Types of Wine Decoded: From Red Wines to Whites, Sparklings & Beyond

As you’re aware, red wines are defined by their distinct red color. Ever wondered how they achieve those elegant shades of red? The secret lies in the skins of black grapes that are used to craft red wines. While the juice of wine grapes is usually clear or slightly yellowish, it’s the skin of these black wine grapes, at times dark red and purple, that comes packed with pigments like ‘anthocyanins’, imparting deep hues when the juice is left in contact with the skins during the fermentation process.

Features Of Red Wines:Apart from the seeds and stems, the skins of black grapes are also rich in tannins, imparting a gripping, astringent mouthfeel and giving red wines a boosted structure and aging potential.

Red wines tend to be dry, refreshing with their natural acidity, and lean towards bold flavors like dark fruits and more complex notes such as herbs, spices, and earthy tones. In addition, nuanced flavors like vanilla, spice, and subtle smokiness from oak barrels that are usually used to age them.

Also, the buzz about the health benefits of red wine is real!

Different Types of Red Wine: The word of red wines is neverending, with around 350 red wine varietals offering unique expressions. However, these are most sought after red wine types due to their remarkable flavors, regional prowess and captivating complexities:

• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Zinfandel
• Merlot
• Pinot Noir
• Syrah/Shiraz (same grape, just different styles of making)

Best-Suited For: Aficionados seeking depth and character in their wines.

Occasion Settings: Colder Seasons, Rich Feasting, Formal Dining Scenes and Quiet Evenings and Relaxing by Fireside.

Food Pairing Guide: Pair with Hearty Dishes and Meats

Refer to this red wine chart to uncover famous kinds of red wine on a snobbish note.

Taking the lineage of still wines forward, white wines stand out as legitimate charmers with their soft allure. Unlike unapologetically bold reds, they draw a soothing contrast with their color palette, smudged in a spectrum from pale yellow to golden. But how?

That’s because white wines are primarily crafted from somewhat green and yellow-colored grape varieties that showcase a very limited amount of pigment, allowing white wines to extract their light colors from the juice and skins collectively. More skins come into contact with the juice, the deeper the shade.

A Jaw-Dropping Fact About White Wines!

To your surprise, white wines are often crafted with red wine grapes. This is done by gently pressing the grapes without prolonging their clear juice with the pigmented skins, resulting in white or pale-colored wines. The sheer motive is to craft unique white wines that are complex and rich in texture, structure, and subtle flavors, gracefully showcasing the nuanced aromas and delicate profiles inherent in these grapes. Common examples are White Pinot Noir and White Merlot.

Features Of White Wines: In contrast to their red counterparts, white wines are lower in tannins and aging potential but are impressively easy-to-drink due to their low body and refreshing acidity. Their lively acidity further intertwines with their diverse flavors of crisp citrus, tropical fruits, floral, and mineral notes to give the wine structure and complexity.

Also, white wines are at times aged in oak barrels or other vessels like stainless steel, influencing their taste. For instance, Rombauer Vineyards Chardonnay is 100% oaked, therefore serving buttery, vanilla, and toasty flavors, and Duckhorn Vineyards Chardonnay is partially aged in oak and partially in stainless steel and therefore has flavors of crisp, citrusy, and minerally dominant.

Different Types Of White Wine: White wines too have enormous expressions with over 100 varieties of white grapes serving unique expressions. But to narrow down the choices, you can pick from these popular types of white wine-

• Chardonnay
• Riesling
• Chenin Blanc
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Gewurztraminer
• Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris (same grape, just different styles of making)

Best-Suited For: For those with a penchant for crisp, light bodied, diversely flavored or easygoing wines.

Occasion Settings: Spring and Summer Seasons, Relaxed Brunches, Casual Gatherings, Sunlit Settings like Picnics and Beachside Get-Togethers.

Food Pairing Guide: Pair with Seafood and Poultry, Sip as Aperitifs or in Cockatils.

Refer to this types of white wines chart to uncover famous white wine types expertly.

In the middle of the alluring shades of red and white wines, there is a sweet spot called “Rosé Wines,” also called “Pink Wines." These wines encapsulate the "La vie en rose” theme of the wine world with their blushy hues, drawing a spectrum from pale pink to deeper shades of salmon and ruby.

But how do they get rushed with these types of wine pink? These peculiar winemaking methods accomplish it:

• Blending: Crafting rosé from a blend (mix) of red and white grapes.
• Direct Press: in this method, red grapes are crushed and kept for a short maceration period with the skins, typically just a few hours. The juice is then separated from the skins, resulting in a light-colored rosé. The larger the extent of maceration, the deeper the hues.
• Saignee Method: The term “Saignee” translates from French to “bleeding” which describes the process of bleeding off or siphoning off a portion of juice from a vat of red wine must (crushed grapes and juice) to create a rosé.
• Sparkling Rosé: A sparkling rosé wine is a subset of sparkling wines that is another style of wine. These rosés are not still and spectacularly make their blushed personalities dance along fine, persistent bubbles.

Features Of Rosé Wines: Apart from mingling the swoon-worthy tints of red and white wines, rosé wines also interlace their remarkable features, intertwining the refreshing acidity and lightness of whites with the fruity notes of reds, like those luscious touches of raspberries, strawberries, and cherries, along with floral and citrusy nuances.

Apart from being light-bodied, fruity, and refreshing, rosé wines are also low in tannins due to the juice divorcing the pigmented skins. Due to this limited tannin presence, the aging potential of rosés is restricted, making them ideal to consume young, at the pinnacle of freshness and vibrancy. Only the high-quality ones, like Château d'Esclans Whispering Angel Rosé, showcase subtle improvements in short-term aging (1-3 years).

Different Types Of Rosé: Globally, across the terroirs, various kinds of rosé wine are crafted by unique winemaking techniques. The most famous rosé wine types are Provence Rosé, Grenache Rosé and Sangiovese Rosé.

Best-Suited For: Ideal for someone who would love to taste the lightness and refreshment of white wine with a touch of fruitiness.

Occasion Settings: Romantic Moments, Summer Evenings, Elegant Celebrations, , Sunlit Settings like Beaches and Outdoor Brunches.

Food Pairing Guide: Incredibly Versatile; Goes Best with Lighter Salads, Grilled Meats.

Here is a table showcasing main rosé types, each showcasing the signature style with its grape selection, sweetness level, taste and more:

Among the last but not the least, fortified wines are still wines to which a distilled spirit, usually brandy, is added during or after fermentation. This step is called “fortification” which boosts the alcohol content and consequently helps preserve the wine.

Features of Fortified Wine: Apart from preserving, high ABV also allow the fortified wines to gain depth of complexity and richness over time due to extended shelf life.

The range of ABV for unfortified wine is about 5.5% to 16%, with an average of 11.6% but in case of fortified wines, the range is 17%-20%. Aso, their sweetness level can range from dry to sweet, offering a wide range of flavors.

Types of Fortified Wine:

• Port
• Sherry
• Madeira
• Vermouth
• Marsala

Best-Suited For: Those who appreciate rich complexities, diverse flavors, nuanced sweetness and the elegance of aged beverages.

Occasion Settings: Celebratory Moments, Relaxation by Fireside, Cozy Winter Nights, Sophisticated Dinners, Intimate Toasts.

Food Pairing Guide: Pair with Rich and Flavorful Cheeses, Decadent Desserts, Savory Nuts

Explore this table featuring the main fortified wine types from each dimension:

No, No, No… Don’t let this misnomer color your imagination blue. Orange wines have nothing to do with zesty oranges. Let them be designated for your unique and bold cocktail parties only.

Actually, white wines that are left in a prolonged maceration period, extending up to several weeks or months, let the juice be pigmented slightly to deeper orangish with skin contact. Though this orangey style of winemaking is ancient, it has only taken up the spotlight in the last 20 years, making it a trend worth exploring for wine lovers globally.

Features of Orange Wine: Orange wines tend to be robust and bold, with honeyed aromas of jackfruit, hazelnut, bruised apple, wood varnish, linseed oil, brazil nut, juniper, sourdough and dried orange rind. On the palate, they are big, dry, and tannin-rich with a nuttiness and a sourness similar to fruit beer. Overall, they present an unconventional twist to white wines, evolving remarkably through prolonged skin contact.

Best-Suited For: Suited for those who appreciate bold and intense flavors or are looking for unique wine options.

Occasion Settings: Intimate Dinners, Avant-Garde Tastings, and Rustic Picnics, Seasonal Transitions, Harvest Celebrations, Cozy Gatherings.

Food Pairing Guide: Bold and Flavorful Foods like Spicy Curries, Grilled Veggies with Mediterranean Herbs, Earthy Mushroom Risotto, Herbaceous Cheeses like Aged Gouda.

Explore this table featuring various types of orange wines from prominent nations: