The short answer: Most wines fit into a handful of styles: light, medium or full-bodied whites and reds, rosé, sparkling, sweet, fortified and skin-contact (orange) wine. Body comes mostly from alcohol, tannin and oak. Sweetness and bubbles come from how the wine is made. Once you know the style you like, you can find it in many grapes and regions.
How to think about style
Three questions get you most of the way:
- How heavy does it feel? Body is the weight of the wine in your mouth. Wine Folly links fuller reds to more tannin and alcohol, and lighter reds to less tannin, brighter acidity and slightly lower alcohol. In whites, oak aging and a creamy-making step called malolactic fermentation add weight.
- Is it dry or sweet? Most table wine is dry. Sweet styles keep or concentrate the grape's sugar on purpose.
- Is there anything extra? Bubbles, added grape spirit (fortified wine) or long contact with grape skins all create distinct styles.
Light-bodied whites
Crisp, fresh and high in acidity. Think Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio (Pinot Gris), Albariño, Grüner Veltliner, Vermentino and unoaked Chardonnay. They suit salads, shellfish, goat cheese, herbs and anything with a squeeze of lemon.
Full-bodied and aromatic whites
Fuller whites feel rounder and richer. Oaked Chardonnay is the classic example, alongside Viognier, Sémillon and Marsanne. They stand up to roast chicken, lobster, creamy pasta and pork.
Aromatic whites lead with perfume: Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Chenin Blanc, Muscat (Moscato) and Torrontés. Several of them are made both dry and sweet, so check the label or ask. Off-dry versions are among the best partners for spicy food.
Rosé
Rosé is made from red grapes that spend only a short time on their skins, just long enough to pick up color. It drinks more like a white than a red. Provence rosé is the best-known pale, dry style. Grenache, Sangiovese, Mourvèdre and Pinot Noir all make good rosé. It's an easy choice for outdoor meals, grilled fish and mixed spreads.
Light, medium and full-bodied reds
- Light-bodied: Pinot Noir and Gamay (the grape of Beaujolais). Soft tannin and bright acidity. Good with salmon, mushrooms, duck and roast chicken, and a safe pick when a table is ordering different dishes.
- Medium-bodied: Merlot, Sangiovese (the main grape of Chianti), Grenache, Barbera and Cabernet Franc. The everyday middle ground for pizza, pasta with tomato sauce and burgers.
- Full-bodied: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah (Shiraz), Malbec, Nebbiolo, Tempranillo and Zinfandel. More tannin, more alcohol and darker fruit. They need food with fat and protein, such as steak, lamb, braises and hard cheeses.
Orange (skin-contact) wine
Orange wine is white wine made the way red wine is made: the juice ferments with the grape skins instead of being pressed off them. Skin contact can last from a few days to several months. The skins add an amber color, some tannin and a firm, textured feel. Georgia has a long tradition of making it in large clay vessels called qvevri, where it's known as amber wine. Its grip suits richer dishes, spiced food and aged cheeses.
Sparkling wine
The bubbles come from a second fermentation that traps carbon dioxide. Where that second fermentation happens shapes the style.
- Traditional method (in the bottle). Champagne is the reference point. The appellation's rules from the Comité Champagne require the second fermentation in the bottle and at least 15 months of cellar aging for non-vintage wine and 36 months for vintage wine. Most Champagne is made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier. Time on the yeast gives toasty, bready notes and fine bubbles. Spain's Cava and France's Crémant use the same method.
- Tank method (Martinotti or Charmat). The second fermentation happens in a large pressurized tank. Prosecco, made mainly from the Glera grape in northeast Italy, is the best-known example. The method keeps fresh fruit and floral aromas in front.
Watch the sweetness terms. "Brut" is dry, and "Extra Dry" is actually a little sweeter than Brut. Sparkling wine works with salty and fried food, oysters, and the start of almost any meal.
Sweet wines
- Late harvest. Grapes stay on the vine past normal picking time and build up sugar. German labels such as Spätlese and Auslese point to riper fruit.
- Noble rot. A mold called Botrytis cinerea pulls water out of the grapes and concentrates their sugar. Sauternes in Bordeaux (Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle) and Tokaji Aszú from Hungary are the classic examples.
- Ice wine. Grapes freeze on the vine and are pressed while still frozen, so only concentrated, sugary juice runs out. Under Ontario's VQA rules, icewine grapes must be picked at -8°C (about 18°F) or colder. Germany calls it Eiswein.
A simple rule: the wine should be at least as sweet as the dessert. These styles also pair well with blue cheese and foie gras.
Fortified wines
Fortified wines have grape spirit added. Wine Folly puts most of them at roughly 17 to 20% ABV.
- Port comes from Portugal's Douro Valley. Spirit is added partway through fermentation, which stops the yeast and leaves natural grape sugar, so Port is sweet and rich.
- Sherry comes from the area around Jerez in southern Spain. The Palomino grape is fermented fully dry and then fortified to about 15% or about 17%. The lower strength lets a film of yeast called flor grow on the wine, which gives the pale, dry Fino and Manzanilla styles. The higher strength stops flor, and the wine ages with air contact into nutty Oloroso. Sweet styles such as Pedro Ximénez also exist.
- Madeira comes from the Portuguese island of the same name. It's heated as it ages, either in warmed tanks (estufagem) or slowly in cask without artificial heat (canteiro). Grape names on the label signal sweetness, from dry Sercial to rich Malmsey.
- Marsala comes from western Sicily. It's made in dry and sweet styles and is known both for sipping and for the kitchen.
Choosing for food and occasion
- Match weight to weight. Delicate food with lighter wine, rich food with fuller wine.
- Acid loves fat and salt. Crisp whites and sparkling wine cut through fried food and creamy sauces.
- Tannin wants protein. Save big reds for steak, lamb and hard cheese.
- Heat wants sweetness and low alcohol. With spicy food, try an off-dry Riesling rather than a strong, tannic red.
- For a crowd, a sparkling wine, a dry rosé and a light red cover most tastes and most menus.
Serving temperatures
| Style | Serve at |
|---|---|
| Sparkling and light-bodied whites | 38–45°F (3–7°C) |
| Full-bodied whites and rosé | 44–55°F (7–12°C) |
| Light and medium-bodied reds | 55–60°F (12–15°C) |
| Full-bodied reds | 60–68°F (15–20°C) |
| Dessert and fortified | Depends on the style; follow the producer's guidance |
Ranges from Wine Folly. Most reds are served a little below room temperature. A red that feels warm and boozy often improves after a short time in the fridge.
FAQ
What does "full-bodied" mean?
It describes how heavy a wine feels in your mouth. More alcohol and tannin in reds, and oak aging in whites, make a wine feel fuller.
What's the difference between Champagne and Prosecco?
Champagne gets its bubbles from a second fermentation in the bottle and must age at least 15 months before release. Prosecco's second fermentation happens in a pressurized tank, which keeps it fresh and fruity.
Is rosé sweet?
Many rosés are dry, especially pale Provence styles. Some are made off-dry, so check the label or tasting notes.
Should red wine be served at room temperature?
Slightly below. Wine Folly suggests about 55–60°F for lighter reds and 60–68°F for fuller ones.
What's the difference between Port and Sherry?
Port is fortified during fermentation, so it keeps natural sweetness. Sherry is fermented dry first and fortified afterward. Most classic Sherry styles are dry, though sweet ones exist.
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