Most U.S. wine drinkers prefer their red wines to be kind of soft, slightly sweet or at least not particularly tart. I really dislike this kind of wine — if I'm having it with food.
I grew up with wine at a time when dry red wine was truly dry. But in the era of sweetened coffee drinks, cola, hard ciders, beers made with fruit essences and all manner of sweet things, wine has had to comply.
Starting in the late 1990s, most California red wines have gotten richer, softer and fleshier. This includes such wines as pinot noir, a grape that once regularly produced a lighter-styled red wine.
Updated: Tue Jan 30, 2024