Thinking of trying on wine? Well, that’s a great start. However, before that, you must know about different types of wines.
Also, you can’t just drink wine alone, you need to know which wine goes with what. Why? Because once Michael Broadbent said, “Drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life’s most civilized pleasures.“
There are dozens of wine varieties available in restaurants or wine stores. How will you order one for yourself? Know the wine categories, and different types available in each of them. That will help you in selecting the right wine that will go with your food as well as the taste.
And that is what you are going to read in this article!
What is Wine?
Starting with the basics!
Wine is a fermented grape juice. Uh-uh! This isn’t as simple as it sounds. There are mainly two types of grapes: white grapes (green in color) and black grapes (red in color).
Among these two, there are hundreds of different grapes available, using which thousand varieties of wine and blends are made.
Is this it? No, there are other factors as well that affect the taste of wine like region, tannins, acidity, body, sweetness, and flavor. Want to understand them? Let’s go!
What Are The Different Types of Wine?
Basically, there are 6 different wine types – Red Wines, White Wines, Rose Wines, Sparkling Wines, Dessert Wines, and Fortified Wines.
Here in this section, we will read about the nature of these basic kinds of wine and the popular ones in them. Also, each wine has the added information of food pairing.
Excited to read ahead? Let’s understand the different types of wines.
1. Red Wines
Among different types of wines, the highly boasted drink is red wine. It is made from black grapes with skin, seeds, and stems. Peeled-off black grapes are colorless, hence it is fermented with the grape skin to get the red-purple color beverage.
Red wine is higher in tannin than any other. Remember, tannins are present in the skin, seeds, and stem of the grape. The thicker the grape skin, the higher the ratio of tannins in it.
Tannins taste bitter when they are chilled or freshly brewed. That is why it is advised to drink wine at room temperature and the older the wine the better it will taste. Tannins tend to leave a bitter and dry flavor in the mouth.
Popular Red Wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Merlot, Syrah, Gamay, and Malbec.
Foods that you can pair with Red Wine: BBQ ribs, Pizza, Pasta, Steak, Burger (foods with red meat).
2. White Wines
Another type of wine is white wine, The White wines have an acidic nature and very low tannins. They are made from both white and black grapes. To get the naked and pure color, the grapes are fermented after peeling the skins.
White wines’ taste can vary from dry to sweet. It has powerful fruit and floral aromas. To bring out the flavors, white wines are suggested to be served or drank after chilling.
Popular White Wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Chardonnay
Foods that you can pair with White Wine: Poultry, Curries, Salad, Popcorn, Chips, Tacos, Cheese, Fish, and other Seafood,
3. Rose Wines
If you ask someone about how rose wines are made, they will tell you by mixing red and white wine. Don’t trust that! A true wine lover knows that this technique is a big no-no in the wine industry.
So, how is it made? Rose wines are made with black grapes. These wine varieties are fermented with the skin but for a lesser time (which can vary from a few hours to a few days), which results in the blush or pink color of the wine.
As for taste, it is low in tannins but still leaves a dry taste in the mouth. It comes in different flavors like strawberry, cherry, raspberry, citrus, and tropical fruit. It is a crowd magnet, hence it is served mostly at parties and get-togethers.
Foods that you can pair with Rose Wine: Light Food and Snacks (just like White Wine)
4. Sparkling Wines
Do you know sparkling wine is also known as bubbly? Yes. It is because of the bubbles forming in the wine. The sparkling wine is carbonated. It is made from white and black grapes. Carbon dioxide is the byproduct of the fermentation process.
The taste of sparkling wine can vary from extra dry to sweet and even citrusy. Also, serve this wine only in the long slender glass to retain its temperature and bubbles.
Most of the sparkling wines have added sugar content to balance the acidic taste obtained from carbonation. It comes in red, white, and rose colors. The most popular sparkling wine is Champagne.
Foods that you can pair with Sparkling Wine: Cheese, Salad, Popcorn, Fresh Fruit, Smoked Salmon, and Shrimps. (Light Foods)
5. Dessert Wines
Dessert Wines – the name itself suggests its taste and nature. It is sweet in taste and is preferred to have after a meal. Any sweet wine is known as a dessert wine.
There are different processes to make the dessert wine. One is stopping the fermentation process earlier than usual, so that yeast doesn’t eat up the sugar content.
Another process is using the grapes that are kept on the vine for a longer period to raisinate to increase its sugar content.
Popular Dessert Wines: Moscato, Icewine
Foods that you can pair with Dessert Wine: Cheesecake, Vanilla Pudding, Chocolate, Creme Brulee, and Biscotti.
6. Fortified Wines
Among the different types of wine, The last one among the wine categories is fortified wines. Some fortified wines are considered among the dessert wines as well. Why? The reason is hidden in its taste and manufacturing process.
Fortified wines are made with grapes using the fermentation process but the spirits like brandy are added to the solution. These wines are sweetened with alcohol.
The wines with lower alcohol content are considered the dessert wine and paired with desserts.
Popular Fortified Wines: Marsala, Sherry, Port, Madeira
Foods that you can pair with Fortified Wine: Baked Foods
This is all you need to know about the different types of wines. Explore a variety of wines in each category and know your taste. Always remember, the vintage wine will win hearts.
Shop for the wide range of wines at The Wine Stop.