The Holiday Roast: Structure, Tannin & Big Reds

Tannin is the thing most people can feel and almost nobody can name. It is also the reason a big red sings next to a fatty roast and falls flat on its own. Six reds, four different sources of tannin: grape skin, oak, ripeness and age. We open with something fresh and structured from the Loire and finish on the most expensive glass we pour all season, and along the way you will learn to tell those four apart by feel alone. Once you can, picking a wine for a roast stops being a guess. Mid-December, right when you are planning the Christmas menu. All six are on the shelf when we finish, including the expensive one at the end. Bring whoever you are cooking for.