Red wines come in many different styles, the most obvious differentiation being dry and sweet. The dryness or sweetness of a wine depends on its level of residual sugar. The vast majority of red wines available are dry, meaning they have little to no sugar. It would be nearly impossible to create a complete listing of every type of dry red wine, but the basic categories are easy to define.
Classic French Reds
Many of the world's most famous and highly regarded dry red wines come from France, and most of those come from three major regions: Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhone Valley. Bordeaux red wines are blends of several grapes, mainly cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc. Red wines from Burgundy are made exclusively from pinot noir. In the northern Rhone, red wines are made from syrah, while southern Rhone wines can be blends of as many as 13 grapes -- like the famous Chateauneuf-du-Pape -- but are predominantly made from grenache. The best of the wines from these regions are extraordinarily complex and tend to age well.
Other Old World Reds
Italy creates many well-known dry red wines in two main regions: Piedmont and Tuscany. The major Tuscan grape is sangiovese, which produces the ubiquitous Chianti, as well as the more refined Brunello di Montalcino. When sangiovese wine is blended with wine from non-Italian grapes, the wines are dubbed "Super Tuscans" and are usually wines of high quality and high prices. In Piedmont, the king of all grapes is nebbiolo, which produces such distinguished red wines as Barolo and Barbaresco, Italy's most complex and robust wines made for long aging. Spain produces some high-quality reds from the tempranillo grape, including notable wines from Rioja and Priorat.
New World Reds
Countries all over the world have jumped into the winemaking game, many with great success at producing dry red wines. In California, Napa Valley produces reds dominated by cabernet sauvignon that rival the quality of their classic French cousins. California is also known as zinfandel country, one of the few places in the world where that grape is able to flourish. Australia is famous for its quality shiraz production, while its neighbor New Zealand is producing better pinot noir every year. Argentina is making a name for itself with its malbec wines. In general, new world wines are fruitier in style than their old world counterparts and are more accessible without significant aging.
Unusual Dry Reds
Aside from these basic reds, keep an eye out for a few emerging, unusual wines. South Africa created a grape from a cross of pinot noir and cinsault, called "pinotage." Since pinot noir is almost never blended, this wine is interesting in that it gives drinkers the chance to experience a new side of pinot. Another unusual dry red wine comes from the Veneto region of Italy: Amarone. This wine is made from grapes that have been dried, or raisinated, through a process called appassimento. They are then turned into a wine that has a bitter, concentrated flavor.
Tags: pinot noir, made from, wines from, cabernet sauvignon, come from
