DIY Custom Wine Cellar

There are a great number of different wines available – many more than you may have even imagined. If you’d like to find out more about how to match up different wines with your food, then a good place to start is with some of the more popular wine varieties before you start to explore more esoteric grapes.

Oh, and before we get started, if you love to try new wines, then you can’t go wrong with a wine of the month club, they’re fun and you’re always expanding your wine palate.

Let’s take a look at some of the more popular wine varieties:

Cabernet Sauvignon

Often abbreviated to the less-than-lovely name ‘cab-sav’, the flavorful cabernet sauvignon is a classic French wine that is one of the most widely recognized red wine varieties.

This flavorful red is perfect with steak, roasted lamb and just by itself while unwinding.

Merlot

Merlot is a very soft red which has a lower level of tannins than many other red wine varieties. It is often blended with cabernet sauvignon and other grapes, but is often found on its own, making a good accompaniment to chicken and other poultry dishes.

Shiraz

This wine (also known as Syrah) is very dark red in color and has a full body with notes of black pepper. This wine is ideal for barbecues and in fact, any meat dish. These wines can be aged for many years with spectacular results.

Originally from Iran, this grape is now very much associated with the Australian Barossa Valley region, where some of the world’s best Shiraz is produced.

Shiraz holds up to strongly flavored sauces, making it a good choice for barbecued meats and spicy dishes.

Grenache

Grenache has a soft taste on its own with a very slight black pepper and plum flavor. It is often blended with Syrah, especially in Spain and France. Grenache also accompanies spicy foods quite well.

Pinot Noir

A light to medium bodies red, Pinot Noir has flavors of cherry and plum, along with violet-like flavors which become more prominent when this wine is properly aged. It goes good with light foods, low in fats and grease. For some great tips on healthy eating recipes, you can look up different foods that will pair well on the internet.

Chardonnay

This is one of the most popular white wine varieties. Chardonnay makes a lovely wine on its own and it is often blended with other white wines. Chardonnay has notes of melon and lemon, as well as oak; the wine is generally aged in oak for between one and three years. This wine is the perfect complement to salmon and tuna dishes.

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon blanc is a very ripe tasting white wine that can have a quite aggressive aroma as compared to other white wines. Sauvignon Blanc is a lovely white wine that is excellent with seafood and a great accompaniment to Japanese sushi, but is even better on its own as a drinking white wine.

Semillon

This classic full-bodied dry French white wine is often misunderstood by people living outside of France or Australia. Often criticized for lacking in intensity, Semillon has a distinctly fruity flavor that is more subtle than some of the ‘heavier’ white wines and so it’s often blended with a Sauvignon Blanc to create a wonderful light drinking wine.

Riesling

Riesling was original a German wine that is now made successfully in many countries around the world. Rieslings are classically fruity and can be either sweet or dry, which makes them an ideal compliment to many spicier cuisines.

Now get out there, start trying new wines (join a wine club if there are no vineyards nearby), and enjoy.