The Common Types of Wine You Should Try

If you're a newbie in the realm of red wines, going into a local winery or grocery store can be intimidating for some people. You could begin by simply identifying which wines you enjoy drinking. There are several different kinds of wine, so if you're not sure which one you want, here are a few common ones you might encounter.

The Common Types of Wine:

They are categorized by their wine styles and sweetness

• Merlot
• Zinfandel
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Nebbiolo
• Syrah (Shiraz)
• Malbec
• Pinot Noir
• Cabernet Franc
• Sangiovese
• Grenache
• Lambrusco
• Barbera
• Tempranillo
• Carménère
• Tannat
• Mourvèdre
• Portuguese Field Blend
• Red Meritage
• Gamay
• Mencia
• Cinsault

Red Wine Styles

Red wines are often grouped by “body type.” This refers to the mouth feel and the amount of tannins.

Light-bodied Wine

• Low Tannin Content
• Less Presence on the palate
• Less complex when paired with flavorful dishes
• Made from Gamay Grape
• Lower alcohol content of less than 12.5 percent.
• Examples: Beaujolais Nouveau

A medium-bodied red wine

• More Tannin Content than light-bodied red wine
• alcohol content of between 12.5 and 13.5 percent
• Examples: Merlot, Shiraz, or Chianti.

Full-bodied red wines

• High Tannin Content
• Any red wine with more than 13.5 percent alcohol is considered a full-bodied wine.
• Full-bodied wines have more complex flavors and have a richer mouthfeel.

Based on Sweetness

Sweet

• Usually have High levels of residual sugar level
• Low tannin content
• Examples: Brachetto d’Acqui, Dornfelder, Lambrusco

Dry

• Usually have Low levels of residual sugar level
• High tannin content
• Examples: Merlot, Sangiovese, Syrah, Pinot Noir

Common Types of Wine

Merlot

One of the most popular wines in the world, Merlot is an easy, and approachable red wine to sip.

• Wine Type: Medium-bodied wines
• Made from: Made from Merlot Grapes
• Examples: Meritage, Bordeaux, super Tuscans, and Priorat, among others.

Zinfandel

One important point to note is that Zinfandel isn't the same as white wine called Zinfandel; they're two different wines.

• Tannin Content: Moderate Tannins
• Alcohol Content: High
• Better Paired with: grilled meats and mezze

Cabernet Sauvignon

It's hard not to love a good Cabernet Sauvignon.

It's one of the most popular types of wine. It's the most popular in the World. Cabernets are good varieties for beginners who want to drink wine. They're easy to get hold of and have a wide range of tastes.

• Wine Type: Moderately bold, full-bodied wine
• Produced in: France, Italy, and Spain to South Africa, Argentina, and even China.

Nebbiolo

According to Wine-searcher, while Nebbiolos are grown in many parts of the globe, they're predominantly grown in the Piedmonte area of Italy. It has high-quality wines that are known for their intense tannin and acidity. Because of their high fat content, they pair well with cheeses and other fatty, creamy foods, which help them go down easier by cutting through those intense flavors.

Syrah (Shiraz)

If you're already familiar with Cabernet Sauvig­nons and Merlots, then you might be interested in trying something different by exploring Syrah. They both tend to have similar characteristics, but Syrah tends to be slightly less common than Cabernet Sauvigon and Merlot.

• Wine Type: Dry, full-bodied wine
• Tannin Content: Medium-high tannins
• Alcohol Content: High
• Best Paired with: dark meats and intense spices

Malbec

Malbec has become increasingly popular as a wine variety, especially in South American wines from Argentine. Malbec is a red wine with flavors of cherries and chocolate. It's also grown near the city of Bordeaux in France's Bordeau wine regions and has been found in Bordeaux wine from the right bank as well as in France’s Loire Valley.

• Tannin Content: Medium tannins
• Alcohol Content: High

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir has been cultivated for centuries in Burgundy, France, and is now also grown and made in the U.S. Oregon's Willamete Valley produces some of the best Pinot Noir wine in the world, and Sonoma County, California, and Napa Valley also make excellent Pinot Noir. It’s interesting that Pinot Noir is also used for making Champagne and sparkling wine. Pinot Noir is usually not mixed with other grapes, but in some regions of France, it may be combined with a small amount of Gamay.

• Wine Type: Light-bodied wine
• Tannin Content: Medium Tannin content

Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc was first cultivated in France and is now grown worldwide. It may also be added to Italian wine styles such as Chianti and Super Tuscans. Its flavor profile includes plum, berry, and spice notes.

• Wine Type: Medium-bodied wine
• Tannin Content: Intense Tannins

Sangiovese

Wine Folly refers to Sangiovese as a "chameleon," meaning that different wines using this varietal will taste different. The variation is huge, so it pays to learn about the specific region you're getting your Sangiovese from if you're curious about the details. This fun, interesting wine is a great option for food lovers and those who want to branch out to slightly less recognized varietals that are still widely available.

Grenache

Grenache (also called Garnacha) is a common wine grape grown worldwide. Its flavor is "berry-forward" with notes of strawberries and White Pepper along with a hint of fruit roll-ups. It was originally grown in Spain, and it appears either as a single variety or in blends. You might want to pair it with autumnal foods like roasted vegetables, lamb, or even Prime Rib.

Lambrusco

There are several types of chocolates ranging from pale pink to inky purple, according to the site, and they're either dry or semi sweet. The wines also have aromas of wildflowers, black cherries, pomegranates, and wild herbs. Flavors can range from fruity (like tart cranberry) to savory (with black tea, spices, and olives). It's best when served cold, but if you're not serving it cold, don't worry too much about it.

This is dark, dry, and structured with blue-and-black fruit flavors, bold tannins, and mouth-watering astringency. Lambrusco is known for high acidity that pairs with rich, fatty foods. If you enjoy semi-sweet, fruited, and creamy wines, then Lambrusco Salamini and Lambrusco Reggiano should definitely be on your list.

Barbera

However, it isn't the sole variety grown here noted for its white truffles, chestnuts, and nuts. Barbera wines thrive on low slopes and valley bottoms, which are often located near the coast.

These wines are fleshy and food-friendly with a light-to-medium body. Its rich purple color may cause you to be confused by its taste. You might expect the wine to be full bodied and tannic. Barbera is an aromatic wine with high acidity. The wines' flavor notes include juicy wild strawberries, tart cherries, and pencil lead. Young wines tend to be lighter than older ones, but they're not necessarily bad. They just need time to develop their flavors.

Tempranillo

Tempranillo wines tend to be rich and full-bodied, so they often benefit from aging in American oaks. With time, the wine develops characteristics like fruitiness and sweetness. A Rioja Reserva wine has to mature for at least three years before it can be released. One year of aging in barrels and six months in bottles is required by law. Rioja offers incredible value for the price point. Delicious Rioja Reserves wines are available for less than $20 from producers like Cvne, Beronia, and Lan.

Carménère

Made from a distinct variety carménère, this thrives throughout Chile's Central Valley.

Winemakers who use unripe grapes for their wine may add green peppers, paprika, and hot sauce to their wine. These characteristics are similar to the carmenère parent grape, Caber­net Franc. The wines have moderate levels of tannins, medium to full-bodied, rich concentrations, and flavors of black plums, figs, cherries, and woody herbs. Carménère is usually grown in Chile, but Italian and New Zealand winemakers also grow small quantities of the grape. However, these wines are often confused for cabernet sauvignon.

Tannat

Tannat is thought to be produced in the Basque region on the border between France and Spain. Tannat is an opaque, purplish-black. These are filled with tannin. They thrive in arid, desert-like conditions, like the dry and dusty vineyards.

Mourvèdre

Deep and intense, Mourvedre is a robust, sunny-loving grape that produces concentrated, full-bodied reds. The varietal originated in Eastern Spain, where it was known as Monastrell. A difficult grape to grow, the late ripening grape requires a long growing season to fully develop, pushing alcohol levels to extreme highs, often reaching 16%. It becomes a constant juggling act in the vineyards as picking Mourvedre earlier, before the fruit is ready, creates intensely tannin-filled reds with an astringent taste.

Portuguese Field Blend

Made from a Portuguese field blend, it is described as a mixture of deep red grape varietals creating sweet, fortified port wines as well as dry, rich, concentrated Portuguese red table wine. The combination of these various grape types varies but includes such varietals as Tempranillo, Alicanté Bouquet, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, and upwards of 90 others. All of these are heat tolerant, warm climate varietals that thrive in hot, dry conditions.

Red Meritage

Each Bordeaux wine is made up of different grape varietals, which must be grown in the famous Bordeaux region in southern France.

Gamay

A popular wine called Beaujolais Nouveau wine is made from gamay grapes. This grape juice-like wine is produced and released on the third Thursday of November and transported from the Beaujolais region to Paris to celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau Day. But, gamay wines are so much more than the youthful nouveau selections.

Mencia

It is Spain's version of Pinot Noir. The grapes are thick-skinned and produces aromatic and complex wines. Mencia is filled with notes of wildflowers melding with dried leaves or truffles.

The Start of Your Journey as a Red Wine Connoisseur

With varietals and vineyards and vintages, tannins and terroir, it takes a whole lot of knowledge to sound sophisticated. You're sure that Merlot and Malbec are both red wines, but your knowledge doesn’t go any further than that. Don't worry if that's the case for yourself. We hope that this guide helped you understand the red wine category. The fact is, most red wines are made from just a few grape varieties, so if you understand those grapes, you'll have a better idea of the overall quality of the wines. You can use that knowledge to pick out the right wine for that special occasion or buy a gift for someone else.

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