Types of Dry Red Wines

When choosing which dry red you want, try thinking about the following:

• The types of foods in which the wine can be paired.
• Your favorite flavor characteristics.
• Your guests' preferences.

To figure out which wines in the store are dry and which ones are not is actually pretty easy. All red table wines you find in the store on the shelf are always dry by definition. The sweeter late harvest, ports or late picked are usually on a different shelf away from the dry reds. To get a little more specific about the level of sugar you have takes a little more research and talking with the wine person at the store…but again, the definition of dry is less than 1.4% or so residual sugar.

The wine department is your oyster—explore it and try new things. For those of us who are huge red wine fans, chances are you’ve tried the standard go-to’s: Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot and Pinot Noir. Looking for something a little different? Two things to do: 1)Try new wine types from the U.S. and 2)Try wines from other countries.