Wine 101 · Chapter 2

The Red Grapes

Feel the structure first. Then the aromas. Then the place.

The flight · Blind

Four reds

  1. Wine 1
  2. Wine 2
  3. Wine 3
  4. Wine 4

Fill in the sheet for each glass. Then guess the grape.

The reveal

What you tasted

  1. 1 Pinot Noir Burgundy Same grape as Chapter 1: earthier, more savory, red cherry
  2. 2 Sangiovese Chianti Classico High acid, firm tannin, sour cherry, dried herbs
  3. 3 Tempranillo Rioja Crianza Crianza means aged at least two years, part in oak: red fruit, vanilla, medium body
  4. 4 Cabernet blend Bordeaux (Médoc) Firm tannin, blackcurrant, cedar from oak

In your deck

Find these four cards

  • Pinot Noir 1 · Pinot Noir
  • Sangiovese 2 · Sangiovese
  • Tempranillo 3 · Tempranillo
  • Cabernet Sauvignon 4 · Cabernet Sauvignon

The ten reds

Structure tells them apart (1 of 2)

  • Pale and silky: Pinot Noir
  • Pale but very drying (high tannin): Nebbiolo. You taste it in Chapter 6.
  • High acid, sour cherry: Sangiovese
  • Soft, high alcohol, low tannin, ripe red fruit: Grenache
  • Firm tannin, blackcurrant, cedar: Cabernet Sauvignon

The ten reds

Structure tells them apart (2 of 2)

  • Smooth, soft tannin, plum: Merlot
  • Dark fruit, black pepper: Syrah
  • Dark fruit, violet, velvety: Malbec
  • Medium body and tannin, often oak-aged (vanilla): Tempranillo
  • Very ripe, jam-like fruit, high alcohol: Zinfandel

Cards · The Bracket

Pick one. Use the card.

  • Pull both grape cards. Read the strip at the bottom.
  • Cabernet vs Merlot: which has more tannin? That one usually ages longer.
  • Pinot Noir vs Grenache: which has lower alcohol? That one usually feels lighter.
  • Syrah vs Zinfandel: which has less alcohol?

One sentence to defend each pick.

Take it to the table

Too dry

A guest asks for a big, bold red. They come back and say it was too dry.

In wine, dry means not sweet. Guests often mean the drying feel of tannin. Which did they mean, and what do you pour next?

Taste the structure, not the color.

Study this week

Tonight's cards

Grapes

  • Pinot Noir Pinot Noir
  • Sangiovese Sangiovese
  • Tempranillo Tempranillo
  • Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon

Regions

  • Burgundy Burgundy
  • Tuscany Tuscany
  • Rioja Rioja
  • Bordeaux Bordeaux

Tasting

  • Red Wine Tasting Guide Red Wine Tasting Guide

Pull these from your deck. Read two a day. Before next week, find one of these wines on a shelf.

Wine 101

Next: Chapter 3 · The White Grapes

winewithseth.com/wine-101