The perfect selection, for all occasions (Red Wine in General)

Member Name: giksy21

Product:	Red Wine in General
Date:	05/10/08 (172 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: cover all the bases, cheap

Disadvantages: I need more than five bottles!

So, I have taken a lot of you on a long journey through the world of red wine. Thanks for sticking with me, and I hope you have found it useful. I intend to move on to white wines soon, but before I do, I want to finish off my little foray into red by giving you a brief selection of red wines, with which you can have a really effective little wine rack. I hope that it will allow you to have a wine for every occasion, without you having to break the bank. You see, more wines are mediocre than good, and I hope to save you the hassle of having to put up with the poorer efforts out there.

In terms of red wine, I firmly believe that you can survive any situation, be it family dinner, or friends round for a glass, with only five different types. Now the amount of bottles you have will obviously depend on the number of people coming but these five types will stand you in good stead, whatever your plans. They are a pinot noir, a cabernet sauvignon, a merlot, a shiraz and a Beaujolais. I will take you through each, when to use them and give you a really good, inexpensive example of each. That should finish off our little look at red wine nicely, and lead me in to starting work on whites. Of course, no wine rack would be complete without white wine, but I will leave that to later reviews.


----------------------- the pinot noir----------------------

Black pine, fragrant and fresh. Floral in nature, and a delight for all the senses. Very versatile both in its delivery, and in its uses. Light to medium bodied, it is smooth and silky, yet still complex and full of various flavours. Ranges widely from fruity types, which have tastes of raspberry to cherry, right down to more earthy flavours in some cases. Known for its bouquet, the pinot will freshen up any table.

Perfect for drinking on its own, but better with food. So if you have a few select guests around, then choose pinot if your planned meal contains any of the following. Lamb, pork or salmon, especially when they are cooked in a simple way. Can be overpowered by strong sauces, so a nice salmon fillet fried in olive oil, and placed on a bed of salad. Or a fillet of pork, with a light onion gravy. The complexity, and intensely fruity flavour of the wine will compliment it well.

The bottle of choice for the beginner, is Nottage hill pinot noir. Retailing between £5.99, and £6.99 a bottle, its reasonable for a wine that is so soft and easy drinking. Finely delivered, soft tannins and intense cherry aroma. Spicy notes, and delectable oaky nature to the wine make it a true all-rounder.


----------------------the cabernet sauvignon------------

Now this one is bigger! Tannin rich, it is a full blooded, full bodied red. Not, perhaps for the faint hearted, cabernet is a powerful wine. Great depth to its flavour, and also to the aroma. Not In the same league, in terms of bouquet, as the pinot, but the wine itself is much more potent. First flavours include currant, and plum. If you taste a while longer, you can get undertones of blueberry, and quite often the oak with which it has been matured,

Not for drinking on its own. It is a big taste, that need big tasting food to compliment it! Obvious choices are beef dishes of all types, but it also goes terrifically well with game dishes of any type. Can be used for chicken, if it is cooked in a spicy fashion, for example curry, or a salsa. The dry nature of the wine makes it next to useless as a party wine, and it needs food to make it work. You still may want to have a glass of water to hand at the meal too, though as it will not quench a thirst.

There are many cabs about, and unfortunately a lot are very poor. One good one, however is wolf blass yellow label cabernet sauvignon. It retails at around £5.99 a bottle. Really strong notes of blackcurrant, with the occasional hint of mint. Lingers for a long time after you have swallowed, and is a heart warming wine. It will certainly cover any need you will have for a strong cabernet.


--------------------the merlot----------------------------

This is the wine that is most likely to be enjoyed by all. It is medium to full bodied, and has enough there to captivate the expert, as well as being delivered simply enough for the beginner to be able to cope. A lot softer than the cabernet, you can detect blackberry, plum and currant. Further tasting allows you to detect a nice smooth vanilla flavour, in many cases.

This is a very versatile little number. It can be drunk on its own, but like most medium to full bodied wines, it is made for food. The main simple rule is that your wine is never bigger than your food. So salads, and light fish dishes are out. It is great however with a plain type of beef dish. However, it is at its best with lamb and poultry.

A great (and rediculously cheap.) little merlot, is cimarosa Chilean merlot. Available at LIDL for a little under £4 a bottle, it is on the bigger side of merlot. I find that the best merlots are coming from
Chile. They are so much more potent, and intense in their flavour. So, if you don't mind your wines coming from a discount retailer, then pick up a few bottles.




--------------------the shiraz---------------------------


Shiraz to some, but always syrah to me. Another medium bodied wine, and very versatile. But it is likely to be the strongest bottle in your armoury. Alcohol contents of 14 - 15% are common, but it is delivered in a very soft and manageable way. Often smoky, charred fruit flavours dominate, with spicy under tones. Again cherry, and currant come through, but there are a lot of subtle flavours in the mix. Often it has a slightly peppery taste, and is known to zing on the tongue.

The spicy nature of the wine makes it great for spicy food. Mexican, Cajun or barbeque foods are great. It can easily cope with red meats also, but is better with poultry or seafood (especially in the presence of spices.). Can be drunk on its own, but I am coming to the perfect 'drinking' red wine in a moment.

The wine here is the Jacob's creek 3 vines syrah Tempranillo. A mouthful to say, and even harder after you have drunk the bottle! Again, it around £6.99 a bottle. Blended with just a little cabernet, makes it fuller, and more complex. Typical in flavour, but with tones of blueberry, and vanilla. A great all round wine.



-------------------the Beaujolais------------------------


Perhaps the most under-rated wine there is. When it is done well, it is a great wine for drinking on its own. The most fruity of all the wines, this one is light-bodied. This is one of the few wines that is made to be drunk, and not for food. It can be hard to detect the alcohol (but let me assure you, its there!), and has next to no tannin. If you have people round that have never tried the darker vine, then introduce them to this.

The fruity, and light nature of this wine make it the drink of choice, if food is not involved. However, if it is, Beaujolais is the wine to choose with the lightest dishes. Light fish like sole, salads, pasta dishes are perfect. Again, remember that the strength, and body of the wine help you in the choice. Such a light and delicate wine, needs light and delicate food. Put this next to a steak, and be laughed at. Offer it up as accompaniment to a fresh crispy salad in the height of summer and be applauded.

Try Tesco's finest Beaujolais villages. At £4.50 a bottle, its affordable. Light fruit flavours, and a taste that stays with you long after you have swallowed. Serve it slightly chilled. Normally a faux pas for reds, but this wine drinks like a white. Perfect for summer, as, unlike most reds it is excellent for quenching a thirst.

So, there you have it. You can complete the red half of your wine rack for peanuts, and have all you need to cover all the bases. Just remember to justify your choice of bottle, based on the flavour of the food. Stronger foods, need stronger wines. And if all else fails, you can fall back on my notes!!

See you all later, when I start into my favourite white wines. G

Summary: The perfect wine rack selection, for any party need!