"red wine" news and stories

For winemakers, the opportunity to be Picasso-like is in creating a blend (a carefully calculated marriage of different grape varietals into one wine). It's akin to coffee roasters taking the time and energy to develop a signature espresso blend. Long hours are spent in the lab shifting the percentages of each wine before honing in on one that equals perfection.

California winemakers love to produce blends. Here are four of our recent favorites from the Golden State.

Cupcake Vineyards "Red Velvet" Red Wine Blend, California ($12)
Luscious and approachable, this fruit-forward blend is flawless, with mocha and blackberry notes and a trace of cranberry. The grapes included in the blend are Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, with the result a decadent wine.

B.R. Cohn Winery The Doobie Brothers 2008 "Doobie Red" North Coast Red Wine ($20)
Black-currant and black-cherry flavors dominate the palate on this wine made from Bordeaux-style varietals. There is a complexity, with earthy notes of tobacco, plum and oak.

In terms of wine education, Italy is like calculus -- that section of study that proves to be among the most difficult to grasp. One reason is that Italy has many grape varietals not grown outside of that country, so we're not talking about well known grapes like Merlot or Chardonnay. Tuscany alone has 29 DOC (denominazioni di origine controllata), which are like AVAs in American wine-speak. To know Italian wines means sipping endlessly to get a handle on how the terroir shifts in various directions around the country.

In honor of the many Italian-wine grapes, and the results of studying them in great detail, here are five Italian red wines we recently sipped -- and enjoyed.

During the summer it's typical to turn to white wines. But what if your preference is for red? Don't fret, there are many options out there for red-wine drinkers once the temperature outdoors turns muggy, humid and stifling. (In other words, we won't force you to down a deeply acidic white like Sauvignon Blanc or Moscato d'Asti!)

Generally, you should look for lighter-bodied reds that still have some complexity (spices and bright fruit) and will pair well with barbecued meats and fish, or salads incorporating summer vegetables.

Find our six summer red recommendations after the jump.

At this year's International Pinot Noir Celebration (yes, there is an event that's 100 percent about this luscious wine grape!) in Oregon's Willamette Valley -- which was held last month -- many Pinot Noirs were poured. From Oregon to New Zealand -- and many points in-between. Considered one of the premier wine events, because it brings together wine collectors and winemakers, it's a plum opportunity to sip Pinot Noir from all over and understand how differing growing conditions produce a unique style.

Workshops in pairing food with these wines and also the nuts and bolts of blending Pinot Noir clones are among the festivities each year.

Find our five favorites from this year's IPNC after the jump...

If you ask us, Chile is the new California. Affordable, high-quality wines are emerging from this southern region of South America at a very fast pace.

In terms of red wines, look for Carmenère. This red-grape varietal all but disappeared from Europe during the 19th century but reappeared in Chile in the 1860s. "We call it the lost grape from Bordeaux," says Héctor Vergara, South America's only Master Sommelier and the guy who determines the mostly-Chilean wine list for travelers on LAN Airlines. Chile is the only country producing Carmenère – which is full of blackberries and spices – commercially.

After the jump, find our six favorites from recent tastings of Chilean red wines – and not just Carmenère, but other red-grape varieties too.