What does it mean when I perceive a red wine's flavor as bright or dark? - The Athan Zafirov Wine Blog

What does it mean when I perceive a red wine's flavor as bright or dark?

I know very little about wine, but I find that when I taste red wine one of the primary attributes I notice is how "bright" it tastes. In summer, I gravitate toward brighter wines like some chianti and tempranillo and in winter darker wines, like some Pinot Noir and Malbec. I feel like it's the difference between strawberry shortcake and German chocolate cake. What is it I'm tasting? Does this have to do primarily with how acidic it is? Tannic? Dry? Oaky? Is this what people mean by red fruit verses dark fruit? Or light-bodied vs full-bodied? Or some inseparable combination of all these things?

An example of a wine I had recently that tasted "dark" to me is Meomi Pinot Noir. I asked for something similar and was recommended the No Curfew red blend, which I perceived as quite bright. Learning how to describe this difference will help me describe and refine my taste and enjoy drinking wine more consistently. I would also love recommendations of affordable wines that seem to fit this description of "dark" (black fruit?/full-bodied?/low tannin?/low acidity?/oaky?/demisec?) red wine.

Thanks a bunch!

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For 15 years, Athan Zafirov has traveled the vineyards around the world and worked with some of the greatest chefs including Francois Duc and Alan Brown.

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