What Are The 5 Main Types of Wine?
Red, white, rosé, sparkling and dessert wine explained
There are thousands of different styles of wines out there but the good news is that they can all be classified into five basic types: White, Red, Rose, Sparkling and Desert wine.
Knowing these five basic types of wines is a great first step to get to know the vast world of wines. Here, a quick rundown of their main characteristics, common flavors and highlighted grapes.
WHITE WINE
The first thing one might assume is that white wine comes from white grapes. Well, not always. White wine is produced by the alcoholic fermentation of the non-colored pulp of grapes, which may have a skin of any color. In other words, white wine is a wine that is fermented without skin contact.
Main colors: lemon, gold, amber.
Common flavors: apple, apricot, banana, citrus, kiwi, mango, melon, peach, pear, pineapple, and tropical and warm florals, as well as butter.
Highlighted grapes: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling.
RED WINE
Red wines must be made from black grapes. Unlike white wine, the skin of the grapes must be included in the fermentation in order to extract their color and tannins. Red wine is fermented at a higher temperature.
Main colors: purple, ruby, garnet, tawny.
Common flavors: blackberry, blueberry, cherry, cranberry, fig, plum, raisin, raspberry, strawberry, and various floral tones and spices.
Highlighted grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel (aka Primitivo).
ROSÉ WINE
Pink grapes don’t exist; so, how are wines with this bright color made? The two most common methods are maceration and blending. The maceration process begins in the same way as for red wine, but the juice remains in contact with the skins for a much shorter period of time. The other method consists of blending red wine with white wine.
Main colors: pink, pink-orange, orange.
Common flavors: rosé resembles the flavor profile of light red wine, but with brighter and crisper tasting notes. Red fruits, flowers, citrus, melon.
Highlighted grapes: Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache, Merlot and Zinfandel.
SPARKLING WINE
Making sparkling wine starts the same as making still wine (both white and black grapes can be used) and then it goes through a second fermentation process that causes carbon dioxide to dissolve into the wine to form those tiny bubbles that make our lives sparkle.
Main colors: they are usually either white or rosé, but there are examples of red sparkling wines such as the Italian Lambrusco and the Australian sparkling Shiraz.
Common flavors: apple, pear, citrus, strawberry, cream, vanilla, yeast and nutty flavors.
Highlighted grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Pinot Meunier.
DESSERT WINE
In a very broad sense, dessert wine is any wine that is enjoyed during or after dessert. They are usually sweet, with a pronounced flavor and a higher alcohol content. There are hundreds of different types of dessert wines, but most are grouped into the following styles: Fortified Wine, Late Harvest Wine, Botrytis-Affected Wine (Noble Rot), Ice Wine and Sparkling Dessert Wine.
In the next articles, we will describe each style of wine in more detail. Don’t miss a drop, follow us!
