Basic Red Wine Descriptions

I was browsing through some files on my computer and came across this document that described several Red wines which my wife and I used on our Wedding Reception placecards. The content is good so, I figured I'd post it here to share with you.

Thanks,
Woj

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Pinot Noir, the great grape of Burgundy, is a touchy variety. Pinot Noir is a lighter colored and flavored red wine. The best examples offer the classic black cherry, spice, raspberry and currant flavors, and an aroma that can resemble wilted roses, along with earth, tar, herb and cola notes.


Cabernet Sauvignon is the premier red wine grape in the world. The Cabernet Sauvignon grape produces distinctive wines that are tannic and can have long aging potential. It displays characteristics of dark cherry, cedar, tobacco, or black currant. It is commonly aged in small oak barrels before bottling to achieve more complexity.


Merlot has long been considered the junior partner in the great Bordeaux duo of grape varieties. Merlot is a subtle, savory wine with dominant flavors of plums, cherries, blueberries and blackberries mixed with blackpepper tones. With its soft texture, deliciously plumy fruit flavor and mellow tannins, Merlot is more approachable than Cabernet Sauvignon.


Sangiovese (san-joh-VAY-zeh) is one of those wines that people tend to overlook on wine lists. The grape is believed to have its roots in Tuscany, but is grown extensively throughout Italy, where it is the dominant member of the Chianti family. The wine's high acidity makes it a perfect partner for tomato-based pastas and pizzas. Sangiovese is generally an earthy wine and is best paired with food.


Syrah (Sah-ra), also known as Shiraz, is used to produce some of the world’s finest, deepest, and darkest reds with intense flavors and excellent longevity. Syrah wines display firm tannins (although they are typically ripe and smooth, not abrasive like younger reds can be), a fuller body, and the rich round flavors of black cherry, blackberry, plum, bell pepper, black pepper, clove, licorice, dark chocolate and smoked meat.


Zinfandel (Zin-fan-dell) has been a cornerstone of the California wine scene since the mid-1800s and is perhaps the world's most versatile wine grape. It is known for its rich, dark color scheme, medium to high tannin levels and a higher alcohol content. It features flavors including raspberry, blackberry, cherry, plums, raisins, spice and black pepper all wrapped around various intensities of oak. The Zinfandel grape is also used to make the blush wine, White Zinfandel.