With August 28 kicking off National Red Wine Day, there's never been a better time to pop your favorite bottle (or two) and enjoy. But when it comes to "red wine," the world is very broad and can get incredibly complex.
Wine is so much more intricate than simply whittling it down to "red, white, or rose." There are dozens of different wines, and the term "red" is only the tip of a very large iceberg, which can make selecting one to drink a little intimidating — especially when experts are throwing around fancy lingo.
But it turns out that red wine doesn't have to be that complicated. It really is all about trying everything and learning what you like.
"When I was coming up in wine, I just bought all kinds of bottles I could afford from everywhere," Keith Beavers, the tasting director for VinePair, told Business Insider. "I wanted to experience all the wines. In doing so I found what I liked and what I didn't like. I also learned along the way."
Case in point, Beavers said, price (gasp!) shouldn't matter. There are great wines in all price categories.
When it comes to knowing what kind of taste you're looking for, he said a good rule of thumb is that the higher the alcohol by volume (ABV), the more full-bodied the wine will feel. The lower the ABV, the lighter the wine will feel on the palate.
Of course, this is just the bare minimum when it comes to the basics of red wine.
So to make it really simple, we let the experts do the legwork and come up with a list of 14 delectable red wines to uncork, and what specifically to serve them with.