Sometimes we can’t decide on what varietal of wine we want to buy for the weekend. We’ll here’s an idea. Instead of going with the kind of wine, why not select from the country the wine originates from?
At the Diamond Ridge Market, many of the wines are divided by country. Here are a few and the types of wines you’ll find there.
From Italian, there’s the classic Chianti and Sangiovese.
Chianti is the name of Italy’s most popular and widely available red wines. Chianti is a dry red wine, made from the Sangiovese grape that only improves when consumed with food. It can range from light to full-bodied and displays aromas and flavors of cherry, often roses and violets mingle with fairly high acidity.
Sangiovese is fruity, with moderate to high natural acidity and generally a medium-body ranging from firm and elegant to assertive and robust and a finish that can tend towards bitterness. The aroma is generally not as assertive and easily identifiable as Cabernet Sauvignon, for example, but can have a strawberry, blueberry, faintly floral, violet or plumy character.
All Italian foods, beef, chicken and tomato-based sauces over noodles go well with these wines
From Germany, there’s Gewürztraminer, which is a cousin of Riesling. Gewürztraminer wines have a distinctive, pronounced bouquet and flavor. The German word , means “spiced,” and these wines are known for their CRISP, SPICY attributes. They’re highly fragrant, with flavor characteristics of litchis, roses (or flowers in general), and spices such as cloves and nutmeg.
Dornfelder is a popular red German wine. It is a wine that’s far deeper in color than is typical of German reds. Dornfelder-based wines can have intense blackberry and sour cherry aromas, with a refreshingly tart palate and soft tannic structure. Some producers have also seen the potential for creating age worthy wines, focusing less on its youthful fruit character, and more on the grape’s structural harmony.
From Argentina, Malbec is the most emblematic Argentinean wine is made of this variety. Its primary aromas resemble ripe prunes and sometimes mint, while in the mouth it is softly meaty and rounded. Malbec is “the red wine” to pair with roasted beef, stews, pasta with tomato sauce and cheese, game meats and hard cheeses.
From South Eastern Australian comes from fantastic wines. Roogle Red is 50% Shiraz, 30% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and it is aged in seasoned French and American oak for 12 months. Roogle Red is medium-full bodied, with dark but not super-ripe fruit, and healthy tannins and acid. This wine is from R Wines (of Dan Philips and Chris Ringland), which includes labels such as 3 Rings, Roogle, Evil, and Bitch.
So, next time you stop in Diamond Ridge, do a little world wine tour. It will be worth the trip.
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