Dry wine contains the maximum amount of alcohol possible for the type of grape used to make the wine because the juice is fermented until all of the grape’s natural sugar is consumed, according to the O Chef cooking website. Red wines are primarily dry, except for sweet dessert wines. Some people confuse the presence of tannins, natural compounds found in grape skins that can make a mouth feel dry, with a wine that contains little to no sugar. Best paired with meats, hearty meals, bitter greens or chocolate and cheeses such as brie or cheddar, Cabernet Sauvignon has a peppery, sometimes bitter or sharp flavor. Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are grown all over the world and produce a full-bodied wine that has an alcohol content between 13.5 and 14.5 percent. Cabernet Franc is usually combined with other grape varietals, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, and rarely used on its own. The variety of wine with which Cabernet Franc is mixed will determine which foods the blend pairs with well.

For example, a Cabernet Franc blended with Cabernet Sauvignon will pair well with hearty meals, bitter greens and brie. A wine made entirely of Cabernet Franc pairs well with most cheeses, pork, ham and tomato-based dishes. A light- to medium-bodied wine, Pinot Noir has a variety of flavors such as fruity and herbal. The Pinot Noir grapes produce complex wines, with famous productions coming from California and France. The wine pairs well with mild, creamy cheeses, tomatoes, salmon and lean meats. Merlot has a low acid content, smooth flavor and hints of plums, currants and other berries. Because of the low acid content, Merlot is a dry red wine option for those who may not like strong red wines. The varietal pairs well with a wide array of foods including steak, lamb, seared tuna and cheddar cheese. Choosing a Sangiovese wine presents a variety of options for flavor based primarily on the age of the wine. Young wines of this varietal feature fruity and spicy flavors, while the aged Sangioveses take on the flavor of the oak barrels in which they mature.

The acidic wine pairs well with roast chicken, tomato sauce, and herbs such as basil and thyme. Syrah/Shiraz wines have a high tannin content combined with a strong fruit flavor to balance the wine. The wine can be used on its own or in combination with other grapes. The varietal ranges from acidic to fruity and pairs well with barbecue, Mexican dishes, black pepper and beef.best wine for valentine Grown in California, the red Zinfandel grapes produce a range of flavors from spicy to fruity, with strong berry flavored wines produced in cooler areas and spicy versions in warmer climates. wine club usa todayWhile White Zinfandel is sweet, the red version is dry and pairs well with everything from turkey and lamb to chili and aged cheeses.big wine glass funny pics

Although the Tempranillo grape is now grown throughout the world, it’s largely associated with Spain, where it originated. This wine may be aged or served young, and varies from mild to oakey in flavor. Tempranillo complements Spanish foods, mild blue cheeses, cured meat and grilled fish.top wine tours in australiaDiet/NutritionHere's What Happens When You Drink Red Wine Every NightMandy OaklanderFor more, visit TIME Health.Alcohol is the Goldilocks of the nutrition world. best wines for gift-givingToo much can be destructive to your health, raising your blood pressure and your risk of developing several kinds of cancer. dry wine red or whiteToo little may hold you back from some of the benefits that moderate drinkers enjoy, like lower incidence of cardiovascular disease, mortality and type-2 diabetes.

The amount that’s just right, according to a new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, might be a nightly glass of wine with dinner—for some people, anyway.Researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel wanted to look at how safe and effective it is for a specific group of people—those with well-controlled type-2 diabetes and who had a low risk for alcohol abuse—to drink moderately. People with type-2 diabetes are more likely than the general population to develop cardiovascular disease and have lower levels of heart-protective HDL cholesterol, the authors note.They chose 224 people who fit this profile, and who didn’t drink wine currently, then assigned them to start drinking one of three things. At dinner, the people in the study were told to drink five ounces of one of the following beverages: mineral water, dry white wine or dry red wine. Under the guidance of dietitians, they also followed a Mediterranean diet without calorie restrictions—and kept it up for two years.

Intermittently, they took questionnaires and were subjected to follow-ups, including blood draws at the start of the study, six months in and at 24 months, so the scientists could look at biomarkers of glycemic control, lipids and liver function.RelatedDiet/NutritionHere’s Why It Feels Like You Always Have Room for DessertDiet/NutritionHere’s Why It Feels Like You Always Have Room for DessertThey found that the red wine drinkers had significantly increased their levels of good HDL cholesterol and had a more beneficial cholesterol ratio compared to the group that drank water. They were also the only group to experience a significant drop in components of metabolic syndrome. People who drank either red or white wine also reported better sleep quality than the group that drank water, and the researchers found no significant adverse effects with any group.(It's worth making it explicit that those who drank alcohol, drank just one glass per night, with meals.)“This is what I’ve been telling people for years based on observational data,” says Dr. James O’Keefe, chief of preventive cardiology at Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, who was not involved in the study.

“It seems to me that my patients who drink red wine in moderation tend to do better, and this really solid gold-standard kind of research confirms our intuitions about the beneficial effects of moderate alcohol intake.”O’Keefe wasn’t surprised that the best results came from the group drinking red wine—which had resveratrol levels 13-fold higher than the white wine, according to the study. “Partly it’s the benefits of the alcohol, but red wine also contains a lot of unique antioxidants that are hard to get other places,” O'Keefe says. And pairing it with dinner, like they did in the study, is key.“If you have a glass of red wine with your evening meal tonight, your peak blood sugar, if you measured it an hour later, would be about 30% lower than if you hadn’t had the wine,” O’Keefe says. The post-meal spike in sugar is one of Americans’ main sources of inflammation, which contributes to everything from diabetes to dementia to heart disease and arthritis, he adds.