Wine

All about wine From the relaxing buzz to the refreshing taste of wine, it’s a popular adult beverage of choice. With some research also pointing to potential health benefits from drinking wine, there’s even more of a reason to pour yourself a glass. To continue adding to the reasons to drink wine, it can release dopamine and serotonin in our brain, similar to other pleasurable activities. It’s no wonder people love to drink wine. Whether you drink wine socially or regularly, choosing a wine or tasting wines can be an experience. Here’s our guide on the four main types of wines and popular brands to choose from. What are the different types of wine? Tasting different wines is an experience that can help you find wines you love. Wineries can put their own spin on wines, hence to the uniqueness of different brands of wine. Within a main type of wine, there can be several subtypes of wine. For example, if you are browsing red wines, you can find options such as Pinot Noir or Malbec. To the eye, red wines or white wines may look similar, but your taste buds and awareness of the details can help you identify more obvious differences. For example, when we compare Pinot Noir to a Malbec, both red wines, visually the Malbec will be a deeper red. The Pinot Noir is a lighter, more delicate wine while Malbec wine has a more spiced fruit profile. Whether you’re a wine connoisseur or social sipper, learning about wine can enhance the experience of unwinding with a glass of wine. Let’s review 4 main types of wine. 4 Main types of wine: #1. Red Wine Red wine is an adult alcoholic beverage that is made by fermenting the juice of dark-skinned grapes. Most obviously identified by its color, shades of red and tastes of red wine can vary broadly. For example, Pinot Noir features raspberry, cherry, and forest floor notes while a Cabernet Sauvignon highlights notes of cassis, licorice, and wet gravel. While that might not sound the tastiest, take a sip - you might be pleasantly surprised. Red and white wine are two of the most popular kinds of wine with the color and production process separating the two. During the production process for red wine, the winemaker allows must (pressed grape juice) to macerate and ferment with dark grape skins for color, flavor, and tannin to the wine. When the yeast converts grape sugar into ethanol and carbon dioxide, the magic ingredient alcohol is made. Within the red wine family, here are some popular types of red wine. - Cabernet Sauvignon - Pinot Noir - Merlot - Syrah/Shiraz - Malbec #2. White Wine White wine is much lighter (in color and taste) compared to red wine. White wines can be light and zesty, herbaceous, bold and dry, light and sweet, or bold and sweet. Produced from white grapes, the skins are removed prior to fermentation. This differs from the red wine production process, where skins are not removed prior to fermentation to enhance colors, flavors, and tannins into the wine. Back to the production of white wine, a key part of the princess is fermenting for a period of two to four weeks at a low temperature (12-22 degrees). This allows for the dedication of flavors, aromas, and deliciousness to arrive. After the white wine is fermented, winemakers can use different kinds of barrels such as old oak barrels or new oak barrels to bring out different flavors. Within the white wine family, here are some popular types of white wine. - Sauvignon Blanc - Chardonnay - Pinot Grigio - Moscato - Riesling #3. Rose Wine The color of rose wine can spark instant happiness, as can the taste. The colorspace between red and white, is achieved by the skins of red grapes touching the wine, but only for a short period. Rose wines usually only ferment for a few hours, compared to traditional red wine that ferments for weeks at a time. To control the color, the winemaker can remove the skins when optimal color is achieved. Rose wines offer primary flavors of red fruit, flowers, citrus, and melon, finished with a crunchy green flavor (think celery or rhubarb). Three primary ways to make rose are the maceration method, Saignée method, and blending method. The maceration method is one of the more popular methods. #4. Non Alcoholic Wine Non alcoholic wines and beverages are becoming increasingly popular. Some non alcoholic or alcohol free wines are really just grape juice while others are true alcohol free wines that go through a traditional winemaking process. True non alcoholic wines have been filtered to remove the alcohol, but have the same refreshing taste. Some non alcoholic wines may contain small amounts of alcohol, while alcohol free wines should contain no alcohol. Be sure to check labels before consuming. Popular wine brands Wine brands can offer various types of wines. Here are some popular wine brands to browse and taste. - Stella Rosa Wine - Taylor Port wine - Caymus wine - Barefoot Wine - Menage A Trois wine Popular wine pairings As you hand pick your wine of choice for an upcoming meal, here are some ideas for pairing the three main types of alcoholic wine. Red wine pairings - Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec with grilled steak - Chianti or Sangiovese with tomato-based pasta entrees - Pinot Noir with cheese or charcuterie boards - Zinfandel with grilled salmon - White wine pairings - Chardonnay with roasted chicken - Chicken curry or macaroni and cheese with riesling - Turkey with pinot grigio - Spicy foods with riesling - Rose wine pairings - Lemon bars or cheesecake with rose - Chocolate with rose - Mediterranean fare with rose - Creamy white cheeses with rose What is the smoothest wine to drink? Smooth wines go down easy, making them a desirable choice for most. While taste buds and preferences can vary, some of the smoothest wines are listed below. If you’re new to wine drinking or don’t drink often you may want to opt for a smoother option. - Australian Shiraz - Californian Zinfandel - Merlot Which wine is sweet or dry? Learning your taste preferences for wine, or what pairs best can help you choose the right wine. Some wines are sweeter or drier than others. Here are some examples of dry white and red wines and sweet white and red wines. - Dry white wine: sauvignon blanc or white zinfandel - Dry red wine: cabernet sauvignon or pinot noir - Sweet white wine: riesling or moscato - Sweet red wine: lambrusco or zinfandel What is the sweetest wine? Among the top sweetest wines are moscato, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, and pinot grigio. Some of us have more of a sweet tooth than others, therefore, some may think these are sweeter than others. Sip on as you embrace all the notes of flavors in different wines.