Red Wine Vs White Wine
In the winemaking process, red wine is fermented from darker grapes and their skins, while white wine is made from white grapes separated from their skins. Whats more, red wine is typically aged in oak barrels, while whites are not. Barrel aging creates the numerous aromas and flavors that you taste in red wine.
Speedy Mulled Wine Recipe
Much as we love mulled wine, it isn’t the most sociable of drinks if you have to hover over the hob to wait for the spices to slowly infuse.
If you’re hosting a Christmas party and you don’t want to have to stay in the kitchen, we have some tips on how to make a speedy mulled wine in no time at all…
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What Amount Of Red Wine Is Good For You
How much red wine a day is good for you and does too much reverse all its unique health benefits?
The recommended daily serving of red wine is four to five ounces. For a visual trick, a healthy red wine pour stops when it reaches the widest part of a glass, known as its bell. Likewise, a full bottle of red wine should last a solo drinker five nights to polish off a standard 750-milliliter bottle. Following these simple allotments will effortlessly keep you in that optimal five-ounce serving range.
Men and women have different servings to take into consideration, too. Since men have more of the metabolic enzymes that break down alcohol, a healthy moderate consumption can range from five to ten ounces accompanying a meal. For women, the healthiest wine serving remains four to five ounces.
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Massolino Barolo Docg 2016
No list would be complete without a wine from the beautiful region of Barolo tucked in the rolling Langhe hills of southern Piedmont in northern Italy. Its a magical place. Sipping this bottle will take you there. Its powerful and elegant at the same time. The tannins are grippy, as the wine continues to age, but its drinking well now. Its a wonderful mouthful of balanced cherry fruit, with whispers of where its headed in the form of a whiff of leather and rose petals. Guys, this wine is awesome. Stuffed ravioli with a dense, meaty red sauce or a hearty mushroom risotto are in order.
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Chamisal Vineyards 2019 San Luis Obispo Pinot Noir
This is a brand-new vintage from Californias Chamisal Vineyards, located in the Edna Valley near San Luis Obispo. Its 100% pinot noir grown during a season that had a particularly rainy winter. The wine was aged half in French oak and half in stainless steel, and has a deep ruby red color with notes of cinnamon and summer berries on the palate with a light, fresh finish.
To buy: $22, chamisalvineyards.com
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Best Greek: Kourtaki Mavrodaphne Of Patras
Courtesy of Drizly.com
Region: Peloponnese, Greece | ABV: 15% | Tasting Notes: Blackberry, Fig, Molasses
The Greeks are famous for inventing dramatic theater, so it only makes sense that theyd be able to produce such a dramatic wine full of sweet pathos. The Kourtakis family founded their winery back in 1895 and continues to be one of Greeces most prominent winemakers.
Reminiscent of a fine port, this bottle is heavy on fig, raisin, and brown sugar. This also has a profound chocolate note which could help explain why it pairs so well with actual chocolate.
Best Pinot Noir: Goldeneye Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 2017
Courtesy of BevMo
Region: California, Mendocino | ABV: 14.5% | Tasting Notes: Black cherry, Clove, Blood orange, Brown spices
Any time youre in the mood for a good pinot noir, you can always bank on a bottle from Californias Anderson Valley. Though not as popular as its neighbors to the south, Napa and Sonoma, the Anderson Valley region boasts some of the states coolest climates. This means its the perfect place for growing the sensitive, thin-skinned and finicky pinot noir variety. This 2017 vintage of Goldeneye, under the illustrious and iconic Duckhorn Vineyards portfolio, is an excellent way to get the true taste of an Anderson Valley pinot noir.
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Tormaresca Torcicoda Primitivo 2017
Italys Tormaresca is found in the beautiful Puglia region of the country, where it produces wines that are affordable but rich with flavor. This 2017 vintage is made from 100% primitivo grapes, and aged in French and Hungarian oak barriques. The reddish-purple wine opens with berry and stone fruit aromas, before evolving into chocolate, plum, and candied cherry on the palate.
To buy: $20, vivino.com
Domaine Laurent Mouton Givry Premier Cru 2019 14% 75cl
Best: Overall
Rating: 9/10
Few wine regions boast the complexity and influence of Bourgogne, which home to Frances highest concentration of appellations dorigine contrôlée produces some of the worlds most expensive wines. While its often tough to find value at the lower end of the scale, this graceful premier cru from the Givry region is a beautifully floral wine and a perfect primer to serious burgundies. Produced by the father and son team at Domaine Laurent Mouton, its a fruit-forward pinot noir with evolving strawberry, cherry and petrichor aromas, a subtle touch of leather and spice on a palate shaped by elegant tannins and a balanced, dry finish.
Add some flair to your dinner parties with one of our favourite bottles of malbec
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Terminology: The Key Terms To Know When Buying Wine
ABV: Alcohol By Volume the percentage of ethanol in a beverage.
Appellation: A legally defined and protected geographical area used to identify where grapes for a wine were grown.
Assemblage: A French term for the grape varieties used to blend a wine.
Blind tasting: This allows for an unbiased evaluation of the wine and is when the identity of the wine is hidden from the taster.
Dry wine: Red or white wines where all the residual sugar has been fermented.
Full-bodied: A term for wines that are usually higher in alcohol, glycerin and concentration.
Tannins: Extracted from the grape skins and stems, these are the backbone of a wine and need to be ripe for a wine to feel good in your mouth.
Variety: The type of grape used to make a wine.
Vintage: The year a wine was produced.
Best To Pair With Pasta: Castagnoli Chianti Classico 2013
Heres a free wine tip: If you find shopping for wine overwhelming , then focus on finding an importer you like. Wine importers work with a hand-selected portfolio of winemakers, and they test each wine rigorously. If you find an importer whose taste you trust, its likely that youll enjoy many of the wines in their portfolio.
Kermit Lynch is perhaps the most famous example of this. Hes built his portfolio on clean, classic wines. This Italian Chianti, imported by Kermit Lynch, is no exception. Expect a tart wine with notes of red cherry. The juicy acidity in this bottle makes it extremely food-friendly. It has enough ripe fruit flavor to pair well with saucy pasta, and it will make any tomato dish sing.
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The Best Red Wine To Buy This Christmas
We’ve done all the hard work for you, so you can spend more time drinking your wine, rather than deciding which one to buy.
Looking for the perfect red wines to stock up on this winter? Our wine experts Stacey Smith and Alex Hale, pick their favourite bottles to enjoy, starting from just £4.99.
Whether you’re a fan of big, full-bodied rioja enjoyed fireside, or prefer delicate pinot noir, read on for the best buys…
Domaine des Tourelles is Lebanon’s oldest commercial winery, with a focus on old vines and minimal intervention techniques. This one is a blend of cabernet, syrah, cinsault and carignan, with earthy black fruit at its heart and well-balanced tannins. Savoury and full-bodied, we’d reckon this spicy number is a top wine for entertaining this festive season.
A top-notch malbec from one of Argentina’s best wine producers. Clean, refreshing and full-bodied, you can expect red fruit, spice and floral notes, well a touch of well-integrated oak.
Designed to be served lightly chilled , this is a great introduction to the Ribera del Duero region of Spain.
A little fruit bomb in the mouth, with dark cherry, fennel and eucalyptus, this would work equally well with food or sipped straight up.
A single variety reserve malbec from Mendoza, that’s intense and impressively complex .
Rich and chocolatey with plenty of black fruit, we’d suggest trying this with a good piece of sirloin.
Tank Garage Winery Middle Finger
This brand-new wine from Tank Garage is the perfect way to end this terrible year and ring in one that hopefully will be a lot better. The blend is 95% barbera, 3% primitivo, and 2% graciano, all of which develop into flavors of strawberry, toasted vanilla, and in a unique tasting note from the winery, blue Icee. The kicker to this limited edition wine is the label, created by Italian artist Alessandro Paglia to immediately catch your attention.
To buy: $75, tankgaragewinery.com
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Hirsch Vineyards San Andreas Fault Pinot Noir 2018
This Pinot Noir demonstrates the beauty of the coastal Sonoma macroclimate. Chewy cherry fruit wafts up into your noggin on a cloud of bracing acidity. This results in a nice, lean character that is so well balanced, it doesnt interfere with the depth of the fruit. Its a master class in restraint, with just the right amount of oak. If I were in Sonoma right now, I would be eating cracklins and roasted chicken in the sun washing it all down with this bottle, slightly chilled.
Best Value: Franzia Dark Red Blend
Taste of Home
When you think of boxed wine, who doesnt think of Franzia? This classic brand got high marks for its value. A five-liter box costs less than $20 that comes out to $0.46 per glass! But outside of the amazing price, Franzias Dark Red Blend also impressed us with its rich bouquet.
Slightly dry, this red blend also gave us some earthier flavors accompanied by subtle notes of currants. During our blind sampling, a few tasters commented on how this wine stood out as being more festive than the others. Something about those dark fruit flavors and a touch of spice had us thinking fruitcake . Sipping this wine, we definitely envisioned ourselves enjoying a glass with friends during a party.
- Price of a 5L box : $15.47
- Cost per glass: $0.46
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What Is The Top Rated Red Wine
Cabernet Sauvignon: The Worlds Most Popular Red Wine. If Chardonnay is the queen of wine grapes, then Cabernet Sauvignon is the undisputed king. Its the worlds most planted grape variety, and the driving force behind some of the most prestigious winegrowing regions, like Bordeaux and the heart of the American wine industry, Napa Valley.
Mas Amiel Notre Terre Ctes Du Roussillon Villages
We are willing to admit that the high-brow sounding name of this wine first caught our attention. But after reviewing critic evaluations and sampling it ourselves, this $12 red wine has much to offer in the taste department.
The combination of Grenache, Carignane, Syrah, and a bit of Mourvèdre blend seamlessly to give off a taste that hints of cherry and raisins.
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Best White: 2019 Dr Loosen Dr L Riesling
Courtesy of Wine.com
Region: Germany | ABV: 8.5% | Tasting Notes: Yellow Apple, Pear, Peach, Lemon Curd
Forget everything you think you know about rieslingthis seriously underrated variety makes some of the greatest serious white wines in the world, but it is also responsible for some of the best introductory styles. Riesling comes in every level of sweetness imaginable, from bone dry to lusciously sweet, but most beginners will want to start with an off-dry version like this best-selling classic from Dr. Loosen.
Vibrant acidity keeps this wine from being cloying, and ripe citrus, orchard, and stone fruit flavors make it delightful to drink. The best part is that, like most rieslings, this food-friendly wine is pretty low in alcohol, so it wont cloud your judgement if youre tasting it alongside other wines.
Best German: Gerd Anselmann Pfalz Dornfelder
Courtesy of Drizly.com
Region: Pfalz, Germany | ABV: 11.5% | Tasting Notes: Cherry, Vanilla, Spice
The dark-skinned dornfelder variety is known for being a distinctively German grape that can reach its full potential in the advantageously mild climate of the countrys south-western Pfalz region . The Anselmann estate that operates in this region happens to be one of the best around and this bottle is only one of the reasons why.
Deep red in color, the floral aromas are bolstered by dollops of cherry, raspberry, dark fruit, vanilla, and spice. This is a medium-bodied wine with a rich texture, mildly acidic, and truth be told, on the drier side of sweet.
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Best South African: Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz
Courtesy of Drizly.com
Region: Paarl, South Africa | ABV: 12% | Tasting Notes: Blackberry, Blueberry, Chocolate
As their name might suggest, Jam Jar concocted this sweet shiraz with the direct aim of creating a quality sweet red. The shiraz fruit thrives in hot weather which makes their vineyards in South Africas Western Cape an ideal setting for proper grape-growing. As a bonus, this sweet wine has no added sugar.
This is a veritable medley of dark and red berries: blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, and chocolate, which is not a berry but becomes an honorary berry in this wine. Bold, tannic, and fairly acidic, this makes a complimentary wine with savory steaks and pork dishes.
Best Sweet: 2019 Banfi Rosa Regale Brachetto
Courtesy of Wine.com
Region: Italy | ABV: 7% | Tasting Notes: Raspberry, Strawberry, Red Cherry, Rose Petal
This northern Italian sparkler is festive, fun, and irresistibly tasty. Made from a red grape called brachetto, it smells and tastes of candied fruit and fragrant flowers. Its similar in style to moscato, but with red berry fruit rather than citrus and tropical notes and is a gorgeous cranberry hue in the glass. Banfis bottling is the gold standard for this attractive, elegant style of wine, with its raspberry, cherry, and strawberry fruit and a perfume of rose. Its perfect on its own or as an accompaniment to dessert, especially when paired with rich, creamy dark chocolate treats like mousse or ganache.
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Terra Doro Zinfandel Port
This fine Zinfandel Port comes from the foothills of the Sierra Mountains in California. It is one of Tierra dâOroâs most acclaimed ports. Like all ports, it is a strong wine with a sweet and rich taste. It features aromas of berry fruits, orange peel, and sugar dates, coated with the sweetness of chocolate. Hints of cocoa, toffee, and raisins are also present.
As for pairings, the Terra dâOro Zinfandel Port goes best with blue cheeses, particularly the Stilton cheese. It also pairs well with toasted walnuts.
Los Vascos Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Cabernet from Chile comes in many forms from soft and structured, to grippy, dense, and age-worthy. When done right, it can also be easy-drinking and crowd-pleasing. This is that wine. Its not too heavy, but it still shows some depth and is ready to drink. I mean, the price is nuts for the quality. Buy it by the case in the name of spontaneity.
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Best Ros: 2020 Pratsch Ros
Courtesy of Wine.com
Region: Austria | ABV: 11.5% | Tasting Notes: Strawberry, Watermelon, Peach, Raspberry
Rosé has been having a moment for a while now, so there are many great options to choose from in a wide range of styles. For beginners, we recommend a light, dry style with lots of fresh, vibrant fruit, like this high-value gem from Austria.
Its made from the zweigelt grape, a locally popular variety that is known for bright berry flavors accented with a hint of black pepper, reminding us a lot of pinot noir. Succulent strawberry, watermelon, raspberry, peach, and pear notes are lifted by vibrant acidity and a hint of hibiscus perfume in this refreshing pink wine that makes a perfect companion to parks, picnics, and pools.
Best Under $: Tobin James Zinfandel Late Harvest
Courtesy of Wine.com
Region: Paso Robles, Calif. | ABV: 17% | Tasting Notes: Raisin, Date, Spice
Winemakers Tobin James and Lance Silver have honed in on the style of the rich vineyards of Paso Robles, Calif. with this sweet and spicy zinfandel. Their tasting room is something of a Paso Robles hub for seekers of quality wine. That jovial spirit is captured in this bottle.
There are notes of plum, blueberry, dark chocolate, raisin, and spice. This wine is not too sweet, with vibrant acidity and gentle tannins. This pairs well with barbecue chicken wings or General Tsos chicken.
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