Made from dark/red grapes, red wine is most commonly made into dry table wine, but can also be found in Sparkling, Sweet & Fortified styles. Sometimes considered a wine for the cooler months, it is often enjoyed after white wines, and with heavier dishes such as red meat. Considered in small quantities to have health giving benefits due to the antioxidant properties found in the richly coloured grape skin, unlike white wine, red is fermented along with it's skin to extract colour and aged predominantly in wooden barrels.
Will red wine last longer in the fridge?
Yes it will last about 4-5 days, provided you seal the bottle soon after opening it & put it in the fridge straight away. Red wine left in room temperature and sealed will last about 3 days, without being sealed can become undrinkable in 12-24 hrs.
Is red wine good for you?
Red wine contains antioxidants, and it's these - particularly resveratrol & proanthocyanidins, that are believed to be accountable for the health advantages of wine. Resveratrol is found in grape skin & this combination with Proanthocyanidins is known for the antioxidant qualities and in small amounts are thought to have properties which fight cardiovascular disease and cancer.
This depends on the amount you pour! One standard 175ml glass of dry red wine, enjoyed—with the biggest meal of the day is said to induce health benefits. Why? Other than the antioxidants, the wine influences your peak blood glucose, boost's your system's ability to process calories & can reduce inflammation.
How many different types of wine grapes are there?
The short answer is a whole lot! But the overwhelming majority of wines Which make up the selection of “Nobel Grapes” for red wines include Pinot Noir, Grenache, Merlot, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah/Shiraz and Malbec. There is some exciting work being done internationally with indigenous grape varieties which are producing fantastic results and introducing us to new wine styles and flavours, so it's always advisable to taste something new and unknown from time to time, to enjoy some of the interesting new varietals coming into the market.
How is red wine served?
This depends on the style of the wine in question and can vary by country/culture, it is not true that all red wines should be enjoyed at room temperature, given the large variation of what room temperature might be internationally. Lightweight bodied reds (Beaujolais or Dolcetto) ought to be served between twelve and thirteen degrees. Medium bodied reds (New world wines like Pinot Noir, Dry red wine or Port) are best tasted between fourteen and sixteen degrees and full bodied styles (Bordeaux, Shiraz, Barolo, Burgundy) are best enjoyed between seventeen and eighteen degrees. These temperatures are a guide to help you experience as much flavour as possible, and with modern technology, particularly the introduction of wine fridges to the general array of household appliances, it is easy to monitor your wine temperature for the ultimate tasting experiences. Wine is and always will be a subjective topic, and it is recommended that you enjoy your red wine at whatever temperature suits you!
What is a red wine varietal?
Like Apples (eg. Pink Lady, Granny Smith, Fuji etc) grapes come in many different flavours. A varietal is the particular type of grape used to create the wine. If only 1 selection (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon) is mentioned on the label, then the wine is named as varietal. In most countries, when a wine is made from a blend (eg: Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre or GSM) the varietal with the highest percentage in the wine is listed first, second following etc.
Which red wine is the driest?
When a wine is referred to as Dry, it usually refers to the amount of sugar content and the tannins found in a wine. Generally speaking, wines such as Bordeaux, Chianti and Montepulciano can be considered the driest types of red wine.
Which red wine is the sweetest?
When red wine is made, alcohol is produced when the yeast converts the grape sugar, so when the fermentation process is stopped ahead of all the sugar being converted, the wine will remain sweet - this is often achieved in the red winemaking process by chilling a wine, to inhibit the yeast activity. The sweetest red wines are Port and Ice Wines made of Cabernet and Merlot grape varieties, Sparkling Shiraz, is a sweeter style of red, found only in Australia.
Which red wine has the least calories?
Any dry style table wine enjoyed in a 175ml serving with approx. 13.5% Alcohol can contain between 135 & 165 calories per glass eg. Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Merlot, Chianti or Bordeaux. The sweeter the wine, the higher the calorie count will be. It is noteworthy that whilst wine is calorific, it is often the foods consumed with wine which should receive more focus on calorie content than the wine itself!
Which red wine has the highest alcohol level?
In terms of red wines Port has the most alcohol at between 19-20% because further to the alcohol content of the wine component, a spirit is added to 'fortify' the wine. For dry style red table wine from cool climates around the world have lower alcohol around 14-15, v's warm climate reds ranging from 15-16%. Late harvest wines where the grapes are allowed to dry or shrivel before crushing usually have up to 17% and French Banyuls can be up to 20%.