Source: wikiHow
- 1 Select a Cabernet Sauvignon for a balanced, classic red wine. Cabernet Sauvignons are very popular and served all over the world. It has flavors of black cherry, currants, and a touch of bell peppers. Often, a Cabernet Sauvignons have a slightly oaky scent with traces of herbs and vanilla.
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- Cabernet Sauvignons are a great red wine to try out because they straddle the line between dry and sweet.
- 2 Go with Merlot if you want an accessible table wine. Merlots are easy to enjoy and can fit many situations, but they typically lack complexity compared to other red wines. They have rich, fruity flavors that might remind you of strawberries, cherries, plums, and even watermelon.
- If you tend to have a sweeter palate, Merlots might be for you. Although not all Merlots are sweet, they tend not to have strong tannins, so they won’t create the sensation in your mouth that dry wines are known for.
- 3 Pick a Pinot Noir if you are looking for a wine with complex flavors. A Pinot Noir can range in flavor and aroma depending on the climate in the region the grapes were grown. They can produce the flavors of raspberries, clove, licorice, cherries, blackberries, plums. Some have hints of roasted tomato, beets, and rose petal.[2]
- If you are looking for a red wine that encourages you to sit and ponder its flavor profile, Pinot Noir is for you!
- 4 Grab a Red Zinfandel if you want a dry wine with rich fruity flavors. Zinfandels are known for their dark fruit flavors like black cherry, raisin, prune, and blackberry. They often have smokey and spicy undertones. Their aroma often suggests a swirl of vanilla, jam, and oak.[3]
- Zinfandels are another great way to begin your exploration of red wines. Their flavors are complex and bold. They also typically have high alcohol content.
- 5 Try Tempranillo if you seek something less conventional. Tempranillo’s originate from Spain and Portugal. They have a spicy, earthy taste with hints of cherry and plum. They often have a smoky fragrance that is similar to unburnt tobacco. Usually, Tempranillos are fairly dry wines because they have an abundance of tannins.[4]
- 1 Open your wine. Most wines either have a cork or a screw cap. Caps can simply be twisted off. For corked bottles, drive a corkscrew into the center of the cork until the spiral disappears. Then lift up on the corkscrew until the cork is pulled from the bottle.[5]
- Generally, wines with a screw top are cheaper and more vulnerable to aging. However, just because a wine has a screw top doesn’t mean it’s a bad wine![6]
- 2 Serve the wine at room temperature, or slightly colder. Most red wines should be served at about 60 °F (16 °C) degrees. If a red wine is served chilled, most of its flavors will be stunted. If it is served too warm, the taste of alcohol might overwhelm the wine’s flavors. Store your red wine in a cool, dark place to maintain a decent temperature.[7]
- There are a few red wines that are meant to be served chilled. These are typically sweeter dessert wines or concord blends.[8]
- If you really want to get into red wines, consider purchasing a red wine fridge that will keep your wines good for longer!
- 3 Use a red wine glass if you have one. Red wine glasses are shorter and wider than white wine glasses to give the wine as much contact with the air as possible. However, if you don’t have a red wine glass, any wine glass or slightly rounded glass cup will do![9]
- 4 Pour wine until the glass is about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way full. When tasting a wine, a standard pour is around half the size of a normal pour. Typically, this means you will pour about 90 millilitres (3.0 fl oz). There should be plenty of room in the glass so that you can swirl the wine around and dip their nose into the glass without it touching the wine.[10]
- A bottle of wine has roughly 10 tasting servings. For a party of 8-10 people, you will need at least two bottles of each wine that you want everyone to taste.
- 5 Hold the glass by the stem if it has one. If you don’t hold the wine by the stem, your fingertips will heat up the wine and change the wine’s flavor. Additionally, you may leave smudges on the wine glass, which is never attractive![11]
- Most people hold the glass towards the base of the stem. Grip the stem with your thumb and index finger, and rest your remaining fingers on the base for stability.
- 6 Examine the color of the wine from every angle. Look straight down the center of the glass to see the depth of the wine’s color. Tilt the glass to the side and hold it up to the light to see how clear the wine looks. Give the glass a good swirl to see if the wine forms “legs” that run down the side of the glass like raindrops.[12]
- The clarity of a wine will tell you about the quality of…
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