Types of Wine
Although the basic winemaking process is always the same, every wine has a unique flavor, depending on a number of factors, including the type of grape and the conditions in which the fermentation occurs.

Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc grapes make white wines. Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir grapes make full, rich red wines. Merlot grapes produce lighter, softer red wines.

The six styles of wine are:
Red: Includes Bordeaux, Burgundy, Cabernet, Chianti, Merlot, Petite Sirah, and many more.

Sparkling Red: Includes Brachetto, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gutturnio, Lambrusco and Syrah/Shiraz.

Soleras: Includes Malvasia delle Lipari, Marsala, Moscatel, Palomino, Pedro Ximenez and Porto.

White: Includes Chablis, Chardonnay, Frascati, Goldmusketellar, Meursault, Muscat, Riesling, Vidal Blanc and many more.

Sparkling White: Includes Champagne, Moscato d’Asti, Spumante and more.

Pink: Includes Busuioaca de Bohotin, Lagrein Rosato and Rose.

Most red wines improve with a bit of aging, some for as long as ten years. Most red wines are not distributed until about two years after they are put in the bottle. Most white wines, on the other hand, do not benefit from aging (except for champagne and sweet dessert wines.)

Tips On How To Taste Wine
Everyone realizes that taking a gulp of wine and slamming the glass on the table as if waiting for a refill isn’t good tasting protocal. Tasting wine requires more knowledge to fully enjoy and understand the wine. As the taster uses these five basic techniques they will learn how to determine the wine’s qualities.

See the Wine
Pick up the glass, holding at an angle. The wine should appear clear and sediment free. Notice the edge or rim of the wine as it rests against the glass. The colour of the wine gives the taster clues:

-Young red wines are more purplish.

-More mature red wines are redder.

-Older red wines have a dark red-brown tone.

-White wines have variances in the whiteness of the wine from pale to yellow toned traits.

Swirl the Wine in a Glass
Fill the glass about half full, then swirl to push the wine up the sides of the glass. If new to swirling leave the bottom of the glass on the table to help avoid spills while rotating. Then take a deep whiff or several smaller sniffs to study the wine.

-When swirling, the legs follow the wine back into the bowl of the glass,giving a clue as to the wine’s content. The more intense the aroma the more sugar the wine contains.

-The wine’s essence is also released in the aroma or bouquet, providing clues into character, origin and history of the wine.

Sniff the Wine
Swirling releases an important part of “tasting” the wine. Chemicals used in processing the wine can create a chemical smell. Yeast can give strong, fruity aromas or earthy spiciness depending upon the process used. The barreling type and length of aging can create smoky, toasty or vanilla sensations. What you shouldn’t smell is an old, musty odor, as these “off” smells make “off” tastes.

-Young wines smell like berries and ripe grapes. They can also have a greenish smell; a clue that the grapes may not have been ripe enough.

-Aged wines smell more earthy and complex.

Swish the Wine Across Your Tongue
Swishing can be done discreetly and without big motions by moving the tongue around in a light swirl. Different qualities of the wine will affect different areas in your mouth:

-Feel the tannins as a drying, astringent puckering on the inside of the cheeks or lower in the throat.

-Depending on the alcohol content there may be a burning in the back of the throat.

Finally – Swallow!
This step should be the most enjoyable aspect of tasting, particularly if the wine had a pleasing effect in the earlier steps. The wine should provide a lingering aftertaste that is as pleasant as the initial taste. In an actual tasting swallowing isn’t necessary if tasting an unwanted wine. However, when at a dinner a bad or faulty wine should be swallowed and then sent back.

To assist in experiencing the finish you can gently exhale through both your nose and mouth. This will strengthen the effects of taste and smell after the wine is swallowed. The length of the finish will be longer for more complex, full bodied wines. When the finish is simple and the length is short the wine can be good, but is best drunk as a young wine.