Red Wine

Red wine – one of humanity’s oldest beverages

Red wine has been cultivated and consumed by humans for at least eight thousand years. As red wine grapes need a warm climate, their cultivation spread from the Middle East to Southern Europe. With the Roman Empire, red wine grapes also came to France, Italy and Spain, where they found the perfect growing conditions. To this day, these countries are considered to be traditional red wine countries, while wine-producing countries towards the north such as Germany and Austria began producing red wine on a large scale only after further development of grape varieties – and certainly also as a result of a changing climate. Heinemann offers you an international selection of premium quality red wines, with which you can learn about the characteristics of various growing regions. 

Warm climate and long-standing experience – the key factors for making a good red wine

Red wine production differs from white wine production in two important points: 

• Red wines can only be made using red grape varieties. 
• To make red wine, the grape mash is fermented along with the skin and seeds, while in white wines, only the pressed must comes into the fermentation tank. 

After harvesting, the red wine grapes are crushed and fermented on the mash for anything from a few days to up to a month depending on the type of wine desired, so that the colour and tannins are released from the grape skins. After fermentation, the grape mash is pressed. Usually, the acids contained in the new wine are reduced with the help of malolactic fermentation in order to achieve a harmonious aroma. Subsequently, the wine is aged in wooden barrels or steel tanks, generally for up to two years, before being bottled and sold.

Is that correct? The most important questions related to red wine

• Do red wine and cheese pair well?

Not always. Creamy, extremely fatty cheeses go better with a fruity white wine, while salty cheeses go with a port wine or sherry. However, a wonderful dessert combination is red wine and chocolate, preferably dark chocolate with a high cocoa percentage. 

• Is red wine with a screw cap inferior?

This is an outdated assumption. Screw caps have proved to be a good alternative to corks, even for premium quality wines. Natural cork is expensive and it shrinks with age or when stored incorrectly. As a result, the moisture and aromas could escape when the wine is stored for a longer period. 

Perfect indulgence: buy red wine online from Heinemann

Which red wine is the best? This decision is always based on your personal taste. Whether young, modern red wines from German growing regions like Baden and the Palatinate, robust classic wines from the Rhône or Tuscany, or the harmonious, full-bodied overseas red wines from growing regions like Napa Valley, Stellenbosch, or Barossa – order a premium quality red wine online now from Heinemann.