Wine types explained

One of the most popular and important beverages in the world is wine. It has an important role in ceremonies, rituals, events and celebrations.

Worldwide culture, society, geographical conditions and other unique factors allow countries to make their own kinds of wine. As a result, a lot of wine varieties have emerged from all over the world. However, all these wines are classified into a handful of styles.

One of the most common styles of wine is white wine. This is basically fermented grape juice, the main component of wine. The liquid is not white but clear in appearance. The flavours, textures and aromas of white wine will depend upon the appellation, the type of grapes, the vintage and the wine making styles of the winemaker.

Another common wine style is red wine. Just like white whine, red wine is made out of fermented grape juice. However, the presence of grape skin makes the wine red in colour. This is done through a process called maceration. In this process, the skin is left in contact with the grape juice during fermentation.

Another example of wine style is blush wine, commonly known as rose wine. Blush wine is produced by removing the skins of the grapes halfway through fermentation. It can also be done by blending red wines and white wines. Finally, blush wines can be produced by concentrating the liquid that is removed during the fermentation process.

Table wine is another wine style. It is a type of wine that is served during meals. Depending on their colour, table wines are classified as white, red or rose. The alcohol content in table wines is very low, no higher than 14% in the US. 

In Europe, table wine is considered as a light wine and considered cheap. In fact, a table wine's label does not include information about what grape variety was used or in what region was it produced.

Another wine style is sparkling wine. Sparkling wines, most notably champagnes, have carbon dioxide that is produced naturally from fermentation or force injected. This results in a fizzy, bubbly drink. Firstly, in an open container, sparkling wines are fermented. 

This will allow the carbon dioxide from the wine to be released into the air. After this, the wine will then be fermented again, however, this time a sealed container will actually allow the gas to remain in the sparkling wine.

Dessert wines are another wine style. These kinds of wines are sweet and can are usually drunk after meals in place of desserts. These wines contain between 50 to 400 grams of sugar per litre of wine.

Lastly, fortified wines are sweeter and more alcoholic than other wines. Their fermentation process is halted with the addition of a spirit, such as a brandy. Or the additional spirit may be added after fermentation.