Heading to a wine store to choose a bottle for a special occasion and perusing the many different types of wine available can be intimidating. Many may conclude that there are only four types of wine, classifying them as red, white, cheap and expensive while others include pink wines and the extraordinarily expensive found only in collections. The reality is there are more different wines that could possibly be stocked in only one building.

While most consider the difference between red and white wines being definitive, it pays to understand that red wines are usually colored by leaving the skin in the grape juice during the fermentation process. The rose types of wine have the peels removed after a specific time during fermentation and the white wines are fermented without the peels in the juice at all. In addition to the coloring, different aging processes also help determine the different types of wine available.

Red wines are most often aged in wood barrels to provide a deeper, richer flavor, sometimes described as woody, while white wines are not stored in wood to maintain their usually cleaner, clear taste. There are also guidelines on the types of wine to drink with different types of food, but many find the guidelines are not all encompassing.

Guidelines Serve As Guide Not A Rule

For the most part, guidelines say that red wine should be consumed with red meats and white wines with white meat. However, with the different flavors of the different types of wine, people are finding that some red wines taste better with fish and some white wines go better with their beef. Essentially, it is a matter of individual taste that determines the flavor of the wine, regardless of the meal.

Not all wines are made of grapes, and these types of wine are usually indicated by their name such as apple wine or elderberry wine. There is also several types of wine that are made from grains such as rice, but they usually have a closer resemblance to beer instead of the smoother taste of wine. There is even wine made from grapes that have been frozen on the vine known as ice wine that offers a crisper taste.

A majority of wine lovers will read the label of various types of wine simply checking out the alcohol content with no idea where the wine comes from, or that base their choice on the recommendation of others. A few will study the types of wine as to the origin of the grapes and the reputation of the winery before making a choice for a special occasion.