WINE AND TASTE

Enhanced in 2014 HOW KIND OF YOU TO VISIT? Please make yourself comfortable. Syrah, cabernet, zinfandel are red grape varieties. This page describes wine styles by variety and production area. If only one variety (merlot, cabernet sauvignon) is mentioned on the label, then the wine is called varietal and is named after the grape with a capital initial (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon). Varietal wines primarily show the fruit: how the wines tastes much depends on the grape variety. Picture of syrah vine Syrah vine picture (Sah-ra or Shi-raz) Syrah and shiraz are two names for the same variety. Europe vintners only use the name syrah. Food pairings: meat (steak, beef, wild game, stews, etc.) Districts: syrah excels in California, in Australia, and in France’s Rhone Valley. Typical taste in varietal wine: aromas and flavors of wild black fruit (such as blackcurrant), with overtones of black pepper spice and roasting meat. The abundance of fruit sensations is often complemented by warm alcohol and gripping tannins. Toffee notes if present come not from the fruit but from the wine having rested in oak barrels. The shiraz variety gives hearty, spicy reds. While shiraz is used to produce many average wines it can produce some of the world’s finest, deepest, and darkest reds with intense flavors and excellent longevity. You’ll discover Syrahs of value and elegance by reading my reviews of French wines. Picture of merlot vine Merlot vine picture (Mare-lo) Easy to drink. The softness of Merlot has made it an "introducing" wine for new red-wine drinkers. Food pairings: any will do. Districts: a key player in the Bordeaux blend, merlot is now also grown in Italy, Romania, California, Washington State, Chile, Australia, etc. It is the fourth wine grape variety in terms of coverage worldwide (after sultanine blanche, airen blanc, and grenache noir). Typical taste in varietal wine: typical scents include blackcherry, plums and herbal flavors. The texture is round but a middle palate gap is common. The Merlot type of wine is less tannic (rough) than Cabernet Sauvignon. Picture of syrah vine Syrah vine picture (Sah-ra or Shi-raz) Syrah and shiraz are two names for the same variety. Europe vintners only use the name syrah. Food pairings: meat (steak, beef, wild game, stews, etc.) Districts: syrah excels in California, in Australia, and in France’s Rhone Valley. Typical taste in varietal wine: aromas and flavors of wild black fruit (such as blackcurrant), with overtones of black pepper spice and roasting meat. The abundance of fruit sensations is often complemented by warm alcohol and gripping tannins. Toffee notes if present come not from the fruit but from the wine having rested in oak barrels. The shiraz variety gives hearty, spicy reds. While shiraz is used to produce many average wines it can produce some of the world’s finest, deepest, and darkest reds with intense flavors and excellent longevity. You’ll discover Syrahs of value and elegance by reading my reviews of French wines. Picture of merlot vine Merlot vine picture (Mare-lo) Easy to drink. The softness of Merlot has made it an "introducing" wine for new red-wine drinkers. Food pairings: any will do. Districts: a key player in the Bordeaux blend, merlot is now also grown in Italy, Romania, California, Washington State, Chile, Australia, etc. It is the fourth wine grape variety in terms of coverage worldwide (after sultanine blanche, airen blanc, and grenache noir). Typical taste in varietal wine: typical scents include blackcherry, plums and herbal flavors. The texture is round but a middle palate gap is common. The Merlot type of wine is less tannic (rough) than Cabernet Sauvignon.