Rubious Hues 

Red wine gets its colour from the skin of the grape and is typically drained off the skins at the end of the alcoholic fermentation. Red wines are generally fermented at a higher temperature compared to white wines that ranges from 20°C to 32°C. The high temperature helps extract colour and tannin from the grape skin. Once the fermentation has finished this newly made wine is stored for a period of time in either stainless steel tanks or oak barrels prior to bottling. The colour in red wine changes as it ages. It starts from ruby, changes to garnet and then to tawny and it becomes paler in intensity. The tannins can also become softer and smoother after time and tertiary characters like meat, prune, fig and wet leaves can develop in the wine. For an aged wine, deposits can form at the bottom of the bottle as they mature and, if a large amount of deposit has formed over time, the wine is decanted before it is served to leave these sediments behind.

Paired Perfection

 When it comes to food and wine pairing, it is important to remember that people have different sensitivities to various aromas and flavours. The same level of acidity or bitterness, can affect one person more strongly than another. When you eat food your taste buds adapt so that the perception of the levels of salt, sugar, acid etc. in what you taste next can be changed. For example, some food such as chocolate or a creamy dish will coat one's palate that can impair the sense of taste. Likewise, orange juice consumed right after using toothpaste will be unpleasantly acidic. 

Sweetness in food can make a dry wine seem less fruity and a good wine pairing suggestion for food with sugar in it is to pair it with a wine that has a higher level of sweetness than the dish. Acidity in food is a good thing when pairing it with wine because it can balance a wine that has high acidity and also enhances its fruitiness.

However, if the level of acidity in the wine is lower than the food, it can make the wine seem less fruity. When pairing acidic wines with fatty food it can provide a pleasant sensation of the acidic wine 'cutting through' the fat in the food and cleansing the palate. Salt is an important ingredient for food as it can enhance the flavour of even a boiled potato or rice which otherwise would have very little flavour. This helps when pairing it with wine, as it can make the wine seem fruitier and also soften the tannins in red wine.

A wide variety of grape varietals are used to make red wine, and sometimes a number of these are blended together too. A few common red grape varietals you'll come across are Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah/Shiraz and Tempranillo.

Types of Grapes 

Pinot Noir 

Pinot Noir is a black grape variety that requires a cool climate to produce good quality grapes. As a wine, it is pale to medium in colour with high acidity and low to medium tannins. Most common flavours in a Pinot Noir are strawberry, cherry and raspberry. It is often matured in older or larger oak barrels that impart subtle aromas of smoke and cloves. Most Pinot Noirs are intended to be consumed young but there are some good examples that develop complex tertiary flavours like mushroom and forest floor in the bottle which can take several years.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is a thickskinned black grape that needs warm climate so it doesn't struggle to ripen. The grape contains high levels of flavour, colour and tannin which needs a long and warm growing season to ripen fully. That is one reason why it does really well in a few wine growing regions in India. A wine made from this grape will have a deep colour, high acidity, high tannins, will be dry with a medium to full body. 

Most wines have pronounced flavours of black cherry, green pepper, blackcurrant and mint. Cabernet Sauvignon can be found as a single varietal, but in old world wine countries it is often blended with other varietals like Merlot.

Merlot 

Merlot is a black grape variety that grows well in moderate and warm climates. A single varietal wine made from Merlot is usually dry with medium acidity and tannins. The flavours in a Merlot will vary according to ripeness. A just-ripe Merlot will produce flavours of red plum, strawberry and green bell pepper while a riper Merlot will produce cooked flavours of black plum and blackberry. As mentioned earlier, Merlot is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and a Merlot dominated blend can be aged for an extended period of time where it develops notes of tobacco and dried fruit over time.

Syrah or Shiraz 

Syrah/Shiraz is a thick skinned black grape variety that is relatively smaller in size. The grape produces a wine that has high levels of acidity and tannins with black-fruit flavours of blackberry and black cherry along with notes of herbs and black pepper. This is the signature style of Rhone in France where it is known as Syrah. The riper style of wine with flavours of cooked black fruits and liquorice is more common in warmer parts of Australia where it is famously known as Shiraz. The difference in name gives the consumer an idea of which style of wine has been made and what they can expect.

Tempranillo

Wines made from Tempranillo have medium levels of tannins and acidity with flavours of red cherry, strawberry, black plum and blackberry. It is a versatile black grape variety that makes a range of wines, from simple and fruity to complex and ripe. If the wine is age worthy, small proportions of other varietals are blended to increase the tannins and acidity. Traditionally, Tempranillo based wines are matured in small new oak barrels that impart flavours of smoke, vanilla and cedar. Some very good quality wines develop complex flavours of mushroom, dried fruit and leather in the bottle over time.

Indian Wine Offerings 

India has become a top red wine producer over the years and have a few variants that could compete in the international market. The Fratelli Sette is a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon from the rocky and sandy soils of Akluj in Maharashtra. Sangiovese provides the wine with raspberry and vanilla notes while the Cabernet Sauvignon adds blackcurrant notes.

It is aged for 14 months in French oak barrels that imparts vanilla flavours and softens the tannins giving it a vibrant finish. The KRSMA Cabernet Sauvignon is the flagship wine of the brand with its vineyards in Hampi hills. It is fruit forward, with intense flavours of prunes, cloves and dark chocolate. It spends 12 months is French oak barrels and also ages exceptionally well in the bottle over the years. 

The Reveilo Merlot is an excellent choice for takers who like a light to medium bodied wine. On the palate it is dry with medium acidity, well-structured tannins with flavours of red plum and cherry. Last but not the least is the La Reserve from Grover Zampa that is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. It is full bodied with medium tannins and acidity and, flavours of chocolate, coffee beans and vanilla.