Types of Red Wine

This wine guide is adapted from www.winecountry.com.









Types Of Wine

The types of grapes used to make a wine are the most important factor in the taste of the wine.

However, the flavors are also affected other factors such as soil, exposure to sunlight, climate,

how the grapes are handled and fermented, types of yeast used, whether the wine is aged in

wood, etc. Because of this, the same type of wine can be produced in several different regions,

but various factors result in wines which taste different! Half the fun of experiencing wine is the

incredible array of flavors available!



Varietal simply refers to the grape variety used to make a particular wine. Serious wine-

producing countries and states regulate the amount of a particular grape that make up a particular

wine. In California and Washington any wine referred to by the name of the grape (Chardonnay,

for example) must be at least 75% of that grape; most varietals in Oregon must be 90% of the

named grape; and Alsace requires 100%.



Just click on one of the links below to find out about the most common varietals and types of

wine.



Types Of Wine

Dessert/Fortified

Red Wines White Wines Other Wines

Wines

 Barbera  Chablis  Madeira  Champagne/Sparkling

 Cabernet  Chardonnay  Port Wine

Sauvignon  Chenin Blanc  Sherry  Kosher Wine

 Chianti  Gewurztraminer  Rose

 Merlot  Muscat  Vermouth

 Nebbiolo  Pinot Blanc  White Zinfandel

 Petite Sirah  Pinot Gris

 Pinot Noir  Riesling

 Sangiovese  Savignon/Fume

 Syrah/Shiraz Blanc

 Tempranillo  Semillon



 Zinfandel  Viognier







Types Of Red Wine

There are about 40 important types of red wine grapes grown in the world today. Some of the

major types of red wine are listed below. The color of the wine actually depends on contact with

the skin of the grapes, not the color of the grape. If you separate the grape from its skin soon

enough after picking and you can make a very white red wine. For example, most wines made in

Champagne are white wines made with a significant proportion of red grapes.







Barbera

This grape from Italy is planted primarily in Piedmont (as well as other areas of Italy), but has

traveled widely, primarily to California. One of the most underrated grapes in, Barbera can be

used to make an wide range of styles, ranging from young and spritzy to powerful and intense

wines that need extended cellaring. It is a deep ruby color, full bodied, with low levels of tannins

balanced by higher levels of acidity. Barbera is charactarized by bright berrylike flavors and is

one of the best alternatives to overcropped and overpriced Merlot.









Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is the grape responsible for the wines of the Medoc region of Bordeaux,

arguably some of the finest reds in the world. It performs well practically the world over, as long

as it's not too cold, but in some areas of France, and in California's Napa Valley, it produces

astonishingly rich and complex wines. The classic Cabernet flavor is one of deep, dark fruits,

primarily black currant, and the best are medium- to full-bodied, intense and firm. Cabernets are

almost always aged in oak for over a year, and should age several more years in the bottle. The

great Cabernets of the Medoc region in France age for 15 years and more.









Chianti

Around cities of Florence and Sienna in Tuscany is the Chianti region. It is broken up into seven

subdivisions: the most famous region is called Chianti Classico, and close on its heels, Chianti

Ruffina; then Chianti Montalbano, Chianti Colli Fiorentini, Chianti Colli Senesi, Chianti Colline

Pisane, and Chianti Colli Arezzo.



Chianti is probably the most well known Italian wine. The dominant grape in Chianti is

Sangiovese, but it may also contain Cabernet Sauvignon and other grapes. The Chianti wines

labeled ''Riserva'' must be aged at least three years and are often fine wines that rank among the

best red wines of Italy. Chianti is a perfect red wine to accompany most Italian cuisine, with

hints of floral complexity in the bouquet, firmly structured medium-bodied flavors and balancing

acidity.

Merlot

Merlots have soared in popularity in the last decade, as they offer something for everyone: from

light and simple wines to full-bodied and complex bottlings. While Merlots are quite often less

tannic and more lush than Cabernets, ther are still full-bodied, deep in color and fairly high in

alcohol with flavors of cherry, plum and chocolate. Merlot is often blended with Cabernet

Sauvignon and is the dominant grape of St. Emilion and Pomerol. Merlot has also been

successfully grown (and frequently blended into Cabernets to produce a more complex wine) in

wine regions of northern Italy, California, Washington and the Rogue Valley of Oregon.







Nebbiolo

This grape is named for the dense fogs common in the vineyards of Piedmont, Italy where it is

grown. Some of the world's finest and longest-lived wines are made from the Nebbiolo grape.

These Nebbiolo-based wines are known by the areas in Piedmonte where they are grown:

Barolo, Barbaresco, and to a lesser extent Ghemme and Gattinara. Nebbiolo generally makes

powerful and intense wines, with medium body and color. These wines are high in tannins and

acids, they often need several years of aging in the bottle before they are ready to drink. They

often have aromas and flavors of of raspberries, plums, earth, roses, and tar.







Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir presents both the ultimate challenge and the ultimate reward to both grape growers

and winemakers. At their best, Pinot Noir grapes produce rich and complex wines, tasting of

black cherries, red berries, earth and spice, with an aroma that's been likened to everything from

herbs and cola to bacon and roses. They can be high alcohol, light in color and low in tannin,

although oak aging can increase the tannin levels. One of the most exciting developments in the

world of wine is the recent advances Oregon and California winemakers have made in producing

world class Pinot Noirs, respectable rivals to the legendary reds of French Burgundy. At their

best there is no wine in the world that can offer more seductive, velvety, complex flavors than a

fine Pinot Noir.







Sangiovese

Sangiovese is an important grape in some of Italy's greatest red wines, this hard-working grape

from the Tuscan region is coming into its own as a stand-alone varietal. Wines from the

Sangiovese can be medium to full-bodied and medium to high in tannin. They are ypically

characterized by cherry and spice flavors, sometimes with hints of violet, and sometimes even

slightly nutty. Sangiovese wines are constantly evolving, depending on where the grapes were

grown and what, if any, additional grapes are blended with them.

Syrah/Shiraz

Syrah is a rich, full-bodied, complex, spicy, long-lived wine that thrives in the Rhone region of

France and produces such famous wines as Hermitage and Cote-Rotie. In Australia and South

Africa, it is called Shiraz. It is the most popular red wine of Australia. Syrah is becoming

increasingly popular in California, where it is replacing the Petite Sirah. Syrah can be

successfully blended with many other wine grapes; it also can be made in a variety of styles

ranging from soft and medium-bodied with some berry characteristics to deeply colored,

powerful wines, tasting of roasted peppers, black cherry and smoke. Like California Zinfandels,

American Syrahs can be full-bodied wines but often show more spice elements and less berry-

like fruit than Zinfandels.







Tempranillo

This important red wine variety is native to Spain. It is primarily cultivated in Rioja, Ribera del

Duero and parts of Penendes. Tempranillo is often described as Spain's answer to Cabernet

Sauvignon. This variety is capable of producing deeply colored, richly flavored and ageworthy

wines with flavors of dark cherry, spice, tobacco, and strawberry. Fairly low in acid and alcohal

levels, Tempranillo is often blended with other grape varieties such as Garnacha (Grenache)

Monastrell, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot.









Zinfandel

Zinfandel is a "new-world" grape varietal that been around for a long time. It is the one varietal

that some say is indigenous to California. Once considered a lowly step-child to more noble

grapes, California winemakers lately have been paying close attention to its potential and

consumers have responded with a cult following.



The wines are big, robust, and incredibly concentrated. Look for zinfandels from Napa, Amador

and The Sierra Foothills. Sonoma in particular, was charmed. Look for Russian River, Alexander

Valley and Dry Creek Valley appellations. You will find wines with depth, color, concentration

and balance as well as those exotic spices so unique to zins. They are drinkable now, but will

certainly not wilt in the cellar. Think three-cheese pizza, rib-eye steak and especially..summer

barbeques!







White Wine

There are 50 major white grapes grown in the world today, 24 in California alone. The most

important types are listed below.

Chablis

Chablis is a dry, steely, often ageworthy wine from the most northern vineyards in Burgandy.

Chablis vineyards are ranked as Chablis Grand Cru, Chablis Premier Cru, Chablis, and Petit

Chablis. Like all fine white wine in Burgandy, it is made from Chardonnay. In the New World,

the name Chablis has been burrowed as a generic name and is used to describe dry white jug or

box wine that bears no true resemblence (other than color) to Chablis









Chardonnay

Chardonnay is to white wine what Cabernet Sauvignon is to red wine. Chardonnay is used to

produce France's magnificent white Burgundies and is the main grape in Champagne. In the last

decade or so, Chardonnay has become the world's most often-purchased dry white wine. Because

of its great adaptability, it grows in nearly every wine-producing region of the world. Some

California Chardonnays are stellar examples of the genre. When they are made with care,

Chardonnay wines are bold, rich and complex. They taste of ripe figs and peach, honey and

butter, hazelnuts and spice. The best Chardonnays are medium-bodied, medium dry and high in

acidity. Chardonnays, more than any other white wine, love to be aged in oak.







Chenin Blanc

Chenin Blanc is one of the most widely grown grapes in California, but has largely disappeared

from the most famous growing regions because vineyard owners can get higher prices for

Chardonnay and other grapes. Chenin Blanc is perhaps the Beaujolais of white grapes. The best

examples have a beguiling fresh fruit character with hints of pears, peaches and fresh grapes.

Chenin Blanc can be made in a full range of styles from dry and crisp to semi-sweet and fruity to

full blown late-harvest dessert wines. You can detect honey, straw and even exotic scents like oil

of Bergamot in the best examples. Chenin Blanc can also make charming sparkling wines,

especially from Anjou and California. Chenin Blancs will even stand up to modest oak ageing. It

is still a workhorse grape in California, and is frequently blended into Chardonnays and other

wines to add fruit and acidity.







Gewürztraminer

Gewürztraminer is a distinctive wine with an intense spicy bouquet. It can be made in a range of

styles from totally dry and crisp, like those from Alsace, to slightly sweet and flabby, to luscious,

honeyed sweet dessert wines . Besides spice elements, Gewurztraminer can offer suggestions of

various fruits, flowers and even nuts! No wine ends up tasting more like its initial grape flavors

when freshly picked, so few winemakers barrel-age Gewurztraminer or do anything in the cellar

which would interfere with its delightful varietal character. The dry versions of Gewurztraminer

are refreshing complements to a wide variety of foods from pork and white meat dishes to onion

quiche and various Asian cuisines.







Muscat

Muscat is a fascinating variety of grape, probably the first to be positively identified by ancient

Mediterraneans. It has at least four principal sub varieties, and all of them are famously

perfumed, with scents of musk, orange peel, and ripe table grapes. Muscat makes some of the

best sweet wines, both light fizzy ones and heavy sugary ones, as well as fully dry table wines.

Some of the best Muscats come from Italy, France, Oregon, California and Australia.







Pinot Blanc

It was once believed that these grapes were related to Chardonnay but actually they are part of

the Pinot family (Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris/Grigio). And though they are often compared to

Chardonnays, they are not as complex and flavorful and as a rule don't lend themselves as well to

aging as Chardonnays. Pinot Blanc grapes produce dry, medium-bodied wines with high acidity

and hints of apple and spice. Pinot Blanc grows well in France's Alsace region, and some very

good offerings are coming from California.





Pinot Gris

Pinot Gris is a darkly colored white wine grape that evolved from the Pinot Noir. It was

originally a popular wine from Alsace and northeastern Italy. Pinot Gris has become one of the

most successful wines grown in Oregon. Most versions are quite dry, but Pinot Gris wines can

range from light and delicate to fairly full-bodied. Rarely barrel-aged, Pinot Gris wines tend to

be dry and crisp, the perfect accompaniment to salmon and seafood. It can be rather subtle in

both flavor and aroma, though the best examples are reminiscent of almonds, minerals and

peaches.





Riesling

Riesling grapes produce both refreshing light-bodied wines and full-bodied table wines to pair

with the greatest cuisine. Riesling has a very high natural acidity, which both balances the sugar

in sweeter wines and acts as a preservative for long aging. The oldest, still-living wine ever

tasted was not red--it was a German Riesling from the 1540 vintage. It was tasted in 1961, after

420 years, and had not yet perished. Rieslings are both floral and fruity, and can be delicate,

subtle, and low in alcohol, making for a very nice summer wine. But even the sweet, low-alcohol

wines from the Mosel in Germany balance the sugar with a steely, teeth-cleaning acidity. And

though you might think of Rieslings as necessarily sweet, there are many dry Rieslings, the best

being from Alsace. These show best with several years of bottle age, though they are certainly

fine to drink young. Riesling wines pair magnificently with pork, foie gras, and other rich foods.







Sauvignon/Fume Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is crisp, high in acidity and light- to medium-bodied, and recognizable for its

grassy, herbaceous flavor and aroma. When grown in warmer climates the flavors are more

fruity, melon-like. Sauvignon Blanc is important in California, New Zealand and Northeastern

Italy, but it really shines in the Loire Valley and Bordeaux regions of France. There it is used

prodigiously as a blending grape and is responsible for the stand-alone varietals Sancerre and

Pouilly-Fume. Though not as rich and complex as Chardonnay, this is a versatile grape, one that

grows well in a number of places, responds well to oak or a lack thereof, and can be drunk young

or aged several years. Sauvignon Blanc also makes for some fabulous late-harvest offerings.







Semillon

Semillon is one of the unheralded whites in the world of wine. It plays a key role in white

Bordeaux wine and in Sauternes, and it makes a great value white from Washington State.

Semillon is also the grape responsible for ''Hunter Riesling'' or ''Honey Hunters,'' one of the most

interesting of Australia's wines. Semillon takes to bottle aging surprisingly well, and it's often

inexpensive enough to make laying some down for five years or so very easy. In Bordeaux

region, Semillon is used to fill out the leaner and more acidic Sauvignon Blanc, and the two

complement each other very nicely. Semillon is often a brilliant gold wine with a soft, full, and

sometimes even oily texture, and often shows a scent of figs. It can be made dry or sweet.









Viognier

This noble white varietal, famous for its magnificent Rhone Valley wines such as Condrieu and

Ardeche, has been steadily making a name for itself in America. Winery owners and growers on

both coasts are planting more and more Vigonier as the demand for it increases. Viognier has

flavors all its own and texture that can easily match the most full-bodied Chardonnay. Some

Vigoniers are fermented in stainless steel tanks, which results in a precise, aromatic, crisp wine

that shows off the peach and apricot flavors of the grape. Many California producers have also

used wood barrels to ferment or age the wine, adding further complexities and complements to

the fruits natural flavors. Notes of anise, tangerine and fig blend with spicy aromas. Some

Viogniers can be feminine and some quite brawny. The region of origin is also an important

factor to the varying styles, with warmer regions producing riper wines and cooler retaining

more acidity and precision. True of almost all however, is that they are best when consumed

fairly young.







Other Wines

Several varieties of wine can be made with the same grapes as regular reds and whites. But using

different techniques produces some different wines.





Champagne/Sparkling Wine

Many sparkling wines made after the style of Champagne, but only those made in that

Champagne region in the north of France, according to the painstaking Méthode Champenoise,

can rightfully be called Champagne. All others should be labeled as Sparkling Wine.



Champagne and sparkling wines are produced by the process called "Méthode Champenoise."

After the grapes are pressed and fermented for the first time, they are blended, and the wine is

bottled and temporarily capped. Then comes the second fermentation. Sugar and yeast are added,

and this time, the carbon dioxide is kept inside the bottle. The resulting sediment is extracted

through a process of racking. The bottles are progressively turned upside down until all the

sediment is collected in the neck. The necks are then frozen and the sediment is disgorged. After

this phase, the winemaker may decide to add sugar to sweeten the wine. Finally the wine is

corked. Some wines move through this process in a couple of months, while others are aged after

the racking phase to build greater complexity and depth.







Kosher Wine

Most Americans probably have the impression that all kosher wines are sweet and red. But more

and more wineries from around the world are now producing kosher wines from fine varietal

grapes. Kosher wines are produced in accordance with rules governing the production of kosher

wines. Generally only Sabbath-observing Jews can handle the grapes and wine at the winery, and

only 100% kosher materials may be used in the wine-making, process. Most of the newer kosher

wineries are aiming to produce quality varietal wines that can compare and compete with non-

kosher wines, wines that can be enjoyed for their quality as well as for the fact that they are

kosher.







Rose

Perhaps best known in Provence and Tavel, rose is a great pink wine. Rose is rarely complex,

and not to be aged. A good rose is tart and fruity, and can cut through the garlicky aioli so often

accompanying fish and fish stews in the Mediterranean region. They are also good choices for

cold luncheons, picnics and buffets. Roses are made from red wine grapes, but during

fermentation there is minimal contace with the grape skin, so they don't pick up much color from

the skins.





White Zinfandel

White Zinfandel is a pink wine made in from early-picked Zinfandel grapes. The red grapes are

quickly separated from the grape skins during the crushing and fermentation process, so that the

resulting wine is very light pink. Because early-picked grapes are usually high in acidity, most

White Zinfandels are made in a sweet style to balance the acidity. Sutter Home Winery was one

of the first wineries to promote White Zinfandels.