today, Pinot Noir is also grown in regions like Australia, New Zealand, California, Oregon, Germany and Italy.
Due to stringent growing requirements for Pinot Noir, this wine is produced in much smaller quantities 
than other popular red wines. So, yes, Pinot Noirs are a bit more expensive as compared to other red wines.
A Pinot Noir’s color can range anywhere from cherry red to purple red and even brown as the wine ages.
Pinot Noir may be the world’s most versatile food wine. This wine goes quite well with lamb, ham, chicken, turkey, game, even goose, beef, pork, subtly seasoned salmon and other seafood. Pinot Noir also pairs well with spicy seasoned dishes and creamy sauce based dishes. Pinot Noir should be served at around 61F (16Celcius). While some Pinot Noirs are meant to be drunk immediately, a fine Pinot Noir can easily age for 10 years or more.
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Cabernet Sauvignon – By ToTo of RecipesUnwrapped.com
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Cabernet Sauvignon : (Cah-burr-nay Soh-veen-yown)
This is one of the finest reds in the world. Many refer to Cabernet Sauvignon as the ‘King of Red Wine
Grapes‘. This wine originally come from Bordeaux. It is part of the great red Médoc wines of France. It usually undergoes oak treatment for a year or more and then aged for several more years. Some of the greatest Cabernets are aged for more than 15 years.
Cabernet Sauvignon is characterized by its high tannin content. This wine gets its flavor characteristicsfrom deep, dark fruits, mainly black currant. This wine also 
has a hint of vanilla which comes not from the fruit but from the oak treatment. Cabernets range from medium to full bodied, rich and intense wines.
Some other flavor qualities in Cabernet Sauvignon come from tobacco and sometimes green pepper.
A glass of Cabernet Sauvignon pairs quite well with foods such as rich red meats, lamb, rich, hearty and flavorful pastas, strong-flavored cheese, and dark chocolates.
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Pairing Food With Red Wine – By ToTo of RecipesUnwrapped.com
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Pairing Food With Red Wine
Wine and Food pairings is an individual choice. Every person’s sense of taste is different. Don’t worry about what anyone else says should work.
The most important rule when it comes to pairing Food and Wine is that there are no rules. Most of all, adhering to strict rules just takes the fun out of enjoying your favorite wine! You should drink the wine you like with the foods you like. Simple as that!
Only you can and should decide what wine and food combination you would like and enjoy. However, if you are new to the world of wines, here’s just a few tips to get you started. These are just suggestions.
But remember, in the end it’s all about the enjoyment!! Trust your own judgement and eat and drink what you enjoy. Once you try out a few things, you will figure out quite quickly what pairing you exactly like.
Red wines are heavier and more strongly flavored than white wines. A rich red wine can be quite nice it’s own. Like on a cold winter’s night, if you want to curl up with your favorite book on your couch or if you want to cozy up besides a roaring fire or maybe you just want to relax with your feet up watching your favorite show, then a heavy full-bodied rich red wine can be quite comforting.
Here are a few more suggestions on what foods pair well with your favorite red vino.
* Cabernet Sauvignon (Cah-burr-nay Soh-veen-yown)
Cabernet Sauvignon is a rich full-bodied red wine. This wine is aged in oak and is a complex wine. It has flavors that come from blackberry, black currants as well as some hints of bell pepper.
Food & Wine Pairing - Cabernet Sauvignon pairs well with rich red meats. It is also perfect with strong cheeses such as blue cheese, sharp cheddar or gorgonzola.
* Merlot (Mehr-low)
Merlot is a smooth, softer, dry light-bodied red wine. This wine has less tannins and is fruitier tasting. Merlot usually has flavors of boysenberry, black cherry, mocha and herbs.
Food & Wine Pairing - A smooth Merlot goes well with pasta dishes with tomato based sauces. It also pairs quite well with grilled and barbequed meats, poultry. Merlot being light-bodied and softer than a Cabernet Sauvignon, goes well with almost all foods.
* Barbera (Bar-bear-ah)
Barbera is an Italian red wine. It is often used as a blending grape. The aromas in Barbera come from luscious berries, plums or cherries, smoke, toast and even vanilla sometimes.
Food & Wine Pairing - Barbera goes well with pasta dishes with tomato based sauce.
* Pinot Noir (Pee-noe Nwar)
Pinot Noir is a smooth silky red wine. This wine is quite fruity. It’s high in alcohol and has a nice, soft and velvety texture. Pinot Noir is a full-bodied red wine, but not heavy. The flavor qualities are from black cherry, rose, along with hints of spiciness or herbal qualities.
Food & Wine Pairing - Pinot Noir pairs best with roast beef, duck, lamb, grilled salmon, mushrooms as well as simple tomato based pasta dishes.
* Syrah/Shiraz (Sih-ra / Shi-raz)
Syrah is a hearty red wine which is also called Shiraz, in Australia. It’s deep, dark red to almost black in color. The aromas and flavors in this red wine come from luscious raspberry, plum, smoke, and white pepper.
Food & Wine Pairing - A glass of Syrah is wonderful with beef, steak and duck.
* Sangiovese (San-joe-vay-zay)
Sangiovese is a medium-bodied dry red wine. This wine has a smooth texture. Sangiovese is the main grape used in making Chiantis from Italy. It has earthy aromas and the flavors characteristics come from luscious berries, plum, spices and even has floral flavors.
Food & Wine Pairing - A glass of smooth Sangiovese is perfect with Italian dishes and almost all pasta dishes.
* Zinfandel (Zin-fan-dell)
Zinfandel is a more fruitier red wine. It can range from light to full-bodied red wine. This wine can also be rich and spicy. The aromas and flavors come from raspberry, jam, licorice and black pepper.
Food & Wine Pairing - A glass of rich fruity Zinfandel works wonderfully with tomato based dishes, barbequed or grilled meats and even steaks.
Food & Wine Pairing - It goes pretty good with well-seasoned foods. It also pairs quite well with Italian dishes.
Ultimately, you are the one who has to decide what combination of food and wine you would like and really enjoy. It’s all a matter of personal preference and taste as we all have different tastes. So go on and get experimenting and remember, it’s all about enjoyment! Enjoy responsibly.
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Red Wine Grapes : Barbera – By ToTo of RecipesUnwrapped.com
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Red Wine Grapes – Barbera
(pronounce it “bar-bear-ah”)
Barbera is a red wine grape variety that comes from Italy. This grape is the most important red grape variety
grown in northwest Italy. In Italy, this grape makes Barbera di Alba, Barbera d’Asti and Barbera di Monferato. It is the primary grape used to make most red wines in Italy. This grape is also grown worldwide. Its primary use around the world is as a blending agent to bring increased acidity to the final wine. Barbera grape grows in warmer climates. Due to warmer growing conditions, Barbera produces wines with high sugar levels and hence these wines can be quite high in alcohol.
Barbera grape produces medium to full-bodied wines and imparts rich, dark and deep garnet color to the wine. It produces wines with light tannins and high acidity. It has some of the flavor characteristics you would find in a Cabernet Sauvignon but with higher acid levels.
Young Barbera wines get the flavor characteristics from luscious red and black berries, along with cherries. Many producers also add smokey flavors of toasted oak barrels (searing the wood over open fire) along with vanilla, resulting in really good, complex, rich and intense wines.
Barbera wines are a wonderful paring with rich, full-flavored foods with tomato sauces.
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Red Wine Grapes : Zinfandel/Primitivo – By ToTo of RecipesUnwrapped.com
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Red Wine Grapes – Zinfandel/Primitivo
(pronounce it “Zin-fan-dell”)
(pronounce it “Pri-mi-ti-vo”)
Zinfandel is a thick skinned grape that can make solid red wines which are quite fruity, refreshing and 
crisp. This grape is also known as Primitivo in Italy. It is also probably the same as Croatia’s Plavac Mali grape. Zinfandel is California’s specialty grape variety and is cultivated in the best possible terroir using modern technology. This grape produces everyday quaffing wine as well as rich, intense, aromatic and top class reds. Italy and Croatia also grow this grape.
Zinfandel produces delicious dry red wines, sweet fruity wines and sometimes blush and intensely sweet wines. These wines tend to be light, refreshing, juicy and fruity.
Flavor qualities in this grape come from raspberry, strawberry and black pepper. This grape makes vibrant colored wines.
These wines are quite refreshing and so are perfect for hot summer evenings. Wines from Zinfandel grapes pair quite well with almost all foods.
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Red Wine Grapes : Tempranillo – By ToTo of RecipesUnwrapped.com
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Red Wine Grapes – Tempranillo
(pronounce it “Tem-pra-nee-yo”)
Tempranillo grape comes from cooler regions of Rioja and Ribera del Duero of Spain. Portugal and 
Argentina are also the produces of this grape and its wine. It is referred to by many different names in various parts of Spain. It is known as Tinta Roriz in the Douro river area of Portugal. This grape is also used in making Ports.
Tempranillo is a dominant and important variety of red wines grapes in Spain. It is the dominant grape in Rioja red wines.
Tempranillo grape makes wines that range from light to full bodied and are well oaked. These wines also range from young, juicy unoaked to prestigious, age-oaked wines. This variety blends well with oak in Reserva and Gran Reserva wines in Rioja. The oak barrels impart a sweet vanilla flavor.
Young Tempranillo gets its flavors from luscious strawberry and cherry. When aged, the wine from this grape tends to have flavor characteristics of plum, spices with hints of sweet vanilla oak.
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Red Wine Grapes : Cabernet Franc – By ToTo of RecipesUnwrapped.com
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Red Wine Grapes – Cabernet Franc
(pronounce it “Cah-bur-nay Frahnk”)
Cabernet Franc is a red wine grape that comes from Bordeaux region of France. U.S., Italy, Australia and 
Eastern Europe are also major producers of this wine. This grape is used in red Bordeaux blends and as a varietal in the Loire Valley to add acidity and aroma. It is mainly used for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec.
Genetic research indicates that it is the parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc grape produces lighter and fruitier wines than Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines from this grape are particularly soft when blended. This grape makes good wines with subtle color, tannin and a good level of acidity.
Cabernet Franc get its flavor mainly from luscious raspberries and herbs.
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Red Wine Grapes : Malbec – By ToTo of RecipesUnwrapped.com
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Red Wine Grapes – Malbec
(pronounce it “Mahl-Beck”)
Malbec is one of the six grape varieties approved for making red wines in France’s Bordeaux region. This 
grape variety is grown in France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Argentina, Madeira, Brazil, Switzerland and the USA. Malbec grape grows well in the well irrigated sandy soils and warm climate of Trapiche in Argentina. Malbec is probably Argentina’s best grape variety.
Malbec is famous for quality and its use in some Bordeaux clarets. It is a thin skinned grape that needs more sun and heat than Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot in order to mature. South America produces some excellent quality rich, earthy Malbec wines.
Malbec makes smooth rich and elegant wines. Malbec wines are soft, yet robust, full-bodied and intense flavored. Malbec wines have a good color depth. The flavor qualities of these wines can be described as fruity, juicy and with flavor characteristics of plum.
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Red Wine Grapes : Gamay – By ToTo of RecipesUnwrapped.com
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Red Wine Grapes – Gamay
(pronounce it ” Ga-may”)
Gamay grape flourishes best on the granite hills of Burgundy. Gamay is the grape of Beaujolais. This grape
variety produces the best wines in the Beaujolais region of France. It is used alone as a varietal.
This grape variety is usually fermented using carbonic maceration. It is fermented quickly under a protective layer of carbon dioxide.
Gamay produces light-bodied, distinctive and uncomplex wines that are quite refreshing. This grape’s wines tend to be crisp, fairly sharp, light and low in alcohol. These wines are very fruity and high in acidity. There is small margin for error before it becomes too acidic, too thin or too light.
Gamay makes simple style wines that are best enjoyed young. The wines are generally meant to be consumed within two years of bottling. Only the Crus of Beaujolais show much aging potential and none of them extend beyond 10 years.
Cherry, candy and raspberry flavors dominate the nose and taste of Gamay. Gamay may also have flavor characteristics of other red fruits, bananas and even bubblegum.
Gamay Beaujolais are fruity and light in style. Because of this style they pair quite well with grilled poultry, like barbequed turkey, chicken. It also goes well with some beef dishes, cream sauce based dishes, cheeses such as Gruyere, Parmigiano Reggiano, Romano and other nutty-style hard cheeses.
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