Personality: Depends on the price- inexpensive merlots are simple, basic red wines of little character. But if you spend $25 or more, you’ll get a wine as rich and majestic as a cabernet.
Origin: The Bordeaux region of France; California and Washington State.
Aroma, flavor and texture: Cocoa, red plums, cassis, espresso, cedar, tobacco; medium to full bodied. Top merlots have a lot of structure.
Cost: From $10 for inexpensive Chilean merlot, $20- $40 for a very good merlot from California, to more than $2,000 a bottle from the top Bordeaux-made merlot.
Try it with: Meat dishes such as roasted chicken, braised short ribs or steak.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Personality: The preeminent classic red variety, thanks to its complexity, majestic structure, richness, and capacity to age for decades- the Sean Connery of red wines.
Origin: Bordeaux, France, but terrific examples are now produced in virtually every great red wine region of the world.
Aroma, flavor and texture: Similar to merlot, only bigger, deeper, more intense and powerful. Watch out though for poorly made, cheap cabernet sauvignon, which can be dank and weedy.
Cost: Moderate ($15) to expensive ($75); plan to spend at least $25 for a very good bottle.
Try it with: Grilled steak and roast beef.
Syrah/Shiraz
Personality: Rich, dramatic, even a bit wild.
Origin: Northern Rhone Valley of France; also made in Australia (where its called shiraz) and the United States.
Aroma, flavor and texture: Wild berries, chocolate, black licorice, black pepper with hints of meatiness; medium to full bodied flavor, with a soft thick mouthfeel. Australian shirazes, in particular, are big, plush examples of the wine world.
Cost: Modest (good shirazes can be had for $15) to $40- plus for the top French examples.
Try it with: Lamb or slow-cooked hearty meaty stews and casseroles.
Personality: Sensual and understated. Pinot noir is one of the most food-friendly red wines, thanks to lots of inherent acidity.
Origin: The Burgundy region of France, though great examples also come from California and Oregon.
Aroma, flavor and texture: Rich loamy earth, mushrooms, warm baked cherries; usually medium-bodied flavor with a smooth, supple texture that’s often described as silky.
Cost: From $20 for a decent American version to more than $100 for a top-quality French pinot.
Try it with: Grilled salmon, most anything with mushrooms, roasted chicken, and duck breast.
**Source: Cooking Light**
