Red Wines

Red Wines
When learning about wine, it’s useful to understand a variety in

terms of its weight compared to other wines. This way, you’ll have
an easier time finding wines you like. For red wines, there are 3
primary styles to know:
Light-bodied
Medium-bodied
Full-bodied
Light-bodied red wines
• Light-bodied red wines are typically pale in color (you can see through them in a glass) and have
very light tannin. FYI, tannin tastes astringent in wine and dries your mouth out in the same way
that putting a wet tea bag on your tongue would. For this reason, light red wines are some of the
most coveted wines in the world.
• The classic light red wine that most people know is Pinot Noir but, besides that, Gamay Noir is
another great wine to try in this category. Gamay is most known by the name of a region where it
grows called Beaujolais.
Medium-bodied red wines
• Medium-bodied red wines are the quintessential food wine because
they have balanced tannin and moderate acidity.
Each style has defining features, and one can define Medium-Bodied
Red Wines as:
• Dominant red fruit flavors
• Medium to high acidity
• Medium tannin
Not all wines are made the same
• Occasionally, producers are able to create very full-bodied versions of

medium-bodied wines depending on where the grapes were grown and what
winemaking techniques are used.
Things that affect the boldness of a wine :
Warm Climate--Grapes from warmer climate regions are sweeter and produce
higher alcohol which adds body.
Oak-Aging--Wines aged in oak for longer periods of time add more tannin and
alcohol, which also adds more body.
Dried Grapes--Wines that are left out to dry (passito method, like for Amarone
della Valpolicello) sweetens the juice and makes richer, higher alcohol wines.
Full Bodied Red Wines
• Full-bodied red wines are characterized by their mouth-coating

density.
• So what are the biggest full-bodied red wines out there? Pay attention
to a wine’s color and you’ll notice darker wines tend to be bolder. This
is because a large portion of the flavor comes from the skins of the
grapes. As you may already know, some grapes have thicker skins
than others.
• Besides the skins and a high skin-
to-berry ratio, there’s also pips.
Wine grapes are seedy. Ever drink
a bottle of Barolo and feel it dry
out your mouth? The seeds (pips)
are loaded with tannin which is
commonly referred to as structure.
You can feel the tannin from pips
towards the front of your mouth
(whereas oak tannin is farther back
on your palate).
What Winemakers Do To Make Full-Bodied Wines
• Winemakers are more like alchemists than ninjas.They guide grapes

into wine and only intervene when necessary. Still the winemaker’s
choice of yeast will greatly affect the mouth feel and taste of the
resulting wine. Additionally, what they do after the wine is fermented
also affects the flavor.
• Malolactic Fermentation
After the wine is fermented, an additional process called Malo-lactic
fermentation (MLF) will increase the texture. MLF is when a special
type of bacteria called oenococcus oeni eats one type of acid and poops
out a different kind. Malic acid is the same acid that is in apples and
this is what O. oeni eats. Lactic acid is smooth, like the creaminess of
whole milk and this is the byproduct. The result is a rounder, more
creamy tasting wine.
Oak Aging
Oak aging not only adds tannin but it adds aroma compounds to wine
including vanillin. Oak esters and tannin help balance out the harshness of
a wine and add body. The newer the oak, the more it affects the wine. New
oak barrels will often be ‘toasted’, which actually means torched with a fire.
The torching caramelizes the oak and in some instances turns some of the
oak to charcoal.
All of the chemical changes in toasted oak add different esters to a wine.
How long the wine sits in oak also affects the resulting flavor and over a
long time in oak wine will have a slightly increased alcohol level. If you like
the bigger, bolder wines look for oak aging at 12+ months.
Red Wine Aging Chart (Best Practices)
• Some red wines age better than others. There are many reasons for
this, but one influencing factor is the grape variety.
• A wine’s natural traits of acidity and tannin create a sort of runway

that allows it to evolve (and even improve) over time. This is why
some varietal wines taste better when they’re a bit older than others,
and vice versa.
Higher Alcohol Feels “Richer”
• Alcohol level adds to the viscosity of a wine. A wine higher in alcohol will
feel weightier than a wine with lower alcohol. You can physically see the
impression of alcohol level as you swirl wine in a glass. A wine with
higher alcohol will have more viscous wine tears. Wines with 14%+ ABV
feel richer.
A Spoonful of Sugar
• Believe it or not it is common to leave a hint of residual sugar (RS) in a
full-bodied dry red wine. Sugar, like alcohol, increases the viscosity of a
wine. We’re not talking about a lot of sugar though, only up to about 3-4
grams per liter. In order to leave sugar in a wine the winemaker doesn’t
add it, they simply stop the fermentation a little early by cooling down
the yeasts and putting them to ‘sleep.’
Climate Affects Boldness in Red Wine
• The fascinating thing about wine grapes is the wide range of climates in
which they can grow. However, you’ll notice that certain varieties grow
only in cool climates and vice versa. Cooler climates tend to produce
lighter red wines with higher acidity.
Another common way to identify a wine’s position in the spectrum has to

do with its dominant fruit characteristics:
• Wines with red fruit flavors tend to be lighter-bodied
• Wines with black fruit flavors tend to be fuller-bodied
Flavor Profiles of Red Wines
• Experts will tell you that it’s impossible to define the flavor profile of a
wine variety and they’re right! This is because there are a lot of
variables that affect the way a wine tastes; from where the grapes
grow to how the wine is made. Despite the many differences, there
are a few fundamental characteristics that are consistent. Learning
about these will not only help you identify what it is you like about
wine, but it can also help you find new wines you’ll like.
10 Flavor Profile Categories on This Chart
1. Red Fruit
2. Black Fruit
3. Floral Aromas
4. Herbaceous
5. Pepper/Spice
6. Earthiness
7. Baking Spice & Vanilla
8. Leathery Flavors
9. Astringency
10. Body
Tasting :
• Vin : Pinot Noir
Producator : Chateau
Purcari
Vintage : 2018
IGP : Stefan Voda
Zahar : < 4 g/l
Alcool : 13,0 % vol
Tasting :
• Vin : Merlot
Producator : Gitana
Winery
Vintage : 2018
IGP : Valul lui Traian
Zahar : < 4 g/l
Alcool : 14,0 % vol
Tasting :
• Vin :Cupaj (Syrah Cab-Sav)
Producator : Fautor
Vintage : 2016
IGP : valul lui traian
Zahar : < 4 g/l
Alcool : 13,5 % vol

Red Wines

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What are the three primary styles of red wine discussed?

What are some characteristics of light-bodied red wines?

Red Wines

When learning about wine, it’s useful to understand a variety in

• Occasionally, producers are able to create very full-bodied versions of

• Full-bodied red wines are characterized by their mouth-coating

• Winemakers are more like alchemists than ninjas.They guide grapes

• A wine’s natural traits of acidity and tannin create a sort of runway

Another common way to identify a wine’s position in the spectrum has to

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