5 Varieties of Red Wine Grapes

5 Varieties of Red Wine Grapes - Country Wine & Spirits

5 Varieties of Red Wine Grapes

Having a glass of delicious red wine with your friends or loved ones after a stressful day at work is one the best ways to de-stress. Another added advantage of drinking red wine regularly is that it will bring numerous health benefits to you such as lower cholesterol levels and controlled blood sugar level.

If you are planning to order wine or liquor from an liquor store, then you must have a basic knowledge of the different varieties of red wine grapes, as it will help you to order the right red wine. There are hundreds of different varieties of red wine grapes in the world and some of the most popular ones are as follows.

Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon are actually part of the essential blending triad, which makes up most of the Bordeaux blend red wines produced in the country. The most distinctive attributes of Cabernet Franc in warmer sites outside of Europe are pure notes of blueberry and violets, but its ripe tannins frequently carry the scent of fresh roasted coffee.

Cabernet Sauvignon

The most prominent flavors of Cabernet Sauvignon are black cherry, cassis, herb, green olive, and bell pepper. This variety of red wine grape is grown all over the globe, but not all of them are suitable for making great red wine. Cabernet Sauvignon ripens late in most regions and they are vegetal in regions with cooler climatic conditions like Chile.

Gamay

The grape of Beaujolais, Gamay displays tangy, bright, and fruit-driven flavors of sweet cherries, raspberry, and strawberry. Liquor manufacturers often use a method known as carbonic maceration to make Gamay wine, which offers a distinct smell of bananas and a slight effervescence to it.

Grenache/Garnacha

Old vine Grenache produces some of the best red wines of both Australia and Spain and it is an integral component of Côtes du Rhône, Gigondas, and Châteauneuf du Pape in France. Grenache/Garnacha is an early ripening grape and it has low acidity as well as great alcoholic content.

Malbec

The prominent flavors of Malbec are spice and sour cherry. Malbec is one of the less-used blending red grape wines; however, they are one of the most popular choices of liquor manufacturers in Argentina and in several parts of the US, and these manufacturers use Malbec to make tart and spicy red wines.