Steeplechase California Red Wine Trio

Red wine is produced around the world from dark-colored or black grape varieties. The color of red wines can range from intense violet with young red wine, brick red for mature red wine, and brown for older red wine. The color of the wine is determined by the grapes skin color and how long it is in contact with the juice during production. Most red wines are aged for some period of time before they are bottled. Red wine aging can vary from a few days to several months or more. Winemakers age the red wine in stainless-steel tanks, concrete tanks, light oak barrels, or heavy oak barrels. Red wine tastes best when poured into a large wine glass with enough to room accommodate 10-22 ounces of liquid allowing wine to breathe. Most red wines are at their best when they are served between 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit. If red wine is served too warm the taste of the alcohol can become overwhelming. Serving a red wine too cold could make the wine taste bitter and more astringent on the palate.

Red wines are frequently classified by their body type. The body types of red wines range from light-bodied, medium-bodied, to full-bodied. Light-bodied red wines have a light mouth-feel more consistent with water while full-bodied red wines feel heavier in the mouth, more like milk. Red wine tastes different on its own than it does when paired with food because of the different aromas and flavors in both the wine and the food. The old rule with pairing food with wine used to be, pair red wine with red meat and white wine with white meat like fish or poultry. In actuality, pairing wine with food is a personal preference and there aren't any rules. Some suggestions light-bodied red wine food pairings are strong cheeses, pasta with red sauce, appetizers, poultry, pork, and full-flavored fish. Medium-bodied red wines pair well with strong cheeses, pasta with red sauce, pork, and beef. Heavy or full-bodied red wines pair best with strong cheeses, pasta with red sauce, beef, lamb, barbecued chicken, steaks, and chocolate.