Types of Wine

Known for being soft, ripe and elegant, most Merlots are easy drinking reds that go well both with food as well as on their own. This is an approachable grape varietal and is often recommended as the first red wine someone new to red wine should drink.

Known for being a dry red that goes very well with food. For a Chianti to be a Chianti, it must be produced in the Chianti region and be made from at least 80% Sangiovese grapes.

Pinot Noir is, without a doubt, the most romanticized red wine in the world. No other grape brings out such emotion and devout worship among its enthusiasts. One of the reasons the Pinot Noir grape elicits such devotion is because it’s really hard to grow, which results in a great bottle of Pinot Noir being a rare find. Pinot noir is a type of wine grape and a style of red wine that is typically light to medium-bodied, fruit-forward, and relatively low alcohol compared to other red wines.

The wine is dry (not sweet) and has a healthy level of tannin, which is why your mouth dries out when you sip it. Many people who drink Cabernet Sauvignon say they always pick up a taste of green pepper in the wine, along with tobacco, cassis, and dark fruits such as cherries, along with a hint of vanilla that comes from the wine aging in the oak.

Montepulciano is a classic, Italian wine grape and one of the most wide widely planted grapes in the country. The grape makes deeply red wines and is adaptable to traditional or modern winemaking styles. Montepulciano is a rustic wine that exhibits strong aromas and flavors. Probably the most noticeable flavors found in this vivid red are that of herbs such as oregano and pepper and black fruits like plums, boysenberries, and sour cherries. It’s also common to detect strong notes of smoky tobacco.

Chardonnay was born in the Burgundy region of France, where it is known as White Burgundy, and it was there that the wine gained great acclaim for its elegance. Chardonnay wine tends to be medium to light body with noticeable acidity and flavors of green plum, apple, and pear.

The second most popular white wine in America, Pinot Grigio (aka Pinot Gris) is a dry white wine that has a punchy acidity with flavors of lemons, limes, green apples and honeysuckle. Thought to be a mutation of the red grape Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris’ skins are not green like other white grapes, but instead have a greyish blue hue, which is what gives them their name.

Often referred to as “grassy,” it is known for its refreshing crispness, which is due to its high levels of acidity and low amounts of sugar. Whether called Sancerre or Sauvignon Blanc, it is known as a refreshing dry wine that has a great minerality, aromas and tastes of herbs and grasses and a nice crisp pucker.

Winemakers create a rosé wine by juicing red grapes and then allowing the juice to soak with the skins for a very short period, usually only two to three days. As soon as the juice begins to take on the beautiful pink color the winemaker desires, the skins are removed and the juice is allowed to ferment, creating delicious rosé.