Finding the Best Red Wine

Finding the best red wine really depends on what the consumer is looking for in the wine. If the consumer is wanting to find a prime bottle of red wine to use with his next dinner soiree, then he will be looking at a different wine that if he is wanting to add to his existing wine collection in his wine cellar. Although some would argue that the best red wines come from France, there are many other places in the world that are also famed for their quality red wines such as California, Germany, Australia and Chile.

Wine Collections

When finding the best red wine for a wine collection, the individual should choose the wines carefully so that the collection is divers and also has only the number of wine bottles that he can effectively use over time before they go bad. A wine collection is most effective if the individual is constantly updating and adding to the collection with bottles from all over the world in different types of red wine. The best red wine collections have bottles in all the main types of red wines such as the Cabernet Sauvignon, the Pinot Noir, the Malbec and others. If an individual has a particular affinity for a type of wine, then he may buy more than a couple of bottles of that wine. Otherwise, he is wise not to buy more than two bottles at a time of a particular wine so that he can open one and taste it, ensuring that he will be able to use or sell any more that he might purchase.

Another way of finding the best red wine to add to a wine collection is to go to wine tasting parties. These are sometimes hosted by individuals but are more often hosted by different wineries to promote their wines. Some individuals will do a tour of wine country so that they can go to the different wineries and taste the wines there so that they can make their choice on the best red wine to add to their collection.

When starting a wine collection, it is a good idea to diversify so that the individual can have a couple of bottles from various regions of the world that are renowned for that type of wine. For instance, a collection might have a Merlot from Argentina, a Shiraz from Australia, and a Pinot Noir from Oregon. In addition, he might have different reds from different regions such as Provence, Rhone or Gamay. In this way, the individual builds his collection over time and has the best red wines at his disposal.

Smooth and Sweet Red Wine

Although red wine is not known for its sweetness like some of the white wines are, there are some red wines that are on the sweeter side in comparison to others. When looking for the best red wine to use with a particular meal, individuals should consider how sweet the wine is as well as how full bodied it is and the amount of tannin in the wine which makes it dry tasting. Most red wines are appropriate to use with meat dishes, especially red meats. The sweeter and smoother the red wine, the more appropriate it is to use with other meats such as lamb, fish or chicken. There are also some of the sweeter red wines that are better to use with pasta dishes, such as those with a tomato based sauce.

Suggestions

When looking for a smooth red wine that is not too sweet, but is sweeter than a wine such as a Shiraz, a merlot is often a good choice. It is a ‘middle of the road’ wine in terms of dryness and sweetness, complementing a wide variety of dishes with its flavors. This type of wine has the flavors of black cherry, herbs and plum. It is usually made in such places as Italy, Romania, Chile, Australia and France.

Another sweet red wine is the pinot noir. This wine works very well with such dishes as chicken, lamb and salmon since it is a lighter wine. Although it can vary depending on where it is grown, the pinot noir has a lot of fruit flavors in it which make it a sweeter red wine. It often has the essences of cherry, plum and strawberry in addition to spices within it. It is ironic that flavors that would not normally be appetizing in the world of food are desired in wines, such as damp earth and worn leather. This type of wine is found in places such as Austria, California, New Zealand and France.

Zinfandels can range from being a sweet red wine to being a very dry and full bodied wine, depending on the way the wine is made. Zinfandels are only found in California and are made to complement a wide variety of dishes. They can be found in a blush, which is usually more on the sweeter side of red wines. It can also be found in a heavy red, which is full bodied and often dry in comparison to its cousin in a blush. Since there is such a range, a zinfandel can be used to complement meals ranging from a pizza to a grilled meat dish.