Shopping for wine could be quite an overwhelming experience. Where do you even start from? Any wine store you visit could carry hundreds of bottles, so how do you pick?
Most of us have at one point had to get a bottle of wine, and we went for the prettiest label on the shelf. It is quite disappointing to know that it has nothing to do with how pretty the label looks. Most of us have fallen victim to this. Let us show you how to do this like a pro.
Before we plunge in, what is wine? Wine is made by fermenting grape juice. Wine is made from either white grapes, which look green in color, or black grapes, which are reddish or purple in appearance. Other factors that influence the final product of a bottle are complex and include how long it’s aged, what type of vessel it’s aged in, the climate in which the grapes are cultivated, how long the juice sits with the skins, and more.
Here’s what you should know about the basic types of wine before you run to the store.
RED WINE
Red wine is made from black grapes, and it gets its hue (which can range from light ruby to a deep oxblood) from fermenting with the grape skins. This also imparts tannins, which you can thank for that dry, astringent mouthfeel when you sip a particularly bold red wine.
Examples:
- Lighter bodied reds have lower alcohol, fewer tannins, higher acidity and red fruit flavors (like pinot noir and gamay)
- Medium-bodied reds, which have moderate alcohol and tannins, and a blend of red and dark fruit flavors (like grenache, Côtes du Rhône and Merlot)
- Full-bodied reds, which have higher alcohol, bold tannins and black fruit and spicy flavors (like cabernet sauvignon, malbec and syrah)
Food Pairings:
Pairing red wine (and all wine, for that matter) is largely a matter of preference, but there are a few guidelines to follow if you’re just starting out. Bold, full-bodied reds pair well with hearty foods (like red meat or slow-cooked, rich dishes). Lighter reds are versatile and can pair with pasta, pizza, and even poultry.
Serving Tips:
Again, how you serve the wine depends on its specifics, but in general, you should serve red wine just below room temperature, especially if it’s a high-tannin bottle (otherwise it could come off bitter). But lighter, higher acidity reds can be delicious with a chill. The pros will tell you that you need “red wine” glasses for serving, but in our humble opinion, we ask you to listen to the pros. Because we are the pros.
WHITE WINE
On the other hand, white wine can be made from both white and black grapes. The key here is that white wine is fermented without the skins, which is why it’s pale in color and low in tannins. It can range from crisp to buttery, depending on the wine.
Examples:
- Light-bodied white wine, which is crisp and acidic and can range from citrusy to herbaceous. Examples include; Pinot Grigio, Albariño, Sauvignon Blanc, and Vinho Verde
- Full-bodied white wine, which is creamier and bolder in flavor and usually aged in oak such as Chardonnay, Viognier, and Sémillon
Food Pairings:
Just like red wine, you can technically pair white wine with anything you please. However, it is much better when you enjoy it with seafood and fish, poultry and salty snacks or spicy dishes.
Serving Tips:
White wine will taste best with a chill. That’s because cool temperatures highlight white wine’s acidity and make it taste fresh and light.
ROSÉ WINE
Rosé starts like red wine with black grape juice and skins, but the skins are removed after a short period of time. The result? A blush color, low tannins and a crowd-pleasing, easy-to-pair flavor. Rosé can be made from any type of black grape, and its exact flavor will depend on the varietal and where it was made.
Examples:
- Provence-style rosés, which are typically very pale pink with a fruity, zesty flavor profile
- Rosado is a Spanish style of rosé that’s a usually deeper pink with a light, fresh flavor
- Rosato, an Italian rosé that ranges from light and delicate to bold, depending on the region it’s made in
Food Pairings:
Rosé can pair with a wide range of foods depending on its style. Light, crisp rosés play nice with salty or spicy food, cheese, and seafood, while juicier rosés can hold their own when paired with pizza, pasta, and poultry.
Serving Tips:
Like white wine, rosé is best served with a chill to enhance its refreshing factor.
ORANGE WINE
Orange is a bit of a misnomer because these wines can range from deep gold to a light straw color. You can think of them like white wines made in the style of rosé or red wine, but with white grapes: The juice ferments with the skin for a short period of time, imparting tannins like a red, but retaining the crisp, dry taste of a white.
Examples:
- Like rosé, orange wine can vary depending on the grapes it’s made with and the country it hails from, but can taste sour, tannic and dry with notes of honey, bruised apple, sourdough bread and even wood varnish.
Food Pairings:
Because they’re nuttier, bolder, and more tannic, skin-contact whites can be paired with heartier poultry, pork or even beef dishes, but also taste nice alongside lighter fare.
Serving Tips:
Since every bottle is slightly different, you’ll have to experiment to find a sweet spot for serving temperature, but in general, orange wines can be served slightly warmer than whites (but not warm).
SPARKLING WINE
Sparkling wine is any wine that contains carbonation. It can be white, rosé or even red, and the bubbles are (usually) a naturally occurring result of fermentation.
Examples:
- Champagne, a sparkling white wine from the Champagne region of France
- Cava, a Spanish sparkling white
- Prosecco, an Italian sparkling white
- Lambrusco, a sparkling redwine
- Sparkling rosé
Food Pairings:
Cheese, seafood, fresh fruit and salad are natural pairs for bubbly, as well as spicy and fatty food, since the bubbles scrub your palate.
Serving Tips:
Sparkling wine should always be served cold, partly because it enhances the effect of the carbonation and partly because if you try to open a warm bottle of sparkling wine, it’s almost guaranteed to explode.
DESSERT WINE
Here’s where the lines start to blur: Dessert wines and fortified wines are often lumped together because they’re both on the sweet side. Dessert wines are broadly defined as any sweet wine, usually served after a meal.
Examples:
- Moscato
- Sauternes, a French sweet wine made from white grapes affected by noble rot, a fungus that concentrates the grape sugars
- Tokaji, a Hungarian sweet wine made from grapes affected by noble rot
- Ice wine
Food Pairings:
These sweet wines pair best with other sweet foods, hence their name.
Serving Tips:
Since they’re intensely sweet and higher in alcohol, dessert wines are usually served in smaller wine glasses. White dessert wines are typically served well chilled, while red dessert wines are served closer to room temp.
FORTIFIED WINE
Fortified wine is any wine that’s fortified with an addition of a distilled spirit (usually brandy). It’s high in alcohol and usually sugar, and most commonly served at the end of a meal.
Examples:
- Port
- Sherry
- Madeira, a Portuguese fortified wine that goes through an oxidizing process during production
- Marsala, a fortified wine produced in the Italian city of Marsala, Sicily
- Vermouth, is a fortified wine flavored with botanicals (like barks, flowers, herbs, roots, and spices) and served as an apértif or cocktail ingredient
Food Pairings:
You don’t typically have to pair them with food. Enjoy on their own, or with chocolate, cheese, nuts, and other dessert foods.
Serving Tips:
You can serve fortified wines, like Sherry, slightly colder. Others, like port, are perfect closer to room temperature. It often depends on whether it’s red or white.
We hope that you can now get a better understanding of wine and the different types after this summary. We will make sure you all know wine flawlessly. To the point that you can confidently advise friends and family.
