Wine lovers turn to cabernet sauvignon for intensity and to pinot noir for elegance-but if there's any grape that can match them both on each count, it's nebbiolo. Red wines are produced made in every major wine-producing nation in the world, so it's impossible to condense them to a short list, but these are especially deserving of your corkscrew. When you're trying to decide which red wine to buy, there are so many considerations, from price and taste to its age and vintage. Traditions and mandates governing the production of red wine vary geographically: different regions of the world all have different rules dictating which grape varieties are permitted, how long the wines must age, what the final alcohol content can be, and how to label the wine. These are all comparatively recent additions to the red wine experience. The finest red wines of today follow this general pattern, with the addition of lots of innovations over the years, such as oak barrel aging, filtration, cultivated yeasts, and modern vineyard practices. You just need some grapes, a container, and Mother Nature. Unlike beer, there's no heating involved unlike liquor, you don't need a still. Then, you wait for some ambient yeasts to convert the sugar into alcohol.

At its essence, red wine may be the simplest alcoholic beverage in the world: you simply harvest some red grapes, crush them (with a press, or-if you prefer-your feet), and let them sit with their skins for a while to add color.

Ah, red wine: friend to hearty dishes, enemy to white shirts.

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