From vine to bottle, the grape is the foundation of wine excellence.
Wine has been a popular beverage for centuries and the reds and whites dominate the front in wine consumption. Many types of wine are produced in Europe, the Americas and other countries. The wines that remain favored classics in restaurants and wine shops tend to be the good introductory types that are easy on the palate, dynamic in flavor and affordable.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is the name of the grape variety and the wine. It is known for its complexity and richness and a mellow and mild but hearty taste. It has a deep red color and a fruity and spicy essence. The wine is traditionally aged slowly in oak and grows bolder with time. Cabernet is especially good with red meat, game fowl cooked with herbs and with cheddar cheese, brie and chocolate. The Cabernet is a small, blue grape that can be grown around the world.
Chardonnay
The Chardonnay is also a grape variety and an extremely popular white wine and used as a blender in sparkling wines and Champagne. It is the exclusive grape variety grown in Chablis, Burgundy, in France, but can be grown just about anywhere. It is the most commonly planted grape in California. Wine growers love it because the vines have high yields and the grape is dynamic in character. Wine drinkers love it for its versatility of flavor and range of price. A Chardonnay is usually dry with a citrus flavor and goes well with pork, seafood and poultry and with the sweeter, creamier cheeses.
Merlot
Merlot was brought to France in the first century and named Merlot in the 1800s. It is now grown around the globe. Traditionally a blending wine because it doesn't age well, the Merlot gained popularity in the 1990s as an excellent wine on its own merits. It is softer and more mellow than most red wines and can be drunk earlier due to lower tannin content. The taste varies with flavors reminiscent of black cherry, violet, and orange. Merlot is good with heavy red meats, wild game, red pasta dishes and chocolate.
Tags: grape variety, Cabernet Sauvignon, good with, grown around