Wine is one of the oldest prepared beverages in the world. There are archeological proofs of wine making which suggest that this beverage has been around since 6000 BC. However the popularity of this drink has not diminished with time and even nowadays it is considered the most sophisticated drink. There are a large variety of wine grapes therefore it makes sense that wine needs to be categorized into various types. Most people separate wine into white and red but this is a mistake as there are a lot of other wine categories. A lot of wine classifying mistakes also come from inaccurate labels. In order to become a wine experts you should start by analyzing the basic types of wine.
The wine grape is the major element that defines a wine and while several styles of wine are produced by mixing two or more types of grapes, the dominant grape is the one that will provide the flavor. The main types of white wine grapes are Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The first one can be served with fish chicken and pork. The second one is ideal for Asian food as well as grilled sausages. Chardonnay can be still or sparkling and goes very well with fish and chicken and Sauvignon goes great with seafood and salads. The main types of red wine grapes are Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. Sirah is great for most types of meat and Merlot is a soft wine that will go with any type of food. Cabernet Sauvignon is an excellent wine choice for red meat and the noble Pinot Noir is great with salmon, chicken and lamb.
Despite the fact that most people believe that there are only two major types of wine, experts have created 6 categories: red, white, rosé , sparkling,dessert and fortified. The multiple varieties of wine are also classified according to their level of sweetest in three kinds: sweet, semi-sweet and dry. Amongst white wines the most popular ones are Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Riesling. The most famous types of red wine are Merlot, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Rosé wines are mostly produced from red wine grapes and the most beloved ones are Zinfandel Blush, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon. Sparkling wine is often associated with France since this was the country that created the most famous type of sparkling wine, champagne. An other type of sparkling wine is called Cava and it is produced by Spain. Fortified wine is a strong wine that has been blended with liquor (usually Brandy). Famous fortified wines are Port, Bum Wine, Vermouth, Sherry, Madiera and Marsala. Last but not least dessert wine is as the name suggests a very sweet wine. Ice Wine, Raisin Wine and Noble Rot Wine are very consumed dessert wines. These are the major types of wine but in time you will find a lot of classifications. The most important thing for a wine lover is to understand the individual characteristic of the wine grapes in order to be able to associate them with the proper food.
