Pair with

• Cabernet Sauvignon

  The premier red grape varietal in the world! From Bordeaux to Napa, it produces distinctive wines that are tannic, with long aging potential. Dark cherry, cedar, tobacco and black currant are common flavor descriptors.

• Merlot

  This wine is deep in color, high in alcohol, and low in tannin. The Bordeaux Merlot variety is very similar to Cabernet Sauvignon, but softer because it is less tannic. Merlot has aromas and flavors that include blackberry, cassis, baked cherries, plums, chocolate and mocha ... some suggest tea leaves.

• Syrah

  How does one describe Syrah? Rustic, muscular, yet elegant! Its abundant aromas and flavors often suggest leather, damp earth, wild blackberries, smoke, roasted meats, and a strong peppery spice.

• Shiraz

  This leading red grape of Australia, much like the French Syrah, makes seductive, mouthfilling wines filled with fruit flavors. Shiraz is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon.

• Zinfandel

  Zinfandel is a mouthfilling, dry red wine packed with jammy blackberry, boysenberry and plummy fruit flavors. It can be quite thick, chewy and extremely dark in color.

• Malbec

  Malbec primarily comes from Argentina, where it is the source of most of the best red wines. It is a soft, juicy, low-acid grape. Also known in Cahors, France, as Cot and Auxerrois.

• Montepulciano

  Don't be confused by its name. This is not the grape of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which is made from Sangiovese. The grape Montepulciano is widespread throughout central and southern Italy and is especially known in Abbruzzi.

• Mourvedre

  Mourvedre is one of the four important grapes of Chåteauneuf-du-Pape. It is also a major blending grape in other Rhone, Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon wines. When in Spain, listen carefully - you may hear it called Monastrell.

• Nebbiolo

  A weekday red from the Piedmont region, Nebbiolo is massively structured and extremely tannic in its youth. Lighter Nebbiolo (like Nebbiolo d'Alba and Roero) should be imbibed young. However, be patient - when deeper in color, Nebbiolo should be given time - it becomes a delicious combination of suppleness and power. Give this varietal a try; it is responsible for the exalted wines Barolo and Barbaresco. Nebbiolo's aroma is fruity, earthy, herbal and floral. Look for hints of strawberry, cherry, truffles, mint, eucalyptus, anise and rose.

• Negroamaro

  The name says it all! Negroamaro literally translates to "black-bitter". Like a great dark roast, this Italian grape has slightly bitter espresso-like flavors. Widely grown in the Apulia region, the spur of the Italian boot.

• Nero d'Avola

  Occasionally called Calabrese, this Sicilian grape makes big and complex wines.

• Petit Verdot

  A Bordeaux grape traditionally blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon for spice, depth and color.

• Petite Sirah

  Primarily cultivated in California, this varietal is distinct from true Syrah and is traditionally a blending grape. Left to itself, it often shows somewhat peppery flavors, and many consumers have come to love it.

• Sangiovese

  Responsible for the three great wines of Tuscany: Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino, Sangiovese is Italy's most famous grape.

• Tempranillo

  Spain's most famous grape! Produces a refined wine that bursts with cherries when young. It is typically aged for two years or more, at which point Tempranillo takes on an earthy, sweet vanillan flavor.

• Chianti

  One of the most famous regions in Tuscany, Italy. The wines that bear the region's name are made from the Sangiovese grape. They commonly exhibit dried cherry flavors and can be very earthy and acidic.