The Nine Essential Red Wines

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Good red wine can make a great gift, or can be a great mood relaxer to wind down at the end of a long day. The following list is a completely subjective opinion of nine essential red wines to have in any collection:

1. Merlot: One of the most popular wines and the third-most grown in the world as of 2004, Merlot hales from the Bordeaux region of France and offers a soft, velvety, and plum flavor. It pairs most ideally with grilled and charred meats.

2. Cabernet Sauvignon: Another highly popular wine grown throughout the world, Cabernet Sauvignon has for centuries been renowned for its ability to age and sometimes needs two to three decades to do so. It is bold, assertive, and pairs with different dishes depending what part of the world it's grown in.

3. Syrah: Of the wines on this list, Syrah is not the most popular though it may have the most beautiful name, both in the French spelling here and its alternate name, Shiraz, which has roots in Iran. The wine dates to the 18th century, is associated with such classics as Hermitage, and makes an intriguing choice for Wine of the Month Clubs.

4. Malbec: ...
... The same sounds like a cigarette or a French-Canadian city, though Malbec is actually a wine made from purple grapes, known for its strong tannins and inky dark color. Experts have described Malbec as a more rustic version of Merlot with lower acidity.

5. Pinot Noir: There was a time Pinot Noir was an under-the-radar red wine with a small cult following among connoisseurs, and then came 2004 and the hit film Sideways which exponentially increased the popularity of the wine, making it great for wine gifts. It is enjoyed in part because it is a lighter than other wines, containing only 12 percent alcohol.

6. Sangiovese: The traditional thought on wine is that it is meant to age. Here's one blend that defies tradition. Sangiovese wines can be aged, though the majority do best if consumed early in their lives, five to ten years generally. It has a clear fruit taste, can be anywhere from moderately delicate to extremely strong, and pairs well with pasta and aged cheese. A prominent example of the wine is Chianti, which is legally required to contain 80 percent Sangiovese grapes.

7. Barbera: Here's a wine that's delicious and fruity, which could explain why it is perhaps the most versatile of red wines, able to pair with everything from pasta to meat to tomato sauce.

8. Gamay: Remember that whole East-Coast West Coast rap battle of the mid-1990s? Gamay figured into the 14th century French version of this. In 1395, the Duke of Burgundy outlawed the cultivation of the Gamay grape saying it took up land that could be better used for Pinot Noir. Thankfully for lovers of the vigorous, fruity wine, his edict did not last.

9. Zinfandel: White Zinfandel outsells red about 6-to-1, with red have traditionally been thought of as containing too much alcohol though contemporary methods for wine-making have lessened this to some degree. The two types of wine differ significantly, with red Zinfandel offering fruity, powerful taste, high acidity, and a jam-like flavor. On a side note, of all the wines on this list, Zinfandel, both red and white may be the most American.

Graham Wallace is a wine of the month club addict, and the author of this article on the top red wines for anyone building a wine collection or looking for wine gifts.