Sangiovese is Italy's most planted red grape, and it wears more names than almost anything else on a wine list. Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, they are all Sangiovese wearing a different regional disguise, and each one tells you something different about the grape's range.

If there is one grape that the wine world has built an entire mythology around, it is Pinot Noir. It is delicate and demanding, frustrating and rewarding, and when it is good, it is the kind of wine that makes you stop whatever you are doing and just pay attention.

Gamay Noir, to give it its full name, is a red grape variety that thrives in cool climates and granitic soils. It produces wines that are typically lighter in body, lower in tannin, and high in acidity, with a fruit-forward character

There is an entire world of red wine built for warm weather. They are lighter-bodied, lower in tannin, and yes, some of them can even be chilled. In this episode of The Wine Down, I'm breaking down five summer reds that deserve a spot in your glass all season long.

If Cabernet Sauvignon is the loudest person at the party and Pinot Noir is the one holding court in the corner, Grenache is the one you didn't notice at first, and then couldn't stop talking to all night.

If Barolo is the wine world’s loud, commanding older sibling, Barbaresco is the one who walks into the room with reserved confidence and somehow still gets everyone’s attention. Before we get into the details, let's make sure we are all on the same page. Barbaresco is the place, not the grape.

We're getting wild today as we travel to an active volcano to taste wine. Today's wine find comes from Mt Etna in Sicily, the 2022 Tornatore Etna Rosso. There is something about volcanic soils that lifts the wine's acidity, and you walk away with vibrancy and lift, two things that excite the palate beyond words.

Nebbiolo is not a grape that whispers. It announces itself, through pale garnet hues, assertive tannins, and aromatics that seem to shift with every swirl of the glass. Best known as the backbone of Barolo and Barbaresco in Italy’s Piedmont region, Nebbiolo has long been considered one of the world’s most noble, and most misunderstood, grapes.

Povero Capitano del Palio Monferrato Dolcetto 2024 from Piedmont, Italy. This vibrant, fruit-forward red boasts high acidity, cherry notes, and food-friendly versatility. Perfect chilled for patios. Learn more about the grape, winery story, and tasting notes.

This Pinot Noir from Errázuriz’s “Specialties” range leans into place first and grape second, which is exactly why it’s worth talking about.

Admittedly, one of the things I love the most about Loire Cabernet Franc is the earthy qualities (forest floor, damp leaves, mushroom, and borderline brettiness) presented amongst the ripe red fruit, made possible from very low intervention winemaking, and this is a parallel with Southbrook Winery.

The Winery of Good Hope Mountainside Syrah 2024 is a refreshing and elegantly restrained Syrah sourced from two older, gravelly mountainside vineyards overlooking False Bay.

Blaufränkisch (pronounced "blahw-frank-ish") is a red wine grape variety with deep roots in Central Europe, especially Austria and Hungary. This grape is known for producing versatile red wines, with an incredible profile on the palate

In the video below, you’ll find a detailed yet straightforward comparison of Syrah vs Shiraz, covering origins, flavour profiles, vineyard influences, and winemaking styles.

This video walks you through why Pinot Noir is the wine to beat when it comes to one-pot rice dish wine pairings!

País is a little-known but mighty grape found proudly mainly in Chile. While this grape may be unfamiliar to the everyday wine drinker, it

The Frogpond Farm Organic Gamay Noir 2019 exemplifies the winery’s commitment to producing authentic, high-quality wines

it is often overlooked for its more widely known counterparts for consumers, leading it to be more used as a blending grape versus a single

The 2022 Marynissen Cabernet Franc is an easy to drink red wine that will show its pairing versatility, very early on the palate.

Read more on why serving red wine at room temperature is completely wrong. Get the right serving temperatures here.