Re(a)d more about it!
红（酒）~ 多了解一些！
Jill Gwee continues
her findings on reds in this second part where she introduces the major grapes
and their food matches
Jill Gwee 继续她第二系列的红酒探讨，为大家介绍酿酒葡萄的主要品种以及它们与食物的配搭。
Although wine rarely smells and tastes of grapes, the variety of grape,
or grapes, in any wine is the chief influence on its style and character: body,
flavour, texture – and, in the case of red wine grapes, colour and tannins.
Soil, climate and the winemaker’s unique touch play their parts, but grapes are
the essential ingredient and prime source of flavour – the personality of the
grape will be imprinted on the wine. More often than not, wines are blended so
that the final product – the sum of all parts – is greater than any single wine
by itself as each variety contributes something special to the blend. Here are
some red grape varieties that have put their distinctive mark on wines.
虽然葡萄酒闻起来和喝起来鲜少有葡萄的味道，但是葡萄的种类在葡萄酒中却是影响它风格和特色 – 酒体、味道、质地–的主要影响。同时，对红酒来说，它更影响了酒的颜色和单宁。虽说泥土、气候和酿酒者的独特匠心诚然扮演着重要的角色，但葡萄依然是她的基本成分和主要风味的来源 – 葡萄酒的个性会被烙印在酒中。酒的混合往往是为了让它的最终产物 – 所有部分的总和 – 本身大于任何单一的葡萄酒，因为每一个品种对该混合物（酒）都有独特的贡献。以下是那些已经把它们鲜明的标志印记在葡萄酒中的红葡萄品种。
Aglianico
Brought to Italy by the Greeks more than 2,000 years ago, this classy
southern Italian variety thrives in volcanic soils in the mountainous landscape
east of Naples. At higher altitudes, the grapes can produce great wines with
strong berry fruit and a smoky, gunflint character. Aglianico has an aroma of
dark berries, violets, woody undergrowth, herbs, prunes and chocolate. Its
marked acidity with concentrated fruit flavours makes the wine perfect with a
spicy sausage pizza.
阿格里亚尼科
两千多年前由希腊人带入意大利，这优雅的南意大利品种可以在那不勒斯东部山区的火山土壤茁壮生长。在海拔地区，这葡萄可以酿制出带着强烈的浆果、烟火和枪火石（干、硬）味风格的好酒。阿格里亚尼科 带着深色浆果、紫罗兰、灌木丛、香草、梅干以及巧克力的香气，由于它那独特的酸性和浓缩的果汁味，这酒与带辣的香肠比萨饼是绝好的配搭。
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the six approved grapes for use in the blend
of Bordeaux wines where it adds life, freshness and well-rounded flavours, as
well as a rich colour. The Cabernet Franc grape thrives in the volcanic chalk
soil (tufa) of Chinon in the heart of France’s Loire Valley, producing freshly
fragrant wines with plenty of raspberry flavour intertwined with sweet pepper
characters. This soft and delicate wine with a crisp, refreshing acidity and
modest tannin is sublime with grilled salmon! It also pairs well with eggplant,
duck, roasted lean beef and roasted lamb loin. As Cabernet Franc ages, it can
take on a vegetal quality reminiscent of peppers or eggplant, making it a good
fit with roasted vegetables or vegetarian dishes.
品丽珠
品丽珠是被批准用以酿制波多尔葡萄酒的六种葡萄品种之一，因为它会给酒增添生气、新鲜度和圆润的口感，以及丰富的色彩。品丽珠葡萄生长在法国卢瓦尔河谷希农酒区的火山白垩土里，酿制出的葡萄酒新鲜芬芳，丰富的覆盆子口味，与灯笼椒的特性交织。这柔软细腻的葡萄酒，带着明快、清新的酸度和温和的单宁，是烤鲑鱼的绝佳配搭！它与茄子、鸭柔、烤瘦牛肉和烤羊肉里脊也是很好的配对。随着品丽珠酒龄的增长，它会带有某种植物性香气，使人想起青椒或茄子。因此，它与烤蔬菜或素食菜肴也很匹配。
Cabernet Sauvignon
The Cabernet Sauvignon is a deep-coloured, thick-skinned grape that
produces dark, flavoursome full-bodied wines that are not for the
faint-hearted. They fill your mouth with rich fruit and tannin along with spice
and oak. And long after they have been swallowed, their flavours and textures
will never be distant memories – they seem to linger forever on your tongue.
Tasters find all sorts of nuances in this grape. A young wine will not only
ooze blackcurrant and dark berry but may well have complex undertones of mint,
plain chocolate, lead pencil and spices. Older vintages are often described as
having a taste of tobacco, cedar, leather, smoke and earth. Let your inner poet
go wild when you describe Cabernet Sauvignon to yourself for “wine is bottled
poetry” – to quote from Robert Louis Stevenson.
The world’s most elegant, age-worthy and expensive Cabernet
Sauvignon-based wines are produced in the Bordeaux subregions of Graves and
Médoc, on the left bank of the Gironde, close to the Atlantic and protected by
the forests of Les Landes. Here, the wines grow in well-drained, gravel soils
near to the Gironde estuary. Given its aristocratic cachet, red Bordeaux is
perfectly suited for holiday feasts, celebrations and any other occasion when
you want to impress.
To command a high price, a well-made Cabernet Sauvignon must display a
concentrated cassis character with a firm structure that lends it an effortless
ageing ability. A few years of ageing will showcase its fine qualities fully –
multiple layers of fruit flavours and a smooth but firm tannic structure. The
wines have the potential to age for a long time because the Cabernet Sauvignon
vine forms thick-skinned, small-berried grapes with a high proportion of skin
and pips compared to the amount of juice they contain. This produces wine with
plenty of rich, purple colour and high levels of tannin which soften over time.
The wines rise in stature if aged in oak. The contact with new oak
lends balance and further complexity, which is why some producers transfer
their Cabernet wines to new oak barrels part-way through the fermentation
process. The wines take well to maturation in French-oak barrels, picking up
aromatic hints of cedar and vanilla. Some producers blends Cabernet Sauvignon
with other fleshier varieties, particularly Merlot, that can counter its
somewhat tough flavour with more approachable fruitiness. This is one red grape
with which winemakers aspire to make their greatest wines.
Tannic reds need food. On their own, the structure may seem a little
too firm and chewy. Tannins are attracted to fats and proteins, which is why
the assertive flavours of Cabernet Sauvignon – young or old – match best with
braised, grilled or roasted lamb, and also very well with beef and other red
meat dishes which are high in fats and proteins. Not only is the Cabernet well
matched in terms of weight, the ability of the steak to rob the wine of its
tannins really bring out the rich, dark fruit of the wine. The result is a
smoother tasting wine and delicate tasting food as the tannin molecules attach
themselves to the protein molecules – taking them along for the ride when you
swallow.
If you are having meats from the grill, a young Cabernet Sauvignon will
rise to the occasion because its youthful fruit flavours can counter the
pleasantly bitter scorch imparted by the open fire. Besides grilled meats,
cheeses like Brie and Camembert are good for mitigating a young Bordeaux's
tannins. They are also mild enough to avoid stealing the limelight from a
fragile old bottle of Bordeaux.
And if you like beef rendang (slow-cooked beef in a rich lemongrass and
coconut sauce), a smooth Cabernet Sauvignon full of cassis and black cherry
flavours would not be out of place with this dish. The sauce will intensify
hints of coffee and dark chocolate, if they are present in the wine.
Avoid delicate dishes, fish (especially smoked), fruit, oysters,
seafood and shellfish, and spicy dishes.
赤霞珠
赤霞珠是深色皮厚的葡萄，生产出来的是色暗、够味、浓郁的葡萄酒，不适合胆怯之人。它让你口中满溢丰富的水果、单宁，香料和橡木味。即使饮入喉良久，它的口感和质感，依然在你的舌尖永久萦回。品酒师在这葡萄品种身上找到各种细微的独特气质。酒龄年轻时不仅满溢黑加仑子和深色的浆果味，且可能有复杂的薄荷味、纯巧克力、铅笔铅和香料味的迹象可循。陈年的赤霞珠经常被描述为具有雪松、皮革、烟雾和泥土的味道。诚如罗伯特•路易斯•史蒂文森所引述的：“酒是瓶装的诗”。尽情描述赤霞珠吧！
全世界最高雅的、酒龄最珍贵以及最高昂的赤霞珠葡萄酒生产于波尔多分区的格拉芙和梅多克，吉伦特左岸接近大西洋受莱斯兰德斯森林庇护的区域。在这里，葡萄酒生长于靠近吉伦特河口附近排水良好的砾石土壤里。基于它的贵族风华，波尔多红酒非常适合节日盛宴、庆典以及任何你想给人留下完美印象的场合。
要取得高价，一款精品赤霞珠必须展现浓缩黑醋栗的特性以及牢固的结构，这有助于它轻松陈酿的性能。数年的陈酿能充分展现它的优良品质
-- 多层次的水果口感和柔滑但坚实的单宁结构。这酒有长年陈酿的潜力，因为皮厚、小浆果般的赤霞珠葡萄，含有与它所包含的果汁量相比之下较高成分的果皮和种子（果核），这将产生浓郁的紫色葡萄酒，含有高量的单宁，也会随着时间的过去而柔化。
如果在橡木桶里陈酿，将提高这酒的身价。与新橡木桶的接触给予它平衡和进一步的复杂性，这也就是为什么一些酿酒师在发酵过程半途中，将赤霞珠转移到新的橡木桶发酵的原因。这葡萄酒适宜在法国橡木桶里成熟，以吸取它那雪松和香草的芬芳气息。有些酿酒商也将赤霞珠与其多果肉的葡萄品种融合，尤其是梅洛，因它平易近人的果味可以抵制赤霞珠红酒稍微硬朗的味道。以这红葡萄品种营造佳酿，是酿酒师的追求志向。
含丹宁的红酒需要食物的搭配。单独品饮的话，赤霞珠的结构稍嫌硬朗和有嚼劲，丹宁会被脂肪和蛋白质所会牵引。因此独断的赤霞珠，无论是新酿或陈酒，与炖熟、红烧、烤烤的羊肉是绝配，与牛肉等高脂肪和高蛋白的红色肉类菜式也是很好的配搭。赤霞珠与牛排不仅是在重量方面匹配，同时牛排也能够夺取它的丹宁，真正带出它的浓郁、深色果的风味。因为丹宁分子附着在蛋白质分子上驰骋，在食物落喉时一并下咽。
如果你吃的肉是从烤架上取下的，那一款新酿的赤霞珠就可派上用场了。因为它青春的水果味可以抗衡那生火烤肉造成的带点苦涩却可口的烧焦味。除了烤肉，奶酪如Brie和Camembert
等也可以舒缓波尔多新酒中的丹宁；他们也确实够温和的，因此不会抢了纤巧的波尔多陈酿的风头。
如果你喜欢干咖喱牛肉 （和着柠檬草和椰浆慢火焖煮的牛肉），那一杯充满黑醋栗和黑樱桃的赤霞珠就与这菜肴格格不入了。因为干牛肉的调味汁会增强那股咖啡和黑巧克力的气息。
避免与精致的菜肴如鱼（尤其是熏鱼）、水果、牡蛎、海鲜和贝壳以及辛辣的菜肴搭配。
Gamay
The best qualities of the Gamay grape are brought out by the granite
soil of the Beaujolais, the southernmost subregion of Burgundy. Gamay is the
grape used exclusively for Beaujolais and for the lesser red burgundies of the
Mâconnais region. Enjoyed all over the world, Beaujolais reds at their best are
delightfully summery, scented and fruity, packed with soft, lively fruit
flavours of strawberry and raspberry that show well in the absence of
substantial tannin. These qualities lend themselves well to carbonic maceration
that protects the delicate fruit components and prepares the wine for early
release – best drunk within two years of bottling.
Heavyweight wines may sweep you off your feet but do not overlook the
seductive and subtle reds made from the Gamay grape as their moreish and
succulent character make them one of the best reds to drink without food. And
there are occasions when a light red is the better choice. You would not really
want a full-on Rhône red when the weather is too hot for comfort. If your
palate is fatigued from ultra-ripe fruit and heavy tannins, Gamay-based wines
can save your taste buds from exhaustion. Go for bottles labelled
Beaujolais-Villages, wine made from grapes grown in better sites, or, best of
all, those produced in 10 named villages in the north of the region: Côte de
Brouilly, Juliénas, Chiroubles, Moulin-à-Vent, Brouilly, St-Amour, Chénas,
Fleurie, Morgon and Regnié. The flavours from these bottles have more depth.
Chill slightly before drinking: a cold touch can accentuate their perfumed
berry fruit succulence.
A Beaujolais red makes a fine match for picnic fare – charcuterie (best
match), pork sausages and salads. It also goes well with tonkatsu (Japanese
deep-fried pork cutlet).
佳美
佳美葡萄的优越品质，会从勃艮第南端分区的博若莱花岗岩土壤中展现开来。佳美葡萄品种专用于博若莱红葡萄酒，以及较少数的马孔内区红葡萄酒。受全世界爱戴的顶级博若莱红葡萄酒，犹如令人喜悦的夏日，香气四溢，果香浓郁，充满了柔顺的草莓和覆盆子的水果味，在缺乏大量丹宁的情况下表现良好。这些特质让他们对二氧化碳浸泡法的反应良好，这方法可以保护酒中娇嫩的水果含量并为它的提早问世铺路 – 最好在装瓶两年内饮用。
重量级的葡萄酒可能会让你为之心动，但别忽略了诱人而微妙的佳美红葡萄酒。它那丰盛和叫人欲罢不能的特质，使他成为不必与食物搭配着喝的好酒之一。其实有些时候，清淡的红酒是更好的选择 。当天气热到令人无法招架的时候，你不会真的想要来一杯款丰盛 的罗纳红酒。如果你的味觉已对超成熟的水果和过量的丹宁感到疲惫，那以佳美为主的美葡萄酒可以挽救你味蕾的疲惫。寻找“博若莱村”酒瓶的标志，那是优质产区生长的葡萄酿制的美酒。然而绝顶佳酿来自该区以北名列前十的乡村：Côte
de Brouilly, Juliénas,
Chiroubles, Moulin-à-Vent,
Brouilly, St-Amour, Chénas,
Fleurie, Morgona 和
Regnié.
这些美酒的味道更具深度，饮用前宜先冷藏：寒冷的气息会突出他们的芳香梅果的丰厚。
博若莱红酒是用于野餐活动的良好配对 – 猪肉熟食（最佳搭配）、猪肉香肠和沙拉，它也和日式炸猪排 （tonkatsu）相搭配。
Grenache
Found in numerous wine blends from around the world, this variety can
produce big, boisterous, joyful wines with 15 or 16 per cent alcohol because of
its high sugar level. Light in tannin and in colour, it tastes of sweet, plummy
fruit with a whiff of chocolate at times, and finishes dry but succulent.
This productive grape is one of the most planted red wine grape
varieties in the world with France and Spain being its largest principal wine
regions. In Spain, it goes under the local name Garnacha, where it can be
blended with the relatively austere Tempranillo to produce red Rioja wines with
an added fruitiness. In the southern Rhône valley of France, Grenache is the
primary grape among the many used to make the popular Côtes-du-Rhône rouge
whose ample body and meaty structure with an unmistakable fruit flavour of
raspberry jam give this wine a chewy fruitiness. This red matches well with
roasted chicken, hamburgers and grilled vegetables.
By keeping the grape yield in check, producers can produce dense,
concentrated wines with ageing potential. These wines can have complex and
intense notes of gingerbread, coffee, black olives, black pepper and spices.
The best are from Priorat in Spain and France’s Gigondas and Châteauneuf-du-Pape
regions. The most powerful versions of Châteauneuf-du-Pape with their spicy
richness stand up well to roasted or stewed lamb, whereas tamer bottlings果香味match
well with a roast duck.
Traditionally, and even currently, many Grenache-based wines are
vinified and aged without any use of new oak. New oak can limit a wine’s
matching ability with different types of food. This is one reason why many
Grenache-based wines with their nice fruit core and light tannins are so good
with food, particularly grilled lamb, and roasted and barbecued red meat.
Well-made ones tend to have enough body and character to be enjoyable with or
without food.
歌海娜
歌海娜见于来自世界各地众多的葡萄酒中，该品种生产的是硕大，教人疯狂、给人快意的葡萄酒。由于它的高糖成分，酒精的含量是15
% 至16
%。丹宁含量单薄、色泽浅淡 ，带着甜蜜多梅子的水果味，有时候可以嗅到一股巧克力味，回味是干燥但多汁的。
这多产的葡萄是世界上种植最多的红葡萄酒葡萄品种之一，法国和西班牙是它最大的主要产区。在西班牙，当地人称之为“Garnacha”。它可以和相对严峻的添普兰尼洛葡萄混合，以酿制附加更多果味的里奥哈红葡萄酒。在法国南部的罗纳河谷，歌海娜被用以制造受欢迎的Côtes-du-Rhône
红酒。它丰足的身体和肉香的结构，以及明确无误的覆盆子果酱味 ，给予它耐嚼的果味。这种红酒和烤鸡腿、汉堡及烤蔬菜是好搭档。
通过监视及控制葡萄产量，酿酒商可以调制密集、浓缩、具有陈酿潜力的红葡萄酒。这些葡萄酒有姜饼、咖啡、黑橄榄、黑胡椒和香料的复杂、强烈的标记。最好的歌海娜来自西班牙的贝利奥拉特和法国的吉恭达斯及勒鲁教皇新堡地区。 最著名的品牌来自勒鲁教皇新堡，它丰富的辛辣，可与烤或炖羊肉搭配，而温驯的瓶装果香味则适合匹配烤鸭。
传统上，即使是目前，许多歌海娜葡萄酒的酿造和陈化是没使用任何新橡木桶的。因为新橡木桶会局限葡萄酒与不同种类食物的匹配能力。这就是为什么很多带着漂亮的水果核和浅淡丹宁的歌海娜葡萄酒都很容易与食物搭配的原因之一，尤其是与红烧羊肉、烘烤和烧烤红肉。制作精良的往往有足够的分量和性格，有或无食物的搭配都是愉快的享受。
Lambrusco
Well-made wines from this indigenous grape variety of Emilia-Romagna in
northeast Italy are simple but exuberant and packed with fruit. Meant to be
drunk young, it should appeal to drinkers with its touches of red berries and
spice.
A good Lambrusco has a dominant aroma of violets. When poured, you
should see a brief froth of bubbles that should vanish immediately to leave a
faint ring of white around the edge of the glass. Top-quality versions always
bear secco (dry) on the label, and are sealed with a mushroom-shaped cork and
hail from the denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) regions of Sorbara,
Salamino di Santa Croce and Grasparossa di Castelvetro.
Grasparossa, Salamino and Sorbara are three of the commonly found
varieties of Lambrusco. Grasparossa produces the most tannic Lambrusco. This
deep purplish-red wine is typically dry and full-bodied. Sorbara is generally regarded
as the highest quality variety producing the most fragrant wines that range
from a deep ruby colour to a purplish hue. Sorbara and Salamino tend to produce
the most acidic wines.
Lambrusco is best paired with ricotta and salumi. For Asian foods, try
it with Singapore’s chilli crab and Szechuan’s kung po chicken.
蓝布鲁斯科
蓝布鲁斯科是以原产于意大利东北部的艾米利亚
-- 罗马涅大区的葡萄品种酿造的的精良葡萄酒。它简单而非凡，充满了水果味， 理应在新酒时喝，它那红色浆果及香料润色应该会吸引杯中物的饕客。
一瓶优质的兰布鲁斯科带着明显的紫罗兰香气。倒酒时，你应该看到一股短暂有如泡沫的气泡，稍纵即逝，只在玻璃的边缘留下一圈淡淡的白环。质量最好的品牌总是贴着“赛科”（干）标签，密封于一个蘑菇形的软木塞瓶中， 来自法定产区素伯拉乡村的
Salamino di Santa Croce 和
Grasparossa di Castelvetro.
格斯巴、萨拉米诺和素伯拉是三种常见的兰布鲁斯科 葡萄品种。格斯巴可酿造丹宁含量最丰富的兰布鲁斯科葡萄酒。这深紫红色的葡萄酒是典型的干燥和酒体饱满。萨拉米诺通常被视为最高品质的品种，它酿造的葡萄酒最香，酒色范畴从深红宝石色到略带紫的色调。索伯拉和萨拉米诺可酿制酸性最强的葡萄酒。
兰布鲁斯科和意大利乳清干酪以及意大利腊肠，是最好的搭配。亚洲食品方面，试试与新加坡辣椒螃蟹和四川宫保鸡搭配吧。
Malbec
In the 19th century, immigrants brought the Malbec grape variety from
Cahors, southwest France to Argentina where it thrives in the hot, dry summers
of the eastern foothills of the Andes. The Argentinian wines made with this grape
are denser, more intense and livelier than their French equivalents which are
fairly austere with a dry mineral character and inky, spiced-blackberry fruit.
Possessing an aroma of black fruits, truffles, spice, dried herbs,
chocolate and leather, the Cahors wine is known in France as Côt or Auxerrois.
A muscular Cahors wine with age can become more refined and velvety, with
marked finesse and a finish that is seemingly infinite. The rich and powerful
Cahors with its firm tannins and concentration should not be drunk young. This
wine cannot be more perfectly matched with a cassoulet.
An Argentine Malbec has a distinctive aroma of blackberry, plum,
coffee, spice and oak. This ripe and upfront wine, with its backbone of tannins
and refreshing acidity, tastes rich and fleshy. Because of its strength, this
flagship grape of Argentina is used sparingly in blends to add depth and
length.
The Argentines enjoy their Malbecs with their famously grass-fed beef.
You will never go wrong with this match. Try also with beef bulgogi if a Malbec
is available at your Korean eatery.
马尔贝克
移民在19世纪把马尔贝克葡萄品种从法国西南部卡奥尔的地方带来阿根廷，夏季炎热干燥的安第斯山脉东部山麓促使它生机勃勃地成长。用这种葡萄品种的酿造的阿根廷葡萄酒更浓厚、更激烈、更充满活力，不像用等质地法国葡萄酿制的那么干燥。它具有干性矿物的特征、漆黑、含香料般的黑莓水果，相当的“严峻”，意即不圆润不肥美。
马尔贝克拥有黑色水果、松露、香料、干香草、巧克力和皮革的香气，在法国被称为卡奥尔葡萄酒或欧塞瓦。一款强劲的卡奥尔成熟葡萄酒会随着年龄的增长变得更加精致，像天鹅绒般柔软，展现了显著的高雅和近乎无限的回甘。丰富而强烈的卡奥尔与其结实的丹宁酸和浓度，是不应该在新酒时喝的。这种酒与炖豆焖肉是绝配。
一款阿根廷马尔贝克红酒散发鲜明的黑莓、李子、咖啡、香料和橡木的香气。这种成熟和“可感知” （无需太多思考和努力去发现）的葡萄酒，有丹宁和清爽的酸度为中枢，口感丰富，感觉丰满。由于它的强劲，阿根廷的这款旗舰葡萄品种，都被谨慎地用以增添酒的深度（酒复杂和浓郁的香气）和长度（酒的遗香在口中停留的时间长短）。
阿根廷人喜爱把他们著名的草饲牛肉与马尔贝克酒同喝，如果你也这样搭配，准不会出岔子。如果在韩国餐厅里有马尔贝克红酒，你也可以尝试把它与烤牛肉搭配。
Merlot
At times, your taste buds may get fatigued by too many tough, hefty
wines (full-bodied reds) but may not find any excitement in light, pale reds
with no guts. Instead, they seek a wine with plenty of ripe, juicy fruit but
one that tastes soft and easy when young, with few harsh tannins. And one that
is widely available and grown all over the world. Merlot, which is the third
most planted red grape in France, fits the bill. Merlot may not wow you like a
glass of blockbuster French red but its beautiful suppleness and plumpness make
it thoroughly appealing. It was the easy-drinking red varietal of choice in the
1990s.
The most sought-after Merlot-dominated wines are the clarets of the
Pomerol and St-Emilion regions in Bordeaux. A glass of one of the finest
Pomerols will make those thinking Merlot counts for little in Bordeaux drink
their words. On these “right bank” regions of the Libournais area, and
especially its appellations of St-Emilion and Pomerol, Merlot is at its most
serious, concentrated and venerable. They are best after five to 10 years in
the bottle – so be patient! But they can also be drunk when young as they are
more approachable than the Médoc reds. Besides France, Merlot is important in
California, Washington, New York’s Long Island district, northeastern Italy and
Chile. Most American Merlots are “drink now” wines because they do not benefit
much from bottle ageing. The grape is susceptible to fungal infections and can
prove tricky to grow, so the quality of wines depend greatly on both location
and production skill.
Merlot is a distant relative of Cabernet Sauvignon. Its dark blue grape
skin is thinner than that of Cabernet Sauvignon, which equates to earlier
ripening and softer tannins. A good Merlot has a friendly, plummy flavour which
is almost jammy in its concentration, and a smooth, rounded texture with a soft
tannin and gentle acidity profile that makes its pleasing fruit flavours more
accessible than those in sturdier reds. Some Merlots have an extra sheen of oak
from new barrel-ageing to round them off and add complexity. Other typical
description of Merlot flavours are black cherry, spice, blueberry with the
occasional mocha undertone.
The soft tannin in Merlot makes it an enjoyable match with a broad
variety of foods. Even bak kut teh, a Chinese herbal pork rib soup accompanied
by a soya sauce dip usually containing chillies and minced garlic, makes a
successful pairing – a fruity Merlot marries well with the pork dipped in the
savoury soya sauce. Merlot’s unobtrusive flavours also fit nicely with grilled
seafood as well as claypot chicken rice where the oil and the shiitake’s umami
take to the wine. If you are having lamb chops or chicken, a California Merlot
is great with them.
梅洛
有时候，你的味蕾会因过多艰难、沉重（酒体醇厚）红葡萄酒而感到疲惫，但可能无法在这轻微的、苍白的、没有“胆色”的红酒里找到任何兴奋。相反的，他们寻求的是异常成熟的葡萄酒，多汁的、但在酒龄较浅时，口感柔顺易于入喉，且含较少苛刻的单宁。梅洛是一款广泛被使用，并在世界各地种植的葡萄品种。梅洛也是在法国第三大种植的红葡萄，酿制红酒的最佳选择。梅洛未必像一杯一鸣惊人的法国红酒那样让你震慑，但其美丽的柔软和饱满度极度吸引人，在二十世纪九十年代，它是最易于饮用红葡萄品种的首选。
最抢手的梅洛红葡萄酒酿制于法国波尔多的波美侯和圣爱美浓地区。一杯出色的波美侯红葡萄酒会让那些认为梅洛无足轻重的人“喝”回他们所说的话。就在利布尔奈的“右岸”地区，尤其是波美侯和圣爱美浓的红酒法定产区，酿造的梅洛大多品质卓越、浓郁和令人敬畏。它们在装瓶后的五到十年年最好喝 - 所以要耐心等待！但是，它们也可以在酒龄较浅时喝 ，它们比梅多克红葡萄酒更平易近人。除了法国，加州的华盛顿、纽约的长岛区、意大利东北部和智利都是梅洛的重要产区。大多数美国的梅洛是“现在喝”的葡萄酒，因为在瓶里陈酿无法让他们受益。由于这葡萄品种容易受到真菌感染，种植时相当棘手，因此葡萄酒的质量在很大程度上取决于地理位置和生产技术。
梅洛和赤霞珠梅洛是远房亲戚。其深蓝色的葡萄皮比赤霞珠梅洛的皮薄，这等同于早熟和柔和的单宁。一款好的梅洛让人感觉舒适、带着李子味、近乎果酱的浓度、流畅圆润的质感、柔和的单宁以及温和的酸度，使得其赏心悦目的水果口味比那些坚固（丰满、浓烈）的红酒更易于让人接受。一些梅洛红酒带着来自新桶陈化的橡木光泽，使它更完美，也增加了它的复杂性。其他有关梅洛葡萄酒口感的典型描述包括了黑樱桃、香料和蓝莓以及特殊的的摩卡咖啡味。
梅洛的柔和单宁使得它和各种各样的食物成为良好的配搭，即使配搭肉骨茶 -- 一种伴酱油蘸酱、通常含辣椒和蒜末的中国草药猪肉排骨汤 – 也非常理想。 因带果味的梅洛葡萄酒配猪肉蘸香喷喷的酱油很对味。梅洛葡萄酒适中的口感配搭烤海鲜以及瓦锅鸡饭也恰到好处，因那油脂和香菇的鲜味水乳交融。如果你吃的是羊排或鸡肉，那么一款加州梅洛红酒也是速配。
Carmenère
This variety is an old, abandoned Bordeaux grape which was once heavily
planted but forsaken because of low yields and ripening problems. Carmenère
made its home in southern Chile when it was imported there in 1850. For 141
years, it was mislabelled as Merlot because no one could discern that Carmenère
produces riper, sweeter-tasting wines with additional flavours of blackberry
jelly, coffee, soya, spice and red capsicum. It has a slightly more pronounced
savoury/earthy character than Merlot. Try both and see if you can tell them
apart.
Carmenère’s low tannin levels make it light and easy to drink, whose
flavours benefit from tantalisingly rich fruit and spice qualities – best
enjoyed in its younger years. Give this wine a go with mutton biryani, mutton
curry, tandoori chicken, rack of lamb with rosemary and garlic, and dark
chocolate.
卡曼尼
卡曼尼品种是一个古老的、被遗弃的波尔多葡萄品种，曾一度广泛种植， 但因产量低和果实成熟问题而被抛弃。卡曼尼于1850年进口智利后便落足其南部，被误标为梅洛葡萄酒近140年，因为没有人能够辨识卡曼尼葡萄酒酿造的是何等成熟、甜美、带着黑莓果、咖啡、大豆、香料和红灯笼椒口味的葡萄酒。它有一种比梅洛稍明显的咸味兼朴实的性格。你可以同时尝试这两种美酒，看看是否能分辨个中异同。
卡曼尼的低单宁使其口感清淡，易于饮用，其美好口味来自它丰富水果和香料气质，在酒龄年轻的时饮用最好。你也可以尝试把这种酒和印度比尔亚尼咖喱羊肉、咖喱羊肉、印度唐杜里鸡，迷迭香和大蒜烤羊排以及深黑巧克力搭配。
其他红葡萄酒
大致上我们已经谈论了九款不同品种的红葡萄酒。在下一期，我们的话题会围绕在其他九种主要的红葡萄酒品种和可以搭配它们的食物。它们分别是：内比奥罗、巴贝拉、多尔切托、黑比诺、品乐塔吉、桑娇维塞、西拉、添普兰尼洛和仙粉黛。就请期待吧！
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