While it is very tempting to write an encyclopedia of red wine varietals, DOMSOM will instead focus on the 4 best sellers in the U.S. within the past few years – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel. Since the resurgence of American wine making in the 1970s, the pendulum has swung back and forth several times regarding whether U.S. consumers are drinking more white wine or red wine. Today, it is a fairly tie ball game between the two which takes the pressure off DOMSOM to state a favorite. Add the immense creativity and passion of American wine growers and wine makers to the mix and red wine can be just as fun, diverse and interesting as the white wine varietals we studied in Module 3: White Wine.
Fruity, herbal, spicy, toasty, meaty, dry, juicy, chocolatey – do we have your attention yet?