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California Red Wine Gift Choices
from: Maxx Guide to WineWine lovers know that California has a great reputation for fine white wines, but you shouldn't overlook the red wines the area has to offer. With it's ideal climate, soil conditions and nearness to water, many areas of California are highly suitable to growing wine grapes. You can choose from three fine red wines produced in California when considering giving a gift of California wine.
Merlot originated in Italy in the early 19th century and is a thin-skinned red grape. California has over 50,000 acres that grow the Merlot grape varietal. Merlots were previously used primarily as a blending wine, but proper vintages are enjoyable on their own and Merlot has become the favorite red wine among many wine enthusiats.
Some of the highest quality Merlot grapes are grown mainly in the Sonoma and Napa Valley wine regions of California. The area's excellent soil conditions help them produce delicious, stand alone Merlots wines. This variety of soils produces Merlots ranging from a smooth, velvety wine to those more similar in composition to Cabernet Sauvignon.
Since Merlots are low in tannin, this creates a smooth, easy-to-drink wine with a low acidity level. This is in part due to the thin skin of the grape in addition to it's earlier ripening stage. This results in a huge variety of flavors including black cherry, plum and current as well as tangier notes like bay leaf and bell peppers.
Merlot tends to be less intense than other red wines making it easier to match to different food combinations. It should be noted that Merlot is best served slightly colder than other red wines. Room temperatures brings out the best in other reds but Merlots can develop unpleasant notes if it gets too warm. A brief chilling helps keep this wine at it's best.
Pinot Noir is also a red wine gaining popularity. This varietal is often difficult to consistently grow because it's delicate and mutates easily, which often results in undesirable qualities in the wine produced from these grapes. This contributes to somewhat higher prices for fine vintages of Pinot Noir but the quality is well worth trying to determine if it suits your taste buds.
Pinot Noir wines are one of the most delicately flavored reds and are lighter in color than many other red wines. An aromatic wine, you will often find wines with notes of cherries, berries, spices and even violets. Due to it's delicate flavor, try pairing Pinot Noir with less spicy foods so the flavor of the wine isn't covered.
Finally, Cabernet Sauvignon is another great red wine produced in California that makes a lovely wine gift. With its high demand, some vintages are on the expensive side, but search around and you should find a reasonably priced California vintage. Cabernet Sauvignon ages quite well, developing a rich complexity and wide depth of flavors. Even though it could cost a bit more, this wine makes an impressive gift for those who prefer red wine.
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