Categorizing Wine

Red Wine, White Wine...

Basic Types/Classes of wine
There is red wine, white wine, rose wine, sparkling wines or Champagnes, table wines, desert wines, apertiff wines and the less popular cooking wines. Within these wine types there are different varieties of grapes (Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot....)





Common Wine Names (Varietals)
(Alphabetical Order)
Auslese
Beaujolais
Bourgogne
Brut
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Franc
Chablis
Chardonnay
Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Cote Rotie
Gewurztraminer
Haut-Brion
Hermitage
Loire
Macon
Merlot
Meursault
Moet
Montepuliciano d' Abruzzo
Montrachet
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Muscadet
Pauillac
Perrier-Jouet
Pinot Grigio
Pino Noir
Pouilly-Fuisse
Riesling
Rioja
Sancerre
Spatlese
Viognier

Useful Wine Descriptors
Aroma or bouquet - the smell of a wine. Bouquet applies to aroma of older wines
Body - The apparent weight of a wine. (light, medium or full)
Crisp - A wine with refreshing acidity.
Dry - Not sweet
Finish - The impression a wine leaves when you swallow it
Flavor intensity - How strong or weak a wine's flavors are
Fruity - A wine whose aromas and flavors suggest fruit.
Oaky - A wine that has oaky, smoky or toasty flavors
Soft - A wine that has smooth than a crisp mouthfeel
Tannic - A red wine that is firm and leaves your mouth feeling dry.