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The world of wines is a complex one for people who don’t know it. The combinations of tastes and odors, and the varieties, intimidate those who know nothing about them. The truth is that this world of wine does not have to seem complex and difficult to understand, and if you have some basic notions you can manage perfectly. This small guide will help you and it will present some varieties that you should have in your locker. You will understand more about wine and how to match the food with them.

Red Wines

1. Cabernet Sauvignon
Description: This is one of the most popular red wines. Cabernet Sauvignon is recognized for its perfect taste and aroma; it is rich, intense, has a little taste of cherry and aromatic herbs. When you leave a little wine in the cup and look at it you will see shades of blueberries and oak. Cabernet Sauvignon is a dry wine because of the tannins – the tannin acid is the one that makes this wine give you a feeling of dry mouth.

Works with: An excellent red wine goes to a rich meal. Cabernet Sauvignon should be drank when you eat good meat, such as duck, spicy beef, rabbit, sausages, or kidney. It also goes for a meal of harsh cheese.

Hint: For $ 13 bottle, Albamar Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is a fine choice. It is a Chilean Cabernet and has aromas of black fruits, the petal rose, or orange peel. It is a very dry wine with rich fruit flavor and very little tannin acid. It works great with some grilled mushrooms.

2. Merlot
Description: Merlot is perhaps the most accessible red wine for those who are not initiated in these secrets, and tastes like aromatic herbs. Less dry than Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot has tents of blueberries, plums, chocolate and vanilla.

Goes with: Merlot is a versatile wine. You can have it with a not too spicy food, but works excellent too if you eat beef or lamb. It also goes perfectly to a dinner in which you have a well cooked duck. Also, Merlot accompanies perfectly the consistent Italian dishes.

Hint: A Merlot from Spain, Gran Toc Hill Reserva 2000, can be bought with about $ 17. It goes great with mushrooms salad or with fried beef.

3. Pinot Noir
Description: If we refer to boldness, Pinot Noir is one step below than Merlot. Pinot Noir is a red light and delicate, but complex wine. Its color may be light red to dark red, and in general has a cherry flavor.

Works with: Pinot Noir goes well to a dish of salmon, lamb, chicken, ham, or pork. Classic French cuisine has foods based on the consumption of Pinot Noir, such as the famous "coq au vin - chicken cooked in red wine. This wine goes with usually simple, but rich in vitamins food.

Hint: For $ 14 bottle, you can try a Twin Fin Pinot Noir California. This wine has a small concentration of tannin, a ruby color and flavors of cherry and vanilla. Drink it best when it is slightly cooled and season it with a good aperitif or with tuna.

4. Zinfandel
Description: Zinfandel is a red open wine, very easy, and with flavors of spices. Zinfandel also has easy derivatives that tend to have a stronger flavor of fruit, while the tougher derivatives in Zinfandel have a more profound flavor of strawberries. This wine is valuable, but careful not to confuse Zinfandel, which is a red wine with white Zinfandel, which is a rose.

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Works with: Zinfandel fits great with the foods from the Italian cuisine, and greatly accompanies cheese, pasta and red meat. Try it on a pizza with tomatoes, red onion, prosciutto, mozzarella and pesto.

Hint: Cline Zinfandel, a Californian wine, sells for just $ 14 bottle. It is ruby, tastes of aromatic herbs and spices and goes great with Cajun chicken, pork ribs or duck chest cooked in cranberry sauce.

White wines

5. Chardonnay
Description: If you have guests for dinner and want to serve white wine, you never fail with Chardonnay. It is one of the most popular white wines because it is a balanced wine. From a Chardonnay, you can expect flavors of apples and pears, in addition to vanilla and butter.

Works with: Chardonnay is the most popular in California, and maybe therefore it goes best with the Californian cuisine. Think of grilled chicken, salmon, shellfish, or avocado. It goes very well also to the French food and pasta with cream sauce.

Hint: Salices Chardonnay 2004 is sold at a price of $ 13 a bottle and it is a French Chardonnay with flavors of peach, apple, banana, and honey. It is excellent with grilled chicken.

6. Sauvignon Blanc
Description: Sauvignon Blanc is the easiest of the white wines, and is recognized for its citrus aromas. Dry and acid, it is a very accessible wine. Goes with: This variety of white wine is matched very well with light foods such as white meat, especially fish and seafood. It is also excellent as aperitif.

Hint: You can not miss drinking a Fat Bastard Sauvignon Blanc. To such a name, you can only be at least curious. The bottle costs $ 15, and Sauvignon Blanc is a very good French wine. It is dry, and the flavors of fruits and herbs are delicious. Fat Bastard goes great with white fish on grill or grilled chicken kebab.

Rose wine

7. Rose wines
Description: These wines, as the name suggests, have colors that go more towards pink. Their color comes from a variety of red grapes. There is a special technique to transfer the pigment from the grape into the wine, to get that beautiful color. These wines have become known in the 80s, when white wines were in power, and producers tried to get rid of excess red grapes. The result was rose wines, which sometimes are made from mixtures of red wine with white wine - but you know how they say: do not try this at home.

These wines are generally light and sweet, although some may even be very dry. Names of such wines: Blanc de Pinot Noir, Cabernet Blanc, White Zinfandel, Pinot Gris, or Gris Wine.

Goes with: These wines are light and sweet, go extraordinary well with spicy foods - Asian or Latin cuisine. Of course it is not appropriate to drink rose for a bowl of chili.

Hint: Henry of Pelham Rose sells by about $ 10 bottle; it is a Canadian rose quite dry and acid. It is a rose of summer, and an excellent partner to grilled salmon salad or seafood.

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