Wine Types

Wine Types

Red Wines
Wine Type

Description
CABERNET SAUVIGNON From Bordeaux, France, this varietal is the backbone of Bordeaux and Meritage blends. Widely considered the most complex of the red wine varietals, this wine ages extremely well.
Foods that go with Cabernet Sauvignon:
red meats, especially a juicy barbequed steak, grilled and smoked foods
MERLOT Traditionally from France’s Bordeaux region, this wine was blended with Cabernet to make Brodeaux or “Meritage” style wine. This old world grape is now popular on its own in part because of its approachability and softness.
Foods that go with Merlot:
pasta, red meat, duck, smoked or grilled foods
PINOT NOIR Originally from Burgundy, France, this delicate grape is sensitive and difficult to grow. Pinot Noirs from the cool coastal California region exhibit incredible layers of aromas, flavors and complexity.
Foods that go with Pinot Noir:
light meats, chicken, grilled anything, salmon
SYRAH Grown in France’s Rhone region, this grape goes back in time to the pre-Roman era. Also popular in Australia, where it is called Shiraz. Full of black and dark berry fruit with plum and spicy complexity, this wine is quite intense and earthy.
Foods that go with Syrah:
red meats, spicy pizzas, herbed sauces on red meat, turkey
ZINFANDEL Zinfandel has been cultivated more in the United States than anywhere else, making it America’s signature wine. Great Zinfandels display deeply concentrated berry fruit with jammy character. Intriguing spice notes and a big finish.
Foods that go with Zinfandel:
tomato pasta dishes, pizza, pesto, red meats, chicken with heavy sauces

White Wines
CHARDONNAY With origins in Burgundy, this grape develops excellent flavor when grown in cool California coastal regions that have similar terroir. Chardonnays that have been through secondary fermentation - “malolactic fermantation” - exhibit a creamy and buttery flavor. Oak aging and/or fermantation creates a vanilla, oaky taste.
Foods that go with Chardonnay:
grilled chicken, salmon, shellfish, and grilled fish, anything with a cream sauce
RIESLING Originally produced in Germany, Riesling is a late-ripening grape that is both sweet and complex, making it an excellent match for spicy and Asian cuisines. This grape grows exceptionally well in California, where the wine is characterized by a flowery, fragrant aroma and crisp, fruity and, sometimes, even melon flavors.
Foods that go with Riesling:
Crabmeat, appetizers and finger foods, pork, salads
SAUVIGNON BLANC Originally from Brodeaux, France, Sauvignon Blanc has crisp acidity with flavors of melon, herb, citrus and fig. Fume Blanc is an oaky style of Sauvignon Blanc, referring to the oaky character imparted during barrel-aging or fermentation.
Foods that go with Sauvignon Blanc:
white or light fish, mild cheese, fruit