With National Wine Day rolling in on June 25th, we have to talk about signature wine drinks! While every bottle of wine is primarily made from grapes, the region it’s from can drastically change its taste.
Small factors like soil type and climate in a region are what determine how the wine will come out. According to Perrine’s Produce, “Cooler climates produce fruitier, more medium-bodied wines. The hotter the climate, the richer, more robust, and less acidic a wine will become.” That’s why there can be red wines with sweet berry notes, while other red wines have a drier, smoky flavor profile.
With that in mind, let’s discover some key wine regions and what their signature flavors are!
Cognac, France
This Western region in France prides itself on the creation of Pineau des Charentes. If dry wine isn’t quite your thing, this signature Cognac wine might be more your speed. It’s on the sweeter side and is reminiscent of grape juice! It’s a beginner-friendly wine to start with and is made from fermented grapes. It’s aged in an oak barrel for months at a time, which gives it a rounded taste. Bonus: If you’re ever making dinner and the recipe calls for a white cooking wine, this would be a great pick!
Molise, Italy
Wine is a no-brainer when thinking of famous Italian creations, reasonably so, because they have some of the best kinds around the world. Heading this far south in Italy, the grape varieties are aromatic and flavor-filled red wines, like the Frappato. This red wine has a beautiful cherry coloring and is light-bodied, meaning it doesn’t feel too heavy when drinking it. Frappato is a great wine selection for throwing dinner parties or a solo self-care kind of night.
Napa Valley, California
Just north of San Francisco, Napa Valley is the most famous wine region in the United States. With plenty of sunshine, the grapes grow beautifully and produce some of the most sought-after wines. Pinot Noir is one of the most common wines from the US, and is paler in color than other red wines. Pinot Noir has fruity and berry notes with a low acidic profile. This pinky wine pairs great with barbecue flavors, so it’s a great drink of choice for a summer bash!
Jerez, Spain
Italy and France are known for their wines, but a lot of people forget about what Spain has to offer! PX Wines are a branch off of sherry wines, and they’re a chocolate-lover’s dream! PX Wines have notes of toffee, figs, chocolate, and dried fruit. Suggested food pairings with such a decadent flavor profile include vanilla ice cream, date pudding, and rice pudding with cinnamon.
Wines come in hundreds of flavor profiles and range from dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, and sweet. If you’re new to wine and want to give it a try for National Wine Day, first figure out if you’re a sweet or dry kind of person. Once you have that figured out, you can look at different flavor options that appeal to your personal taste and go from there. Try some of the varieties we mentioned and see which region you think makes the best wine!
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