Wine For The Beginner - Red Wine Selection Tips For Beginners

Zinfandel, Shiraz, Merlot, oh my. Understanding the complexities and variety of red wine can be daunting, especially when it comes to choosing the correct wine for a dinner. Here are some wine selection tips for five of the most popular red wines for the beginner.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Wine

Considered the "King of Red Wine Grapes", Cabernet Sauvignon originated in the Bordeaux region of France and established itself in the California wine markets to become one of the world's most popular red wines. Cabernet Sauvignon is usually matured for 5-10 years to create a mellow-flavored wine. It is often blended with other grapes, most notably Merlot, to create a soft wine with lively fruit tones. Cabernets are medium to full-bodied wines high in tannins which carry rich berry, tobacco and sometimes even green pepper flavors. Cabernet pairs well with lamb, red meats, hearty red pasta dishes, strong cheese and dark chocolate.

Wine For The Beginner - Red Wine Selection Tips For Beginners

Pinot Noir

The Pinot Noir grape is very difficult to grow demanding climates with consistently warm days and cool nights. Nonetheless, it is grown in regions including Oregon, California, New Zealand, Australia, Germany and Italy. Due it's strict growing requirements, Pinot Noir is produced in lesser quantities than many other popular red wines and tends to be a little pricier. It is a lighter colored and flavored red wine with sweet undertones of berries, tomatoes, cherries, plums and earthy or woody flavors depending upon where it is grown. Pinot Noir is one of the most versatile red wines and pairs nicely with poultry, fish, lamb, pork, ham, spicy seasonings and cream sauces.

Zinfandel

Zinfandel has been a mainstay of the Californian wine market since the mid-1800s. Originally from Italy, this robust grape has found a good home in the Americas. The Zinfandel grape produces two varietals: the red Zinfandel, and the White Zinfandel (also called White Zin) which has become a popular wine for the beginner. The basic Zinfandel is a rich, dark red wine with flavors of sweet berries, plums and black pepper and undertones of oak. White Zinfandel is made by removing the grape skins shortly after the grapes are crushed. The result is a rose to pink colored wine with a lighter flavor. Red Zinfandel pairs nicely with red or white meat, hearty fish, burgers and spicy dishes. White Zinfandel is suited to a large rage of foods including Cajun and Asian flavors, BBQ chicken and heavy seafood dishes.

Merlot

Merlot originates from the Bordeaux region of France and is a soft and lush, medium-bodied wine. Its juicy fruit flavors and low tannin content makes Merlot a popular wine for the beginner. Merlot has a wide range of tones including plums, cherries, blueberries, blackberries and black pepper. Merlot is often blended with other wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc to soften their flavors and gain more structure and definition. Merlot is a versatile red which pairs well with pork, red meats, pastas and salads.

Shiraz

Known as Syrah in France, Shiraz is a bold, spicy wine which has become very popular in Australia where it gained its alternative name. It is a medium to full-bodied wine with firm tannins that give it a fuller body than most younger reds. Shiraz has an impressive range of flavors including black cherry, blackberry, plum, bell pepper, black pepper, licorice and even dark chocolate and smoked meat. Shiraz stands up well to hearty foods including grilled meats and vegetables, wild game, seasoned red meats, beef stew and meaty pizzas.

Wine For The Beginner - Red Wine Selection Tips For Beginners

You can learn about white wine for the beginner and get more wine selection tips for finding quality wines for or less at http://wineforthebeginner.blogspot.com

Wine For The Beginner - Red Wine Selection Tips For Beginners

Zinfandel, Shiraz, Merlot, oh my. Understanding the complexities and variety of red wine can be daunting, especially when it comes to choosing the correct wine for a dinner. Here are some wine selection tips for five of the most popular red wines for the beginner.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Wine

Considered the "King of Red Wine Grapes", Cabernet Sauvignon originated in the Bordeaux region of France and established itself in the California wine markets to become one of the world's most popular red wines. Cabernet Sauvignon is usually matured for 5-10 years to create a mellow-flavored wine. It is often blended with other grapes, most notably Merlot, to create a soft wine with lively fruit tones. Cabernets are medium to full-bodied wines high in tannins which carry rich berry, tobacco and sometimes even green pepper flavors. Cabernet pairs well with lamb, red meats, hearty red pasta dishes, strong cheese and dark chocolate.

Pinot Noir

The Pinot Noir grape is very difficult to grow demanding climates with consistently warm days and cool nights. Nonetheless, it is grown in regions including Oregon, California, New Zealand, Australia, Germany and Italy. Due it's strict growing requirements, Pinot Noir is produced in lesser quantities than many other popular red wines and tends to be a little pricier. It is a lighter colored and flavored red wine with sweet undertones of berries, tomatoes, cherries, plums and earthy or woody flavors depending upon where it is grown. Pinot Noir is one of the most versatile red wines and pairs nicely with poultry, fish, lamb, pork, ham, spicy seasonings and cream sauces.

Zinfandel

Zinfandel has been a mainstay of the Californian wine market since the mid-1800s. Originally from Italy, this robust grape has found a good home in the Americas. The Zinfandel grape produces two varietals: the red Zinfandel, and the White Zinfandel (also called White Zin) which has become a popular wine for the beginner. The basic Zinfandel is a rich, dark red wine with flavors of sweet berries, plums and black pepper and undertones of oak. White Zinfandel is made by removing the grape skins shortly after the grapes are crushed. The result is a rose to pink colored wine with a lighter flavor. Red Zinfandel pairs nicely with red or white meat, hearty fish, burgers and spicy dishes. White Zinfandel is suited to a large rage of foods including Cajun and Asian flavors, BBQ chicken and heavy seafood dishes.

Merlot

Merlot originates from the Bordeaux region of France and is a soft and lush, medium-bodied wine. Its juicy fruit flavors and low tannin content makes Merlot a popular wine for the beginner. Merlot has a wide range of tones including plums, cherries, blueberries, blackberries and black pepper. Merlot is often blended with other wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc to soften their flavors and gain more structure and definition. Merlot is a versatile red which pairs well with pork, red meats, pastas and salads.

Shiraz

Known as Syrah in France, Shiraz is a bold, spicy wine which has become very popular in Australia where it gained its alternative name. It is a medium to full-bodied wine with firm tannins that give it a fuller body than most younger reds. Shiraz has an impressive range of flavors including black cherry, blackberry, plum, bell pepper, black pepper, licorice and even dark chocolate and smoked meat. Shiraz stands up well to hearty foods including grilled meats and vegetables, wild game, seasoned red meats, beef stew and meaty pizzas.

Wine For The Beginner - Red Wine Selection Tips For Beginners

You can learn about white wine for the beginner and get more wine selection tips for finding quality wines for or less at http://wineforthebeginner.blogspot.com

Best Wine Selection For Heart Health

Questions about wine selection for heart health arise because of research relating moderate consumption to a reduced risk of coronary artery disease. When it comes to heart health, wine may be a good choice, but excess consumption can lead to multiple health problems. For this reason, scientists have attempted to identify what you might call "the effective ingredient" in red wine. Is there a way to get the health benefits associated with wine, without the health risks? The answer is "yes".

Scientists believe that the health benefits of wine are related to a substance called "resveratrol". Over the past five years, resveratrol has been the subject of thousands of laboratory studies. It is found in grapes, mulberries, peanuts and other plants.

Wine

First identified in 1963 by scientists evaluating the effectiveness of an Asian Folk medicine called ko-jo-kon, resveratrol was later found in grapevines and finally, in 1992, in red wine. Suggestions for the best wine selection for heart health are determined by the known resveratrol content. Reds contain more than whites. In terms of heart health, wine made from Pinot Noir grapes are believed to be the very best, because they have the highest content of resveratrol.

It is interesting to note that grape juice does not contain resveratrol. Researchers are unable to fully explain this, since it is found in fresh grapes. It could have something to do with the fermentation process or the types or parts of the grapes used. The bottom line is that for heart health, wine is more beneficial than grape juice.

The benefit of resveratrol to the plant is known. It acts like an antibiotic, protecting the plant from disease, fungal and viral infections. The benefits to humans are still being studied. There have been positive reports in the Oxford Journal of Medicine and the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. These reports indicate that there may be many benefits.

The main reason that a red wine selection for hearth health is recommended may be due to the anti-inflammatory effects of resveratrol. Researchers have linked chronic inflammation to both heart disease and cancer.

Resveratrol is also an antioxidant, which helps the body remove free radicals and other disease causing products from the blood stream. In laboratory studies, it has been shown to actually prevent cells from mutating into pre-cancerous forms. So, it's not just for heart health, wine consumed in moderation may prevent some forms of cancer.

Multiple studies have linked resveratrol to a reduced risk of coronary artery disease, cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. When physicians recommend moderate consumption for heart health, wine selection for heart health or resveratrol supplements, they recommend a four ounce glass of wine per day or a supplement that contains an equal amount of resveratrol.

In most red wines each ounce contains about 160mcg per ounce. While no upper limit for resveratrol consumption has been established, 640mcg is acceptable for daily human consumption. This is the amount found in 4 ounces of red wine.

If you are concerned about wine selection for heart health, there are some good health supplements on the market, which contain resveratrol and other vitamins, herbs and minerals that promote heart health. Wine consumption is only one way to get resveratrol. It is also present in relatively large amounts in peanuts, but it is important to watch your total dietary intake of fat and peanuts are very high in fat. To learn more about how to protect yourself from heart disease, please visit Heart Health Diet Tips.com.

Best Wine Selection For Heart Health

Patsy Hamilton was a health care professional for over twenty years before becoming a freelance writer. Currently she is writing a series of articles about heart health. Read more at http://heart-health-diet-tips.com