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The hit comedy film Sideways is about a road trip in the wine
country of sunny California where the two main characters, Miles
and Jack, taste copious amounts of red wine while dealing with
major life dramas. It's a hilarious film that touched so many
people with its dark comedy and truly moving portraits of people
dealing with love, pain, and wine tasting.
But perhaps the greatest thing about Sideways was how it
inspired so many people to go out and become connoisseurs of
fine wine! According the Internet Movie Database, the movie made
so many of its fans want to buy Pinot Noir (a dry red wine) that
sales significantly increased in the US and UK during and after
its release. Talk about the effect of movies on people!
If you want to learn a bit more about red wine, dry red wine,
and its other variants but feel clueless as to the whole thing,
here's a quick wine guide; a red wine for dummy guide if you
like!
Why is Red Wine… Er… Red?
Red wine is so colored because of the grape skins involved.
There are a multitude of grape types, each as diverse and
colorful as the next. You have purple, maroon, deep red, light
red – the list goes on. Each variety brings a unique shade of
red to red wine and the various colors you can see in wine
stores are a direct result of the many grapes used in worldwide
wine-making processes. An individual wine's color depends
largely on what type of grape was used to make it and how long
the skin was left in with the juice before being extracted.
What Are The Different Types of Red Wine?
There are many different types of red wine but they are usually
judged by their “body”. For example, a light-bodied wine is not
too demanding on the mouth and taste buds. It goes well with
food that is flavor intensive. A good example of this kind of
wine is the French red wine Beaujolais Nouveau.
On the other hand, there is the medium-bodied red wine which is
a slightly heavier wine (e.g. Shiraz, Merlot, etc.) but not as
heavy and as powerful as a full-bodied wine like French Bordeaux
wines and Italian red wine like the Super Tuscans. Full-bodied
wines are denser and have higher alcohol content.
How Is Red Wine Served?
You may have noticed at some parties, tasting events, or formal
gatherings that red wine is served in a particular glass. It is
said that an oval or egg-shaped glass that narrows as it reaches
the top(compared to a slim, tall glass) is the best way to
appreciate red wine as it allows the wine to breathe and swirl
better. The best temperature to serve red wine is 60-65 degrees
Fahrenheit. Serve it too hot and the alcohol can be overly
emphasized; too cold and it will taste bitter.
Red Wine – What Are The Different Varieties?
There are a number of red wines available from all over the
world from dry red wine to full-bodied wine to age old wine.
There is really no such thing as the best red wine – what is
tastiest to you should be considered the best. But then there
are many red wines that come highly recommended like Californian
red wine, Australian red wine, and then of course every other
kind of wine through out Europe like Spanish red wine and the
ones previously mentioned.
In time, you will be able to determine exactly what your type of
red wine is. For now, why not sample the many great tasting
wines out there like Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet
Franc...
How Healthy IS Red Wine?
Red wine 101 these days will tell you that red wine or dry red
wine is actually good for you. There have been recent studies by
scientists in the UK that suggest a glass of Cabernet
Sauvignon-derived wines will do the heart very good.
So, if you're looking to spice up your meals or simply want to
develop a healthier diet, red wine or dry red wine may be just
the thing for you. Hopefully, this has been enough information
to whet your appetite.
Toast to your health!
Not a Wine drinker? Then, Get Romantic With Tea!
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