Top Most-Common Red Wine Varietals

We all have our favourite wines, some prefer red wines while others are loyal to their white wines. The more important question is how well do you know your red wines? You must know a few reds but not their characteristics. Today, we are going to tell you about the types of red wines and what’s unique about them.
Various grape varieties for red wines are—Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Grenache, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Malbec and Tempranillo. These are called Noble grapes.

1. Pinot Noir:

Originated from the Burgundy region of France, Pinot Noir is one of the most widely grown grape varieties. It has low tannins, owing to thin skins. It is a light coloured and excellent wine for long term aging.

2. Merlot:

Merlot is one of the most planted grape varieties in the Bordeaux region of France. You can expect red fruit flavours of strawberries and raspberries. It has medium tannins and soft finish. These characteristics differ based on cool climate regions. If grown in the cool climate, It will have high tannins as well as more earthy flavours of tobacco and tar.

3. Cabernet Sauvignon:

It’s a full-bodied wine known for its rich flavours and firm tannins. You will find flavours of blackcherry and blackcurrant along with oak characters. Know the difference between Merlot and Cab Sav.

4. Syrah:

It is one of the most planted grape varieties in Australia, known as Shiraz. This varietal is characterised by blackberries and black plums flavours. This full-bodied wine is well-paired with meats.

5. Grenache:

This berry-flavoured wine is spicy on the palate and has high alcohol content. You will find this wine mostly grown in Spain and France. It is known as “Garnacha” in Spain.

6. Tempranillo:

Referred to as “noble grape of Spain, Tempranillo is the number one red grape in Spain. Flavours of cherry, fig and tobacco are found on the palate, having high acidity and tannin levels. When aged in oak these flavours are intensified.

7. Sangiovese:

This Italian grape variety offers a wide array of tastes ranging from earthy and rustic flavours to fruit forward. Irrespective of its region, you will always find cherry flavours and subtle tomato characters.

8. Nebbiolo:

Straight from Italy’s Piedmont region, this grape is similar to Pinot Noir in appearance but is responsible for producing full-bodied wines with bold tannins and high acidity. Despite high tannins, fruit flavours of raspberries and cherries are found on the palate. Produced in Barolo and Barbaresco regions, Piedmont, Italy it is grown in other regions such as Heathcote, Adelaide Hill regions of Australia.

These were the types of red wines made from noble grapes. We hope you found the information informative. Do share your thoughts with us. Till then stay tuned for more posts.