The weather is changing, that’s means the type of food is also changing from fresh and fun food to more cozy, rich food for the cold weather; with this change of food you need to change the wine pairing. The traditional food wine pairing can be very repetitiv , the easiest and classical paring is the Cabernet Sauvignon; but here I will like to recommended 5 other types of wines to try in this cold and cozy nights.
GSM ( Garnacha, Syrah, Mourvedre)- This blend originated in the Rhone valley, it has the characteristics of raspberry, blackberry, with a hint of rosemary, baking spices and lavender. This wine is perfect for the richer stews, the meatloaf. It’s a harmonious blend of a very complex wines and feels rich and heavy in the glass.
Pinot Noir- This wine is famous for their Bourgogne expression, but you can find versions of its expression all over the world (my personal favorites are Oregon and Washington). This wine its light, but have the complex flavor of cherry and strawberries, when aged it hits that sublime point of oak and mushroom flavors that is desire in a good food pairing. This wine goes great with a nice steak or even with some cheese.
Tempranillo- Ahh, the grape that make Spanish wines famous: the Tempranillo, with its characteristics from the easy and fun wines of Castilla, to the complex and bold wines of La Rioja this wine with the combination of red fruits, blueberry, cigar box, leather and vanilla make the perfect combination to any strong stew, and elevates it to the next level, I call this grape a jack of all trades, because if you have a rich and savory food ( need to be not that spicy) and you don’t know how to pair it, this grape is your answer allowing the election of the intensity from Rioja stronger flavors of Reserva, Gran Reserva, to the softer flavors of Crianza.
Cabernet Franc- This grape is the parent of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Caramenere. It can be a fun grape to try and have fun; from the complex expression of the Chinon in France,and to the newer bolder expression in Argentina. Chinon wine can be paired with a rack of lamb to create an elevated experience. The flavor profile contains strawberry, Raspberry, Green pepper, Slate, and chili pepper. The good thing about this wine is that you have a minerality that creates a unique experience, and if you never tasted a wine with minerality this is a good way to start to understand that factor in the wine.
Shiraz or Syrah- This grape is a very bold and dark grape native of France, but the Australians perfected it with a superb blend of flavors: Blueberry, white pepper, plum, mint chocolate, tabaco, and if you are lucky some of the Syrah in Australia have a hint of Eucalyptus. This wine it’s a rich, but pleasantly surprised that can demonstrate how new world wines can be an evolution and create new experiences to their old-world counterparts.