Whether you’re a wine fanatic who is looking for a new flavor or completely new to the world of wine and unsure of what to get, it can help to have a guide on types of wine. There are a lot out there and often the wine shelves at liquor stores can be overwhelming. If you’ve ever found yourself staring down the rows of bottles with no idea to where to start, this guide is for you.
Choosing the right wine for you strongly depends on your palate. Some people steer clear of more bitter wines, because they can handle the dry flavor while others find sweet red wines to be too rich. There is a wide range of flavors from intensely dry to overwhelmingly sweet, and everything else in between. Some have specific undertones that change the experience of the flavor and they can range from oaky to fruity.
Wine stores can be a great place to start rather than your corner liquor or grocery store. They are likely to have more knowledge about the wines they sell and can help you choose a taste that is right for you.
Types of Wine
There is a large list of wines that exist, but are a select few that tend to be most popular. They are more likely to be found in every day wine stores and they have a broad range of flavors so that you can find something you enjoy.
If you prefer more crisp, dry flavors that you can sip then you might enjoy Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. Riesling is a medium-dry wine that isn’t as intense as Chardonnay if you want to tone it down a bit. As for dry red wines, you could give Cabernet Sauvignon a chance or maybe Merlot.
However, if you the taste of dry wine makes you pucker and cough you might want to find something a little sweeter. Muscat Blanc, more commonly known as Moscato, comes in red and white and is a lighter sweet wine. It’s not sickeningly sweet, but is much more palatable for someone who can’t handle dry flavors. Pink Moscato tends to be lighter and sweeter than the red, which has a bolder flavor. White Zinfandel comes in sweeter tones as well and is easy on your taste buds. You may also find some that are simply labeled as sweet reds or sweet red blends. These tend to be more intensely sweet.
Try a Variety
It can’t hurt to branch out and try different flavors. If you know what you like then check the back of the bottle. Often there is a flavor profile and a scale of how dry or sweet the wine is. Also, shopping at wine stores and asking for suggestions is a good way to get introduced to new types. Trying new wines can be a fun adventure and it would be a shame to limit yourself to just one!