Wine(1) 01 - A Beginner's Guide to the Types of Wine

Welcome to Wine 101 (if you haven’t figured out our pun yet)! This is a beginner’s guide to understanding wine. We do not claim to be experts, but what we know is that we LOVE wine. We are forever in the learning process of knowing more about this ancient beverage that has surpassed time & culture.

Today, we go over some wine basics. In particular, we explore different types of wines & their peculiarity. There may be many varieties of grapes out there, however wine grapes fall into a few main categories. Understanding these core types makes choosing, tasting, and pairing wine far less intimidating - and much more enjoyable.

While wines were mainly categorized into the main 5 categories, there is rising exploration within the wine industry. So, we will discuss 8 categories today, they are -

1. Red Wine: Typically made from dark skinned grapes, this wine gets its color, tannins & depth from its skin during the fermentation process. They tend to be richer & fuller-bodied than their white counterparts. A red wine usually shows undertones of dark fruit, spice, leather, tobacco, and earth. 

   • Food Pairings: Grilled Meats, Pasta Dishes, and Aged Cheeses. 

   • Common Grape Varietal: Cabaret Sauvignon, Pinot Noir & Merlot.

     
     

2. White Wine: A white wine on the other hand is made from green or light skinned grapes. It is fermented without the skins, which results in pale color & a fresher, more delicate wine. White wines are bright & acidic, and reminds one of citrus, apple, stone fruit & minerals. 

   • Food Pairings: Seafood, Salad, and Poultry. 

   • Common Grape Varietal: Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc & Chardonnay

     
     

3. Sparkling Wine: Sparkling wines go through an extra step of carbonation, which creates their bubbles. While commonly white, this type of wine can be made with red or white grapes. They are available in an abundant flavor & variety - bone-dry to sweet. They are closely associated with celebrations. With their effervescent quality, they are bright, acidic and crispy on the palette.

   •  Food Pairings: Salty Snacks, Fried Food, Seafood, and Soft Cheeses. 

   • Common Grape Varietal: Glera, Pinot Noir & Munier

     
     

4. Fortified Wine: When grape spirits are added to wine, it results in increased alcohol level and residual sweetness. This rich, concentrated wine is a fortified wine. It can range from dry to very sweet & usually has a longer shelf life.

   •  Food Pairings: Nuts, Chocolate, and Aged Cheeses. 

   • Common Wine Type: Port, Tawny & Madeira.

     
     

5. Dessert Wine: These are intentionally sweet and are made so by harvesting the grapes later, freezing them, or through noble rot. The goal is to concentrate sugar and flavor, in order to produce a rich, luscious wine. 

   •  Food Pairings: Fruit Based Desserts (Apple Pie & Peach Cobbler), Cheesecake, Panna Cotta & Caramel.

   • Common Wine Type: Muscat (Moscato), Riesling & Sémillon.

Newer Classifications:

6. Rosé Wine: These are made from red grapes, however their skin contact time is minimal. Giving them their blush color & name. 

   
   

7. Pét-Nat (Pétillant Naturel): A naturally sparkling wine, which uses an ancient method of bottling wine before fermentation has finished.

   
   

8. Orange Wine: These are made with white wine grapes. The wine gets its amber from the addition of the grape’s skin, stem & seeds.