The universe of red wine may sometimes appear vast and complex for the neophyte. Indeed, its spectrum is particularly rich: supple red wine with strong red wine to oaky red wine, there are a multitude of styles. To top it all off, a great diversity of grape varieties exists, making overall understanding all the more difficult for the beginner.
In order to enlighten you on the subject, we will give you in this article all the keys to better understand red wine . We will therefore explain its origins, its manufacturing method and discuss the main styles that you will come across during tasting.
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The origins of red wine
According to the archaeological traces that we have, the first wines produced by man are said to have been made more than 8,000 years ago in the Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, etc.). However, the creation of red wine as we know it today is much more recent.
Indeed, for many years centuries, the predominant wines were above all whites And rosés . White wines were often more orange-tinted wines while the rosés did not resemble ours Coasts of Provence current but were rather clarets, a sort of intermediary between rosé and red.
Furthermore, depending on the cultures, For a long time, wines were mixed with plants (thyme, rosemary, etc.), spices or even honey. . In Greek culture, it was even customary to mix wine with water to measure drunkenness!
In any case, and although some red wines already existed during Antiquity (notably in Egypt and Greece), this is not It was only from the 13th century that red wine began to be truly appreciated. First in France, by the elites, then, during the 14th century, it spread to the rest of Western Europe.
At 17th century , a turning point occurs: while for centuries, claret had dominated global wine trade, popular demand (especially from Paris) then moved towards more colorful, tannic and structured wines. At that time, these were perceived as more nourishing and have the reputation of giving strength to workers . The main producing regions of these wines are then the Burgundy , THE Southwest (Gaillac, Cahors , Pyrenees) and Spain .
Century after century, lightly colored red wines will therefore give way to more intense versions, both visually and in taste.
Today, the volume consumption of still wines (without bubbles) in France is divided between: 46% red wines, 34% white and 20% rosé : So red wine became king . Be careful, however, it should be noted that its consumption has been for several years in decline in favor of other colors, consumers are currently looking for more freshness and lightness in their glass...watch this space.
Fresco depicting grape harvests in ancient Egypt
The making of red wine
Now that the origins of red wine are clearer to you, let's tackle its production. First of all, it is important to understand that Red wine owes its color to its berries . It is indeed inside the grape skins that we find the coloring pigments (anthocyanins) which will give the wine its final color. To go further, here are the main stages of vinification of a red wine.
Harvest
It is of course the first step in making any wine. This phase consists of harvesting the grapes when they reach maturity, either manually or mechanically.
Destemming (or destemming)
This is the first step in the winemaking process. It consists of separate the berries from their stems (woody and plant structure forming the skeleton of the grape cluster).
If this operation is optional, it is very generally practiced because the roundup contains many unpleasant vegetable tannins.
Treading
The grape berries are then burst in order to extract the juice: this is called crushing.
Maceration
Once crushed, the grapes are then placed in containers (stainless steel tank, barrel, cask, etc.) so that the juice comes into contact with the skins , thus giving its color to the wine: it's maceration . This stage generally lasts between 1 and 3 weeks depending on the grape variety and the type of wine the winemaker wishes to produce.
During maceration, are also carried out punching down or pumping over . The solid parts (skins, seeds, etc.) rise to the surface, and they then form a hat of marc The winemaker will then put it back into motion, either by bringing the juice located at the bottom of the tank up to the top using a pump (pump over), or by pushing the marc inside the tank using a stick called a pestle. By this action, the winemaker will to favor better extraction of aromas, color and tannins .
Alcoholic fermentation
This is another key moment in the making of red wine (and all wines in fact). Thanks to yeasts naturally present or added by the winemaker, the sugars present in the grapes will convert into alcohol.
This is the moment when grape juice becomes wine! This step occurs during maceration and generally lasts between 4 and 20 days .
Devatting and pressing
After fermentation, we "decuve", that is to say we empty the vats to recover the wine produced which we call here the "drip wine" .
Then, there are the solid parts (the marc). These skins and seeds also contain juice, so the winemaker will press them gently so as not to extract too many tannins or less noble aromas. We then recover "press wine" , more colorful and powerful.
These two wines will then be blended by the winemaker in proportions that he judges ideal for producing the desired wine.
Breeding
After the assembly of the press wines and free-run wines, comes the time of breeding . This rest period is very important because it is during this period that the wine is built, stabilized, and becomes more harmonious .
Breeding can be done in a wide variety of containers, but the most common ones remain stainless steel tanks, oak barrels, tuns (large wooden containers) and to a lesser extent amphorae .
Breeding is a stage with very variable duration . In fact, this one lasts just a few weeks for Beaujolais Nouveau while it can take two to three years to produce great wines for laying down .
Racking and bottling
After aging, the wine is racked: it is then passed from one container to another in order to remove lees (dead yeast) as well as other deposits undesirable .
Bottling wine
We are now reaching the end of the manufacturing process. After a possible filtration carried out with the aim of clarifying the wine, thus eliminating the last unwanted solid particles, our wine is finally bottled.
Following this "putting", the winemaker generally keeps the wine in the cellar for a few weeks in order to stabilize it definitively, then finally puts it officially on sale.
In certain appellations, notably in Spain within the DOCa Rioja or of the DO Ribera del Duero , the producer may be required to keep the wine for a few more months in the cellar so that it ages in the bottle before being sold.
Pumping over operation during the maceration of a red wine
The different categories of red wine
Now that you know the entire process of making red wine perfectly, So let's see his main styles . Indeed, while it is possible to classify wines in many ways (region, appellation, price, grape variety, etc.), we have chosen here to discuss the main categories of red wine that you will come across during your tastings.
Soft wines
Soft wines are characterized by a certain fluidity in the mouth as well as a lightweight appearance. They are therefore easy-drinking (easily drinkable) and generally present few tannins in order to promote this side accessible This type of red wine is ideal as an aperitif and goes very well with platters of cold meats or cheeses, for example.
In the soft wine category, we would think for example of a Gamay of Beaujolais , A Cabernet Franc of Loire or even a Pinot noir of Burgundy .
Fruity wines
As their name suggests, the aromatic profile of fruity wines evolves firstly on... fruity notes . For red wines, the most common markers are strawberry, raspberry, blackcurrant, cherry and blackberry aromas. Fruity wines are often supple wines intended to be drunk young with a view to immediate pleasure .
If the wines previously mentioned in the category of supple wines are also fruity wines, we can also think here of a young Syrah of the Rhone Valley , a Trousseau of Jura or even a Merlot from Languedoc or the Bordeaux region.
Friends' wines
Friends' wines overlap the characteristics of the two previous categories. Thus, they are generally soft, fruity and are to drink with friends with a view to immediate pleasure .
Languedoc-Roussillon , the Loire, the Southwest or even the Rhone Valley can be excellent regions to find this style of wine.
Powerful wines
Powerful wines are the opposite of supple wines. These are vintages expressing a lot of character as well that a certain strength in the mouth . This type of red wine often has imposing tannins and is to drink during the meal , usually on intense foods like meat.
We will think here of Great Wines of Bordeaux or even some reds of Provence , from Languedoc or from Corsica .
Woody wines
Woody wines are simply wines that have been aged in barrels This breeding will mark the wines by giving them tannins as well as oak aromas but also many spices like vanilla, cinnamon, cloves or even coconut.
The intensity as well as the style of these spices will be determined by several factors such as e type of wood used , the age of the latter (new wood or barrels several years old), the breeding period as well as the heating from the barrel.
If the Bordeaux wines are well known for their woody aromas, this type of vintage exists in all regions of France and the world.
Wines for laying down
Wines for laying down are vintages that can evolve positively in the bottle for several years and sometimes even several decades .
In its youth, a red wine for laying down is generally characterized by a certain tannic power as well as a nice acidity , these two factors contributing greatly to the good longevity of the wines. Moreover, prolonged aging in wood (or amphora) promotes the good development of certain wines, accustoming them to being in contact with oxygen from the beginning of their life.
Although there is no official aging period to qualify a wine as "for aging", at La Cave Éclairée, we define a vintage as "for aging" when it may present a shelf life of at least 10 years .
Great wines for laying down are present in all regions of France and the world.
Sweet wines
Sweet wines are wines containing residual sugar . In the vast majority of cases, this sugar comes from the grapes harvested. This is the case, for example, of Sauternes on Bordeaux, of some Vouvray in the Loire or even Maury and Banyuls in Languedoc-Roussillon.
A sweetness scale officially defines wines ranging from dry to sweet, including semi-dry and moelleux. If you want more details, feel free to read our article on the difference between a sweet wine and a liqueur wine !
Cellar of an estate containing oak barrels and tuns
The best wines red
Although it is very complex to give an exhaustive list of the best red wines, La Cave Éclairée has selected for you here 10 references ranging from wine for friends to great wine for laying down.All have nevertheless one thing in common: their quality!
- Loire - Fabrice Gasnier - Chinon - The Graves
- Rhone - Château de la Selve - IGP Coteaux de l'Ardèche - Little Forest
- Rhone - High Frames Estate - Crozes-Hermitage - The Pebbles
- Rhone - Pierre Usseglio Estate - Châteauneuf-du-Pape - Red tradition
- Languedoc-Roussillon - Mas Amiel - Maury - Natural Sweet Wine - Vintage 1985
- Rioja (Spain) - Bodegas Muga - Rioja - Reserve
- Burgundy - Decelle & Sons Estate - Savigny-Les-Beaune
- Burgundy - Celliers aux Moines Estate - Givry - The Little Cellar Clos
- Burgundy - Decelle & Sons Estate - Savigny-Les-Beaune
- Beaujolais - Clos de la Roilette - Flowery - Late Vintage
- Bordeaux - Valois Castle - Pomerol
You are now a connoisseur of red wine! All you have to do now is go and explore of our beautiful wine regions of France in order to discover the wine styles and grape varieties matching your tastes. In this regard, and if you need advice, The Illuminated Cellar stands b of course at your disposal. Health !
