Red, red wine

Yes, cliche title I know, but Bob Marley's song inspired me to share my red wine knowledge with you all.
The primary difference between white wine-making and red wine-making is the presence of skins. Red wine is fermented with the skins, which extract color, flavor compounds and tannins.
Tannins are complex esters of phenolic acids and sugars that effect the astringency, body, color, and aging capacity of wine. Tannins are not present in white wine because they are only found in the skin of grapes, and white wine is fermented without the skins, seeds and pulp.
The most important aspect of red wine-making is cap management, which controls the the carbon dioxide which pushes the skins and seeds of the grapes to the top of the tank. The purpose of cap management is to ensure solids are in contact with all of the liquid in the tank - meaning they (the solids) are equally dispersed.
There are two techniques for cap management:
1. The punch down technique involves a device that literally "punches down" the solids to make sure they interact with the liquid at the bottom of the tank. The old fashioned way, that still exists in some places today, utilized human feet to do the "punching." (gross?)
2. The push over technique pushes and drains the bottom liquid and then re-enters in over the top so it interacts with the solids.

After fermentation the newly-made red wine is stored in barrels to age. Most reds age between 6-18 months.

After aging it's time for bottling and buying!

Recently, I tasted six of the most common red varietals and here's what I found:

• Cabernet Sauvignon: Deep red to brick in color. Tastes dry and very tannic, with herbaceous notes and dark fruit flavors. Other aromas/flavors can include: mint, bell pepper, black currant, cedar and green olives.
  
  
• Merlot: Contains lower tannin and high sugar content than Cabernet. It has a dark red coloring with flavorings of black cherry, plum, violet, rose, caramel and clove.
  
  
• Zinfandel: Rich, redish purple in color with a high alcohol content. Very berry flavored with hints of raspberry, blackberry, boysenberry, cranberry, cherry, licorice, cinnamon and black pepper.
  
  
• Pinot Noir: Colored pale rose to red with flavorings that can include: cherry, strawberry, raspberry, violet, rose, rosemary, cinnamon, rhubarb, cranberry and black current.
  
  
• Syrah/Shiraz: (Syrah is the old version name and Shiraz represents the Syrah varietal located in Australia). Syrah's flavors highlight dark fruits like mulberries, black pepper, black olive and bacon fat. Shiraz includes berries, chocolate, and plum flavorings.
  
  
• Grenache: This varietal is typically used for blending with other wines. It is low in both tannin and color and has flavors of berry fruit such as raspberries and strawberries. It can also include: coffee, gingerbread, honey, leather, spices, roasted nuts, and black cherries.

Hopefully the next time you are offered a glass of red wine without seeing the label the descriptions above will help you decipher the varietal!

Cheers!!!