red

Dornfelder was created in Germany.  It drinks a lot like a Pinot Noir, but has a beautiful purple color.  Pfalz is in western Germany and is often considered an extension of Alsace in terms of wine.

This wine is made by Charles Smith, the winemaker who makes Kung Fu Girl Riesling.  I love this wine because it is such a beautiful and straightforward example of Merlot.  The movie, "Sideways," destroyed the market for Merlot.  Less demand means that you can get great Merlot for very affordable prices.

Cab Franc is probably my favorite red variety, and I don't think that it gets enough love.  It is a parent of Merlot and of Cabernet Sauvignon.  While it is used in Bordeaux blends, you often don't get it as a varietal from France.  Until now.  Vignobles Lacheteau is a négociant; they buy grapes from various sources and make the wine.  However, because the label says Chinon, we know that all of the grapes are from the Chinon region.  Let this wine open for about 20 minutes before drinking.

Being from Puglia, this wine is likely a blend with a high proportion of Zinfandel/Primitivo/Tribidrag.   This wine has flavors and aromas of red fruit.  Apassimento is a method in which healthy grapes are dried on mats.  The drying process concentrates flavors and acids.  It also tames the tannins, creating a big wine that is incredibly smooth.

Nero d'Avola is a grape native to Sicily; it has flavors of black fruit.  Apassimento is a method in which healthy grapes are dried on mats.  The drying process concentrates flavors and acids.  It also tames the tannins, creating a big wine that is incredibly smooth.

Native to the Republic of Georgia, Saperavi is a teinturier grape, meaning that the flesh and skin are both black.  This produces wines with such deep color that they are often described as inky.