Wine Snobbery 101 : An Introduction to Types of Red Wine for Dummies

Overwhelmed by all the types of red wines? Want to prepare yourself with a little bit of knowledge at your next wine tasting? Then you have come to the perfect place, this article is going to introduce four of the most popular, delicious types of red wines on the market today. Before that though, it is essential to give an introduction to French wine regions, as all four of our varietals, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Malbec, all originate in France.

French Wine Regions

Bordeaux

The first two types of red wine we will cover are Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. They both originate from an area in Southwestern France called Bordeaux. These two grapes (Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon) along with others (including Malbec) are blended together in the highly coveted, world-renowned wines of the region.

Burgundy (or Bourgogne)

The second area is Burgundy, where Pinot noir comes from. This is an area in west-central France that is home to the Pinot Noir variety.

Cahors

This is a city in Central France where foie gras and Malbec are plentiful.

Types of red wine

Merlot

This is a wine which, became famous for its pairing with Cabernet Sauvignon, but in recent years has made a name for itself as an easy-drinking red wine famous for notes of plum, and even chocolate… yum! It offers a friendly wine for a novice, but also has made many vineyards renowned amongst the snobbiest of wine snobs.

Cabernet Sauvignon

As mentioned previously, this wine was used for a long time in its Blends with Merlot. Since then Cabernet sauvignon has worked it’s way all over the world. This wine tends to be more tannic (or bitter) while still balancing these tannins with deep fruit, and green pepper notes. These forces complement each other in the stylistic way only a cabernet sauvignon can, making it a favorite at a number of wine tastings.

Pinot Noir

Pinot noir has quickly become one of the biggest types of red wine since its use in famous films. Pinot noir is characterized by its versatility. It is praised by sommeliers in its wines from France and drank by all in its more fruit-forward less bourgeois options in California and Oregon.

Malbec

Malbec has reached out from its humble beginnings in the French countryside to become a household name. Malbec gained its popularity after its introduction to Argentina. Sipping a malbec from anywhere in the world, you get the approachability of merlot, but with a slight spicy ruggedness reminiscent of jagged Argentinian mountains.

Thank you for taking some time to learn with us, if a public wine tasting isn’t your thing then buy a few bottles yourself and create your own with some of your friends!