International Red Wines

ARGENTINE MALBEC Argentina's most notable variety, this wine
is medium-bodied with lush red and black berries and a touch of spice.
Serve with game.

AUSTRALIAN CABERNET SAUVIGNON Big and bold in true
Aussie style.   Good tannin structure makes this robust red great for
short term cellaring. Perfect with full-flavored meats.

AUSTRALIAN CABERNET SHIRAZ This blend come together in
perfect harmony. Complex with ripe fruit flavors. Try it with your next
barbecue.

AUSTRALIAN SHIRAZ This delicious crowd pleaser with its ripe
fruit aromas has a full, zesty finish. Great with red meats and stews.

CHILEAN CABERNET SAUVIGNON Red and black berries
accent this Chilean classic. Enjoy it with steaks or pasta.

CHILEAN MERLOT This fruit forward Merlot has soft tannins and a
medium body. Check out the powerful fruit flavors and supple finish.
Pastas and red meats accompany this wine beautifully.

CHILEAN PINOT NOIR A ruby red dry wine with a medium body, an
elegant mouthfeel and soft tannins. The aroma of red berries and a
touch of herbiness are highlighted in this wine.

FRENCH CABERNET SAUVIGNON This French classic has
intense fruit flavors and moderately strong tannins. An excellent choice
for short-term cellaring.

FRENCH MERLOT A soft elegant dry red wine with just a touch of
French oak is an award winner. A medium-bodied wine that is deeply
colored with a complex, velvety taste. Try it with a vegetable stew of
beef tenderloin.

ITALIAN AMARONE This medium-full bodied wine is off-dry. It has
a deep ruby color and a spicy-earthy bittersweet finish that lingers on
due to its huge volume of tannins. Enjoy it with a rich meat sauce over
pasta.

ITALIAN BARBARESCO A big, medium-full bodied dry, red wine
with robust fruit flavors and elegant structure. Perfect with rich stews.

ITALIAN MONTEPULCIANO A truly full bodied red with medium
oak. This rich, deeply colored wine has flavors of blackberries and
black pepper is both smooth and mellow.

ITALIAN SANGIOVESE The long, smooth finish of this medium
bodied dry wine is livened by a zing of toasty oak and acidity. Most
often associated with Chianti, the Sangiovese grape shows its true
nature in this wine. Try it with Italian dishes, pork, mushroom dishes,
blue cheese or veal.

SOUTH AFRICAN PINOTAGE Complex with a plummy character.
Flavors of raspberry, vanilla, plum, coffee and even banana all find
their way into the wonderful finish.

SPANISH RIOJA Cellaring will help soften the tannins in this
medium-full bodied, dry, bright red wine. It will also develop the wine's
complexity. Pair it with lamb chops, beef stew, and spiced red meats.

Body
Refers to how light or heavy a
wine feels in the mouth. Full
body wines are often
accompanied by complex and
lasting flavors. Light body
wines are thin or watery, but
not necessarily inferior wines.
Body simply refers to a wines
overall nature.

Tannin
Structural components in wine
that effects color and, ageing
potential. Can cause a drying
sensation in the mouth, similar
to that of a green banana.
Tannins are associated with
red wines and are created
when the yeast interacts with
the grape skins. Overly tannic
wine will mellow with age.

Complex
Refers to wine having many
different flavors and facets.

Finish
Refers to how long the flavors
of a wine lasts in the mouth
after drinking.

Dry
Refers to wine in which all of
the available sugar has been
fermented into alcohol. Off-dry
refers to a wine that has a hint
of sweetness.

Crisp
A wine that is high in acidity
while still maintaining
balanced flavors. These wines
are usually quite refreshing on
the palate.

Balanced
A balanced wine is one in
which no one flavor stands out
too much.

Oak
Wine can have oak add during
fermentation or it can be aged
in oak. Oak being used can
be American, French,
Hungarian, toasted or
un-toasted. Most red and
some white wines come into
contact with oak. This contact
will develop flavors of spice,
vanilla and wood in the wine
as well as tannins.