Wine -1 (Updates)

Updated the post (in red) under Sparkling Wine and Fortified Wine sections as per inputs from Carolinagal - Thanks

A couple of months back Preethi posted an interesting post on different types of wines. Adding to her input, presenting this two part series on Wines. This post will be an elaboration of what she had mentioned in her post with certain additional information.

In the next post I will talk more about Wine Selection, Grading Process, the Different Types of Wine Glasses and other relevant information.
Wine grapes mostly grow between the 30th and the 50th degree of latitude, in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. (Link to major Wine growing regions of the world) Grapes will sometimes grow beyond this range and minor amounts of wine are made in some very unexpected places. 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.

There are 5 basic types of wines namely:
Red Wine
White Wine
SparklingWine (in other words - Champagne)
Rosé Wine
Dessert or Fortified Wines


Red Wines - are made with red grapes. But the color does not actually come from the grape juice itself. Instead it comes from the grapes being fermented with skins still on. Names of the wine are based on the names of the grapes they are made from. There are about 40 important types of red wine grapes grown in the world today.
Some popular grapes and hence the red wines are:
Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chianti, Merlot, Nebbiolo, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese,
Syrah/Shiraz, Tempranillo and Zinfandel


White Wines - Almost every white wine is made with white grapes, though it is possible to make white wine using red grapes. This is because when white wine is made, the juice is separated from the skins before the fermentation process. The juice does not absorb the color of the skins. For the same reason, white wine has much less tannin than red. (Tannin - Wikipedia Link) There are 50 major white grapes grown in the world today, 24 in California alone.
Some popular grapes and hence the white wines are:
Chablis, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Gewruztraminer, Muscat, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling,
Sauvignon/Fume Blanc, Semillon and Viognier


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. Apparently how the fizziness in the wine is brought about determines the texture and the taste of this wine. They also make sparkling red wines namely Shiraz, Merlot etc.


Rosé wine- Rosé wines are made with red grapes, but are only allowed to stay in contact with the grape skins for a short time. This allows it to keep only some of the reddish color. The provide a perfect backdrop to many of summer's greatest food fare. Rosé wines are sometimes called blush wines. Sometimes they are even called white despite the obvious pink color. White Zinfandel is a rose wine, not a white.


Dessert/Fortified Wine: Also called dessert wines or liqueur wines, this type of wine has been "fortified" with extra alcohol. The Alcohol content of these wines will be over 14%.
Fortified wines are not generally served with a meal. These types of wines are often served after retiring from the dinner table. Although grape brandy is most commonly added to produce fortified wines, the additional alcohol may be derived from a variety of other sources including sugarcane, sugar beets, and even petroleum.
Some of the examples of Dessert Wines are:
Madeira, Port, Sherry and Vermouth

Sources : About.com, Wine Spectator, Virtual Wine Guide
Hope this will help you distinguish different kinds of wines available. - Ceedy