When you're new to the world of wine, you may find the sheer number of wine types available to be downright daunting. Remember how confused you are about the difference between Dalmore Whisky and Bong Vodka? You can also have those in wine.
How can you tell the name of the wine among the hundreds of wines available? And how did you select an excellent wine to drink for the first time?
Understanding the basic kinds of wine is an excellent place to start when learning about the world of wine. Although many people believe that identifying wines into categories such as red or white wine is as simple as using your eyes to classify the color, each wine type has its character and identity.
These identities are determined by grape varieties and wine region, tannin level, aroma, and bouquet, sweet, and alcohol level, all of which affect the flavors somehow. To keep things easy, we'll divide the wine into five major categories listed below.
5 Types of Wine
White Wine
White wines are produced using both white and black grapes. On the other hand, white wines are not fermented with grape skins, while red wines are. Afterward, the skins are removed, leaving just the clear grape juice. White wine has minimal tannins; instead, its acidic character defines its fresh, crisp, and tart tastes. The precise method for making white wine is to remove the red pigments and use just grape juice.
White wine, in general, will offer taste profiles such as sharp, savory, and creamy depending on the inputs. Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Moscato are excellent choices for newcomers to wine. White wine pairs well with creamy cheese (Soft Cheese), white bread, meat, fish, shellfish, and salads.
Chardonnay is a well-known kind of white wine. Chardonnay is a medium to full-bodied white wine produced worldwide but is the most famous wine variety in the United States. The finest Chardonnays are oaked and have a buttery texture. Crisp apple and pear tastes are blended with citrus smells and notes of spice and vanilla—chardonnay pairs well with creamy sauces and chicken meals. Riesling, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc are other kinds of white wine.
Red Wine
Red wine production is similar to white wine production, with the extra grape skin, pip, and seed integrated into the fermenting process.
Red wines are produced from black grapes fermented with grape skins, seeds, and stems, which give the wine its red color. Red wine has many tannins, which give it that bitter, dry sensation in your tongue when you drink it. Red wine will be fermented at a higher temperature to extract color, tannin, fragrance, and tastes with varying levels of concentration based on fermentation time.
When it's a light-bodied red wine, combine it with grilled veggies, white meat, or chicken. A medium-bodied to full-bodied wine pairs nicely with meat meals such as steaks, hamburgers, or smoked meat, but if you want to learn about matching wine with Asian cuisine, go here.
Rose Wine
Rose wine with a pink rose hue is produced from red or black grapes with a 12-36 hours short fermentation. However, another standard method to create this Rose is just to mix red and white wine. This wine has a dry to sweet taste, light to dark pink hue, and a low tannin level.
Its blush or pink hue distinguishes rosé wine. This lovely hue is produced once the juice of black grapes is fermented with the skins for a short time, ranging from a few hours to a few days, until the liquid changes color. It, like white wine, is low in tannins, but some rosés are dry. Rosé is a favorite crowd-pleaser, particularly during summertime events, and a perfect option as a beginning wine due to its light, sweet taste.
Sparkling Wines
You will be thinking of a party when you think about Sparkling wine. Carbon dioxide (CO2) effervescent bubbles occur naturally or are deliberately supplied during the fermentation process. Sparkling wine may also be classified by regions, such as Cava in Spain, Asti or Prosecco in Italy, and Champagne from the Champagne area in France.
Sparkling wines are carbonated, thus the moniker “bubbly.” Carbon dioxide is a found natural byproduct of fermentation in sparkling wines produced from black and white grapes. Champagne is the most well-known sparkling wine, and it is often used in festivities such as New Year's and weddings. If you're throwing a party, serve the sparkling wine with salad, cheese, fish, or bread.
Dessert Wines
A dessert wine is first and foremost a wine with such a high sweetness that you may pair with a sweet dish. One of the essential rules for food and wine pairing is that the dish should never be sweeter than the wine. The wine should be at least as sweet as the meal.
There is no universally accepted definition of Dessert or Sweet wine. It is primarily due to the nature of sweetness itself and the occasion of presenting with sweets after the meal. However, in other countries, such as the United Kingdom, people drink sweet white wine as an aperitif before a meal and sweet red wine to cleanse their palate afterward. Sweet wine is classified as Port, Tawny, or Sherry, among others.
