What Are the Most Famous Red Wines?

• Red wine grapes are crushed and fermented to make red wine. Buena Vista Images/Photodisc/Getty Images

  Red wine has been a dietary staple for thousands of years. While wine can be made from several species of grapes, most red wines are made by using a specific type of grape. The primary grape used to make a wine gives the wine its name and contributes to its flavor and aroma. Other things that can affect a wine's taste include the soil the grape is grown in, when the grape is harvested, and how long a wine has been left to mature.

Cabernet Sauvignon

• Cabernet Sauvignon wine was first made in the Bordeaux region of France. Red Wine image by Patrick Moyer from Fotolia.com

  The Cabernet Sauvignon grape, first grown in the 1600's, was the basis for the world's most popular red wine until the 1990's. This grape is still popular with growers today due to its thick skin and its rot-resistant and frost-resistant vine and is the world's most planted wine-producing grape variety. Cabernet Sauvignon wine is traditionally aged in oak barrels and tastes sweet, usually containing the distinctive flavor and aroma of black currant.

Merlot

• The leaf of a merlot grape vine. Leave of red wine grapes image by btanne from Fotolia.com

  Merlot has been the most popular red wine since the 1990's and is known for its fruity undertones, particularly its dark berry and plum flavors. Grown throughout the world, Merlot wine from different areas can have distinct characteristics and flavors. Merlot wine from Washington state is known for more fruity notes than other Merlots, while Chilean Merlot can have hints of chocolate and bell peppers. The Merlot grape is usually grown alongside Cabernet Sauvignon, as they have similar soil and climate needs but ripen at different times.

Shiraz

• Shiraz is the most popular red wine in Australia. Called syrah wine in Europe, shiraz wines are generally very flavorful and can contain hints of berries and chocolate. American winemakers can use either the syrah or shiraz label. Shiraz was a relatively unknown wine until a cutting was taken from France to Australia in 1832. As with other grapes, soil composition greatly affects the taste of the wine. Australian shiraz wines are well known for having a more powerful chocolate flavor while French syrah wines are known for their pepper and spices flavors.