Types and styles

This chapter sorts every wine you will ever meet into one of three types and describes the language used to talk about its style. You will learn the three types by alcohol range, the colour, structural characteristics, and aromas and flavours that together define the style of any wine.

Three types of wine

All wines fall into one of three types, defined by whether the carbon dioxide from fermentation stays in the bottle and whether extra alcohol has been added.

Still wines

The majority of wines. Not fizzy. Alcohol usually between 11.5% and 14% abv, with a full range of 8% to 15% abv. Named after their region (Sancerre, Burgundy, Rioja, Chianti) or their grape variety (Pinot Grigio).

Sparkling wines

Bubbly or fizzy. The bubbles are carbon dioxide produced during fermentation and trapped in the wine. The best known example is Champagne from France. Other examples include Cava from Spain and Prosecco from Italy.

Fortified wines

Have had extra alcohol added, giving them higher levels of alcohol. Fortified wines range from 15% to 22% abv. Examples include Sherry from Spain and Port from Portugal.

Colour

A wine's colour is determined by the grape variety used and, more importantly, by how the wine is made. You met this in Chapter 3. The short version:

• White wines are typically made from white grapes. Examples: Chablis, Riesling. Black grapes can also be used for white wine if the skins are separated from the juice before fermentation.
• Red wines must be made from black grapes, with the skins in contact with the juice during fermentation. Examples: Rioja, Cabernet Sauvignon.
• Rosé wines are made from black grapes with short skin contact. Example: White Zinfandel.

Sweetness

Sweetness is caused by sugar left in the wine after fermentation. There are three levels you need to know.

Dry

The majority of wines. The yeast converted all of the sugar into alcohol. Examples: Chablis, Sauvignon Blanc, Côtes du Rhône, Chianti, Cabernet Sauvignon.

Medium

Some sugar remains. Most medium wines are white or rosé. Made either by removing the yeast before fermentation finishes, or by adding unfermented grape juice back to a dry wine. Examples: some German Rieslings, White Zinfandel from California.

Sweet

High sugar, often thick and syrupy. Made either by starting with grapes so sugary the yeast gives up before finishing, or (for fortified wines) by killing the yeast with high-strength spirit before fermentation completes. Examples: Sauternes from France, some Riesling wines from Germany. Sweet fortified wines include Port and some Sherries.

Structural characteristics

Style is more than colour and sweetness. Four structural characteristics describe how a wine feels in the mouth.

Acidity

Comes directly from the grape juice. Gives wine its refreshing quality and makes your mouth water. Too little and the wine loses its refreshing character; too much and it tastes unpleasantly sharp. Acidity also balances sweetness in sweet wines. High-acid examples: Chablis, Chianti, and wines made from Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Pinot Noir.

Tannin

A characteristic of red wines that comes from the grape skins. Tannins can taste bitter, but mostly they are something you feel rather than taste: they make your mouth feel dry. Levels depend on grape variety and winemaking. High tannin: red Bordeaux, Chianti. Low tannin: Beaujolais, some Pinot Noir.

Alcohol

Most still and sparkling wines are between 11.5% and 14% abv. High-alcohol example: Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Low-alcohol example: White Zinfandel.

Body

How mouth-filling the wine feels overall. Light-bodied wines feel delicate (Pinot Grigio, Beaujolais). Medium-bodied sit in the middle (Sancerre, Côtes du Rhône). Full-bodied wines feel viscous and mouth-filling (Cabernet Sauvignon from California, Sauternes).

Aromas and flavours

A wine's aromas and flavours come from three sources.

• Fruit. Almost every wine shows fruit character. The specific fruit depends on the grape variety and ripeness. Cabernet Sauvignon shows blackcurrant. Cool-climate Chardonnay shows green apple and lemon. Warm-climate Chardonnay shows peach and pineapple.
• Oak. If a wine was fermented or matured in oak barrels, expect cedar, cloves, coconut, smoke, or vanilla. Sometimes stated on the label.
• Other. Grass, flowers, herbs, vegetables, earth, mushroom, and leather all turn up across different wines. Describing them is a skill that comes with practice.

You now have a vocabulary for talking about any wine. Run the Types and Styles deck to cement the abv ranges and the sweetness categories, then move on to Chapter 5 to meet the grapes themselves.