Knowing wine involves a lot of information, from grape types to geographic regions to flavor profiles. While some wine drinkers are familiar with the nuances of this topic, others are a little overwhelmed when they sit down to the table and follow the wine selection.
While there is no limit to the amount of information you can gather, a few basic ideas will help you develop your experience when ordering or purchasing a bottle of wine.

How wines are classified

As vast as the world of wine is, you may breathe a sigh of relief when you learn that most wines can be classified into five main categories: red, white, rosé, sparkling wine, and fortified wine. However, the criteria are much broader, so we recommend you read on to find out what it’s all about.

By color

The distinguishing feature of the wine is the color, which expresses the type of grapes that were used in the manufacturing process. It is current practice to include color as a classification method.

• Red. Many wines are considered red, but not all are the same. Colors can vary from bright red, light red, dark red, etc. Among the most popular red wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Merlot.
• White. This wine is made from white grapes, but the main difference is that the fermentation is done without pomace, which greatly influences the color of the wine. White wines can in turn be classified into four shades, as follows: clear white, yellowish white, golden white and watery white. The differences of each type of white wine are given by the wood used in the barrels in which they are left to mature.
• Rose. This special color is obtained because the producers also include black grapes in the fermentation process.

By residual sugar content

Each type of wine produces different levels of sugar during and after the fermentation process. For this reason, wines can be classified into three basic types:

• Sweet wine: has a high level of residual sugar, has a pleasant sweet taste, and is usually a favorite of ladies.
• Demiscuous wine: this wine has a lower sugar content than sweet wines, but does not reach the harsher taste of dry wines
• Dry wine: It is the wine that has the lowest sugar content, but which amazes with the strongest flavor of all three types of wine.

By the carbon dioxide content

According to this criterion, wines can be classified according to the presence or absence of carbon dioxide, in:

• Sparkling wines: are the acidic ones, which produce bubbles. Champagne is probably the best known. Sparkling wines go through a complex fermentation process involving sugar and yeast, the result being carbon dioxide that will provide the sensation of acidification, so interesting.
• Calm wines are those that do not contain carbon dioxide and therefore do not have air bubbles.

By alcohol content

Wines can also be classified by the amount of alcohol they contain, this method being one of the most popular among wine enthusiasts. Thus the wines can be:

• Full-bodied / full-bodied: refers to those wines that have a higher amount of alcohol.
• Medium-bodied: These have a lower alcohol content than full-bodied wines, but higher than light-bodied wines.
• Light-bodied: They have the lowest alcohol content, not having too much of an impact in terms of taste. They are suitable for beginners.

După soiul de struguri utilizat 

Among the most famous grape varieties are:

• Chardonnay, one of the most used for the production of white wines;
• Cabernet Sauvignon, the most widespread French grape and used in many of the world’s best red wines;
• Merlot, also used for red wine production;

În funcție de momentul în care sunt consumate, există:

• Aperitif wines
• Dessert wines
• Sparkling wines
• Pop wines, generally fruity wines