The course will include the following subjects:
 Cabernet Sauvignon
Blackcurrants and cedar wood typify the aromas from wines produced from this grape variety. Extensively used in Bordeaux, alone or in combination with Merlot and Cabernet Franc, to produce some of the finest wines available. This grape has also travelled the world and stunning examples of top quality red wine are produced in California, Chile and Australia. Taste some of the best bought from retail outlets in your area and compare them to the classics.
Shiraz
Dominated by heavy, full-bodied Shiraz-based wine with relentless consistency in flavour, Australia is trying to reinvent itself with the idea of terroir as a basis of more individual wines. From its other French name, Syrah, great wines are produced in the northern Rhone valley in France such as Hermitage and Cote Rotie, while in other parts of France it appears more often as Vins de Pays. Taste the Hunter and Barossa Shiraz wines and compare them with their French counterparts.
Pinot Noir
Made famous by the film ‘Sideways’ indeed Oregon produces some good wines from Pinot Noir, but its most famous production area is Burgundy in France. Here they have mastered the cultivation of this tricky variety, to produce what are undoubtedly the finest wines in the world. Thriving in a cool climate it is not surprising that New Zealand too has taken on the Pinot Noir grape and produced some wines to match those in Burgundy.
Merlot
Not regarded as a grape that produces great wine, it may be surprising to know that it forms ‘Petrus,’ the wine infamous for expensive indulgences in Gordon Ramsey’s restaurants. It is the essential grape variety for St. Emillion and Pomerol in France, although it is most often used as a softening agent for Cabernet Sauvignon. The Chilean wine house Errazuriz won a gold medal for its great value 2004 Merlot so the potential for this grape is worldwide and not confined to Bordeaux.
Spanish, Portuguese and Italian grape varieties
There are a host of grape varieties used in these countries and the situation is very confusing as many varieties are as diverse in flavour as they are geographically located. There are other wonderful red wines to be sampled from all over the world, and from places you may not have considered before.
Zinfandel, Carminere, Tannat, Pinotage, Petit Verdot
There are other wonderful red wines to be sampled from all over the world and from places you may not have considered before or grapes.
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