Wine Essentials

The 5 Main Types of Wine You Should Know

The first step in wine education is learning about the main types of wine. Our guide will teach you everything you need to know about the key styles of wine, so you can confidently navigate a wine list.

By 

Jillian Dara

 |  August 5, 2024

Wine has been a popular beverage for centuries. This history lends itself to evolution and expansion that can be overwhelming for amateurs and wine enthusiasts alike. After all, there are estimated to be more than 10,000 grape varieties around the globe, and even more types of wine, so there’s always something to learn. 

When it comes to wine essentials, though, there are a few major style categories beyond just red and white wines. Once you understand the main styles of wine, your ear and palate will become more familiar with ordering, tasting, and buying wine. Here are five types of wine to know and the most important subcategories and grape varieties within them. 

In This Article

• Types of Red Wine
• Types of White Wine
• Types of Rosé Wine
• Types of Sparkling Wine
• Types of Fortified Wine

5 Different Types of Wine

Types of Red Wine

There are hundreds of different types of red wine that range from dry to sweet, light- to full-bodied, oaked to unoaked, and aromatic varieties. The differences in aromas and taste come from the type of grape as well as the winemaking techniques used. While there are hundreds of types of red wine, this category can be split into dry red wine and sweet red wine. Of course, dry red wine is far more common than sweet red wine. 

Dry Red Wine

Dry red wine simply refers to wines with low residual sugar. There are three main types of dry red wine, classified from light to full body. Body is the way to describe the amount of tannin and alcohol in the wine. The level of tannin varies depending on the grape variety. 

• Light-bodied red wines have low tannins and alcohol, which make them enjoyable on their own, so you can drink with or without food. The flavors are often delicate and many light-bodied reds can benefit from being chilled upon serving (between 52°F and 60°F). Popular light-bodied red wines include Pinot Noir, Gamay (Beaujolais), Pinotage, Grenache, Schiava, and Cinsault. 

• Medium-bodied red wines are the most food-friendly red wines as they complement a wide variety of culinary styles with their middle-level of tannins and alcohol. These wines typically spend some time in oak, though less time than full-bodied varieties. Popular medium-bodied red wines include Carnigan, Sangiovese (Chianti), Barbera, Grenache, Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc, and some styles of Merlot.

• Full-bodied red wines are robust and often need time to “breathe” or “open” in a glass because their high-tannin and high-alcohol content can overpower the nose and palate straight out of the bottle. Many use a decanter for this process; here’s how to decant wine if you need a primer. After the wine’s exposure to oxygen, it typically shows dried black fruits and spice notes, though this will change with each variety, as well as vanilla or toasted wood from barrel aging in oak. Popular full-bodied red wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Malbec, Zinfandel, Primitivo, Mourvèdre, and some styles of Merlot.

Sweet Red Wine

The less common sweet red wines contain a higher residual sugar content and range from sparkling to full-bodied and other types of sweet wines. Some are labeled as “demi-sec” or “off-dry,” while others, like Lambrusco or Vin Santo, are stylistically implied. Winemakers produce red wines with varying levels of sweetness, using techniques such as late harvest, drying grapes, and freezing grapes. All of these methods concentrate the sugars in a grape, resulting in a sweet wine — although in sparkling red wines sugar is added. 

• Sweet, sparkling red wines include Lambrusco and Brachetto d’Acqui.
• Medium-bodied, slightly sweet red wine includes Valpolicella.
• Full-bodied, sweet red wines include Vin Santo, Muscadine, and ice wine. 

Types of White Wine

There are two main types of white wine: dry and sweet. Skin-contact white wine, also called orange wine, is included as a white wine and growing quickly in popularity around the world. While most sparkling wine and Champagne are white wines, they usually include some red wine, so we consider sparkling wine to be a separate category (see below). 

Dry White Wine

Similar to dry red wine, dry white wine is an expansive category. There is a range of light- to full-bodied wines, however, unlike red wine, body refers to the alcohol and acidity, rather than tannins. There are also aromatic varieties of this type of wine, which you can learn more about in our white wine 101 guide.

• Light-bodied white wines taste refreshing, zesty, and crisp. This is a result of their high acid and fresh fruit profile. Popular light-bodied white wines include Assyrtiko, Albariño, Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Grigio, Alsatian Riesling, Verdicchio, unoaked Chardonnay (such as Chablis), Sauvignon Blanc, and Verdejo.

• Full-bodied white wines often spend time aging in oak barrels and undergo malolactic fermentation or time spent on the lees, which results in a creamier mouthfeel. There is less acidity, more alcohol, and more tropical fruits on the palate. Popular full-bodied white wines include Sémillon, oaked Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, white Rioja, and Marsanne.

• Aromatic white wines can be summarized as a floral bouquet in your glass. Others may describe the smell like “grandma’s perfume” for the elderflower, jasmine, and orange blossom you’ll undoubtedly smell before sipping, but don’t let this put you off — these flavors are more subtle on the palate. Despite the sweet aromas, there is little to no residual sugar in these wines, so they are still dry white wines. Popular aromatic white wines include Gewurztraminer, Viognier, Torrontés, Muscat, and Pinot Gris.

Sweet White Wines

Sweet white wines typically have a golden hue and honey aromas. They are full-bodied wines with low alcohol, but high acidity and high residual sugar, which means they are some of the most naturally ageable wines on the market. You’ll often find this type of wine on the dessert list as its tropical fruit or lemon curd flavors and sweetness make for an indulgent after-dinner drink. Popular aromatic white wines include Sauternes, Tokaji, Moscato, late-harvest Gewürztraminer, Riesling wines under 12% ABV, Vin Santo, and ice wine.

Skin-contact White Wines

Frequently listed as orange wine or amber wine on a menu, skin-contact white wine is a style of winemaking that allows the white grape skins to sit with the pressed juice during production. The result is a white wine with a texture and tannin structure that’s more similar to red wine. It also gives it an orangey hue, to credit the nickname. Winemakers can use any white wine grape to create orange wine, but some of the most popular varieties include Pinot Grigio, Ribolla Gialla, Gewürztraminer, Friulano, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay. 

Types of Rosé Wine

Rosé wines are blush-colored sips that are typically dry, though there are some off-dry versions. The wine is made with red wine grapes that sit on their skins for a short period of time, but they exhibit more white wine qualities. You should serve rosé wines chilled. They are refreshing and drinkable with or without food. 

• Dry rosé wines are a signature style of Provence and the Mediterranean region. They typically present ripe red berries and herbal notes on the nose with fresh strawberry and dried herbs on the palate; they finish bone dry. The most popular grapes used for dry rosé wines include Cinsaut, Grenache, Syrah, Pinot Noir, and Sangiovese.
• Off-dry rosé wines have a touch of sweetness on the nose with notes of roses and dried berries rather than the fresh herbal qualities of dry rosé wines. White Zinfandel is one of the most popular sweet rosé wines, and sparkling rosé wines can also be sweet. 

Types of Sparkling Wine

Sparkling wine covers a broad range of bubbly wine, from some of the most expensive wines in the world like Champagne to generic sparkling wine (any wine with bubbles in it). The style and quality of sparkling wine varies depending on the production method of how the sparkle is added. 

• Sparkling white wine types include Champagne, Cava, Prosecco, Sekt, and Blanc de Blancs Champagne. 
• Sparkling red wine types include Lambrusco, Roscato, rosé Champagne, and Blanc de Noirs Champagne.

Types of Fortified Wine 

At its simplest, a fortified wine is a white or red wine that is strengthened (fortified) with a distilled spirit. In these wines, winemakers stop the fermentation process early so that the wine is naturally sweet but low in alcohol; the spirit adds alcohol and body to the wine. Fortified wines are typically categorized with the dessert wines and are made around the world. Madeira, Marsala, and Vermouth are among the global styles of fortified wine, but the two most popular styles are Port and Sherry.

• Port wines are fortified wines from the Douro Valley of Portugal. They are available in varying levels of sweetness. From driest to sweetest, they include White, Rosé, Tawny, and Ruby Port. Within Ruby Port, there’s also Vintage, Late-Bottled Vintage (LBV), and Crusted. Port wines are fortified by the addition of aguardente, a Portugeuse brandy. Once fortified, these port wines have an average of 20% ABV. 
• Sherry is an aged white wine from the denomination origin of Jerez, Spain. Though sherry is mostly dry, its palate is explosive with nuts and marzipan. There are five styles of dry sherry: Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado, Palo Cortado, and Oloroso. Sweet sherry is made from Pedro Ximénez grapes and labeled as such.

Types of Wine Chart

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