Popular Varieties Of Wine

There are many types and varieties of wine available. For anyone wanting to try and match a great wine with a specific type of meal, then you can’t go wrong making your choice form one of the more popular varieties around.

Oh, and before we get started, if you love to try new wines, then you can't go wrong with a wine of the month club, they're fun and you're always expanding your wine palate.

Let’s take a look at some of the more popular wine varieties:

Cabernet Sauvignon

Often abbreviated to the less-than-lovely name ‘cab-sav’, the flavorful cabernet sauvignon is a classic French wine that is one of the most widely recognized red wine varieties.

This well rounded red goes wonderfully with steaks and roasted lamb as well as being delicious on its own.

Merlot

Merlot is a very soft red which has a lower level of tannins than many other red wine varieties. It is often blended with cabernet sauvignon and other grapes, but is often found on its own, making a good accompaniment to chicken and other poultry dishes.

Shiraz

This wine (also known as Syrah) is very dark red in color and has a full body with notes of black pepper. This wine is ideal for barbecues and in fact, any meat dish. These wines can be aged for many years with spectacular results.

Native to Iran (it is named after the Iranian city of Siraz), this grape is produced extensively in Australia, which makes some of the best Shiraz in the world as well as in France.

Shiraz pairs well with strong and spicy sauces – it is ideal for spicy cuisines and barbecue.

Grenache

Grenache has a soft taste on its own with a very slight black pepper and plum flavor. It is often blended with Syrah, especially in Spain and France. Grenache also accompanies spicy foods quite well.

Pinot Noir

Pinot noir is a stunning light- to medium-bodied red wine with a fine fruity aroma. When this fine wine is well aged, it can develop lovely floral flavors.

Chardonnay

This is one of the most popular white wine varieties. Chardonnay makes a lovely wine on its own and it is often blended with other white wines. Chardonnay has notes of melon and lemon, as well as oak; the wine is generally aged in oak for between one and three years. This wine is the perfect complement to salmon and tuna dishes.

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon blanc is a tart, assertively flavored wine with lemon and gooseberry notes. This is a great wine for seafood or on its own, well chilled.

Semillon

This French grape is not as well known to those outside of France and Australia, where it is also widely grown. However, Semillon has a pleasing honeyed toast-like flavor, with lower acidity than many whites. It is often blended with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, with which is makes some very good wines.

Riesling

This is a German wine which has found favor worldwide and is now grown in many different countries. This is a white wine with a pleasing green apple and lemon flavor which may be either dry or sweet. The dry varieties of Riesling are excellent paired with spicy foods.

Now get out there, start trying new wines (join a wine club if there are no vineyards nearby), and enjoy.

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