All you need to know about red wines

Wine is basically an alcoholic beverage made by fermentation of grape juice. There are essentially three different colors of wine prepared, depending on the procedure used for production. They are white wine, rose wine and red wine. Red wines are produced by fermentation of red or black grapes. However, all three wines have the same color after extracting the juice from the grapes. In the case of red wines, the skin is allowed to soak in the juice until its red color bleeds out.

Besides its color, the skin also provides the juice with a substance called tannin. Tannin is responsible for the complexity of red wines, which makes it so unique. The Tannin in the juice has a quality that causes drying in the drinker's mouth. This makes the wine feel firm with the firmness being more intense when the wine is young. As the wine is allowed to age the unique qualities of tannin won't be as significant as it blends with other aspects of the wine. This aspect makes red wines help to age better than white wine.

There are several varieties of red wines available depending on the grapes used. Here are some varieties of grapes and the taste they produce. Cabernet Sauvignon consists of high concentration of tannin having a flavor similar to that of black current and a smell that resembles pencil shavings. Merlot has higher alcohol content and tastes of black cherries and slightly of mint. Nebbiolo is considered to have high amounts of acid and tannin. It needs additional time to mellow down. Shiraz too has high tannin content and is a spicy wine tasting of blackberries. Barbera is relatively low in tannin but high in acidity. The wine created from this variety of grapes is refreshing and fruity.

Unlike other colors of wine, red wine is usually enjoyed with a meal rather than alone. It has a bold flavor which will complement or stand up to the flavor in the food. In order to enjoy this type of wine to the fullest, it must be served at an appropriate temperature. Most of the varieties taste good between the temperatures 16°C and 18°C. If the wine is served at a temperature which is below the appropriate one, the flavor and texture of the wine is lost. Any temperature above the stipulated temperature will make the wine taste flat and without being refreshing.

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