Making Wine with Red Grapes Articles | Home Winemaking

By: Darren Williger

When making red wine, there are so many kinds of grapes to choose from. In order to succeed in your efforts you’ll need some research before you make the final decision on which grapes can be used. You’ll have already made your first decision to go with red wine over white wine but next you’ll have to decide whether you want your wine to be sweet or tart. You’ll have to also decide on whether you should be blending the grapes or looking for a grape that can remain on its own. Will you have a flowery, spicy or fruity aroma? You need to answer all these questions before you pick the kinds of grapes that you want to use for your red wine.

Certain red varieties of grape that you can choose from have a lot of things that can benefit your wine. Alicante grapes are prominent in the making of red wine but they are more of grapes that are used for blending than making a wine that stands alone. They are quite unusual because they have a red pulp inside and red skin too. Other than this, the rich deep purple color of the wine that results is good to blend with other wines. It also improves the color and does not affect the taste of the wine.

Barbera grapes can be used for blending as well but they are used for different reasons. They create a wine which has high acid levels and so blending is used to lower the acid levels. It is either this or the wine has to be taken while it is still very young in order to be enjoyed.

The grape which is known as the Cabernet Sauvignon grape has a deep taste which tastes the way that plums are supposed to taste. They are known especially from their incredible aroma which is a mix of berries as well as chocolate, cedar and the smell of butterscotch.

A grape which stand alone well is the Grenache grape, this grape creates a wine which has the color of cherries and has their aroma and flavor as well. It is usually used to make a rose. If you also need a wine with some slight spiciness and incredible color, Lemberger grapes should be a primary consideration. These grapes create a wine which has a deep rich purple color.

One more popular grape which is usually used for blending is the Mission grape; it has more sugar than most grapes so it is sweet and needs to be toned down. These grapes tend to be also low in acid so they require a grape with a higher acid content in order to compliment them. It also has a light color which is good if this is what you’re after.

Zinfandel is a very popular grape which has a color which is rich and deep and somewhere between red and purple. It also has high sugar content, tastes like berries and has a slightly spicy taste when drunk.