Hunter Valley, NSW Red Wines

Tannins come from both grape skins and oak. Pinot Noir is generally fairly low in tannins, as is Gamay, Barbera and Dolcetto. Rosé, given its limited skin contact and typical fermentation in stainless steel, is usually very low in tannin.

Red wines that spend no time in oak, or which are matured in older oak tend to have less tannins too.

On the flipside Nebbiolo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz have a heap of tannins in their skins. Combine this with a lengthy sleep in a high % of new oak and the finished wines can be mouth-puckeringly tannic. Many of these wines need to be tannin adjusted prior to bottling.

Simples!

Generally younger red wines will last longer than older red wines after being opened, and higher quality red wines will outlast cheaper reds. High acid/low ph reds will generally last longer than low acid/higher ph reds and those which are higher in tannins will also last longer.

So, for example, a high quality, young Coonawarra Cabernet, like the Leconfield 2019 which is designed to improve for a decade in bottle and which has plenty of tannin, should last for a few days after opening before it starts to ‘fall over’. You may even find you enjoy it even more on day 2 or 3.

A young, fruit-driven, lower tannin red wine, like the Lienert Sieben Klon Grenache, will probably look its best on day one. You’ll certainly notice that it becomes more aromatic and flavoursome as it breathes over the first few hours but that vivacity of fruit will be a little dulled on day 2.

Red wines contain skin-derived anthocyanins which bind to the aromatic properties of the wine. These aromatic compounds prefer to cuddle up to oxygen, so breathing a wine frees these aromatics up to hit your olfactories. The olfactory nerve lives in your brain and extends into your nostrils. It is also largely responsible for your ability to recognise flavours. Generally, the cheaper and the older a red, the less it will benefit from decanting. Click here for a more detailed run down on decanting red wine.

It can be, if consumed in moderation. There are plenty of articles espousing the benefits to gut health and cholesterol from the judicious ingestion of red wine. The antioxidant, resveratrol, which naturally occurs in red grape skins is reputed to have benefits for heart and brain health.

Plenty, about 190 calories in a 175ml glass, though this will vary a fair bit. The higher the alcohol, the higher the calories. Sugar makes a difference too, a sparkling Shiraz at 13% will be more calorific than a dry red wine at 13%.

Would you high five Chewbacca? It could be awesome right, but mostly, it’ll probably hurt a lot... Chucking a red wine in the fridge will enhance tannins and oak and make most reds like a vote for Clive Palmer, ie, hard to swallow and deeply unpleasant. That said, no or low oaked wines made with limited skin contact can do some of their best work outta the fridge. Beaujolais, Gamay and some Pinots can take a light chill and be better for it. Some Tempranillo (but not reserve Rioja) and Grenache wines can work pretty well outta the fridge too, especially if it’s a hot day. Best tip, chuck the wine in the fridge and try for yourself. Worst case, the wine gives you resting bitch face until it warms up. Have a cuppa and come back to it in half an hour, should be lovely!

The ultimate solution of course, is to drink red wines only after nuding up. Sadly, this is not always possible and may be confronting for your guests. Alternatively, wear only black - that way the stain can be your little secret, and hey, what better way to memorialise an exceptional wine than splashing a bit on your fave black jeans, cocktail dress or mankini?

The more buttoned down among us might like to try the following, more fiddly solutions:

• Fine salt will soak up a fair bit of a red wine stain
• Douse with soda water, and keep dousing till the stain is gone
• Apply white vinegar, rinse and then apply detergent and wash
• Baking soda and water and or vinegar can work too... cold water only please
• Give the stain a liberal dousing with white wine, then rinse with cold water (this "solution" is untested)

The one you like drinking, for sure, that is all that matters!

If you want to know what reds are most highly revered, it gets a bit trickier... Pinot Noir, especially French Pinot from Burgundy, has a massive reputation, especially the Cru stuff... Bordeaux, especially the first and second growths - these wines are made up of some combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere.

Aussie and French Shiraz are also incredibly well regarded. Aussie Grenache is also amazing - we make some of the finest Grenache wines in the world. Italian Nebbiolo from the Barolo and Barbaresco regions is pretty awesome...

The list goes on, with Rioja, Brunello, the wines of Vega Sicilia, Argentinian Malbecs, Amarone and so much more to consider...

Most of the above is bollocks though... the one you like drinking the most is the best, and the more wines and styles you try, the more your ‘best’ list will change.

This is a tough question to answer as there are many different ways to classify. At a basic level there are Rosé wines, dry reds, sparkling reds and vintage fortified red wines.

Red wines can be dry, off dry, sweet, sparkling and fortified - many different varieties, each with their own specific flavour and aromas and there’s a truckload of those, hundreds... with Shiraz and Cabernet being the most widely planted.

Most red wines are fermented dry, that said Rosé red wines can be bone dry through to quite sweet; sparkling Shiraz can equally be dry, off dry or tooth crackingly sweet; vintage fortified, ditto - these can be dry (or close to it) or exceedingly sweet.

Dry red wines, of course, have their sugars completely fermented into alcohol... but some of these wines can still have a suggestion of fruit sweetness. Grenache for instance, is much more likely to seem sweet than Cabernet. This might be because Cabernet is more tannic than Grenache and generally spends more time in oak. Tannins and oak both mask the appearance of sweetness. Higher alcohol (Grenache is often higher in alcohol than Cabernet), with its oily texture, tends to accentuate it.