WHAT TYPES OF WINES EXIST? LEARN TO CLASSIFY THEM

There are many types of wines and the way to classify them is often complex and can even confuse the consumer. Learn in this article what are the most popular types of wines to know in broad strokes what differentiates one from another and thus know which is the best wine for each occasion.

HOW ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF WINE CLASSIFIED?

The classification of Spanish wines is very extensive and there are multiple criteria under which they can be organized: age , type of grape, color, method of production, and more.

But this time we will focus on the best-known wine classifications, according to the color of the grape (red, white and rosé wines), and the way it is made (sparkling and fortified wines).

Read Also: What types of wine exist? Varieties and Classification

RED WINE

As its name suggests, red wine is made primarily from red grapes .

The alcoholic fermentation of this type of wine is carried out with the must and the skin of the grapes, which gives the red wine its characteristic dark color, which will vary according to the maceration time.

Some of the most widely used types of red grapes in Spain are: Tempranillo, Mencía, Garnacha and Syrah, among others.

If you want to try some of the best red wines in Spain, find in our shop the 20 Aldeas wine , rated with 95 points by James Suckling, made from Tempranillo grapes.

Read Also: How many types of wines are there?

Breaking with the widespread belief, white wine is made from the must of white and/or red grapes , with the condition that the reds do not have colored pulp and do not undergo maceration with their skins.

To make this type of wine , the grapes are pressed and only the must is obtained, without the skins, achieving its characteristic transparent yellow tone.

In Spain, most white wines are made from Airén, Albariño, Verdejo and Godello grapes, among others.

Find in our store the Alejairén Crianza 2018 white wine , a Crianza made from the Airén grape, perfect to enjoy this type of wine

PINK WINE

There are three ways to produce rosé wine :

– By contact with the skins or direct pressing: the red grapes are pressed directly after destemming and left to macerate for a short period of time.

– By bleeding after destemming and crushing the grapes: the must is left to macerate for a short period of time, after which about 10% of the must is removed. Depending on this time, the color of this wine can range from deep purple to pale pink, with more body or lighter.

– Mix red and white grapes: this method is perhaps the least used.

Read Also: The types of wines

Sparkling wines , as their name indicates, contain carbon dioxide naturally, never artificially. This is achieved thanks to a second fermentation, in a closed bottle or in closed tanks, in which the carbon dioxide released during fermentation cannot escape from the container and dissolves in the liquid.

Only if they follow the  traditional method  (also called  the champenoise method ), could it be considered champagne or equivalent, and even then only those with the appellation of origin in the  Champagne Vineyard are allowed to be named champagne .

Sparkling wines made in Spain are called cavas, also using the traditional method for their production.

Sparkling wines made in Spain are called cavas, also using the traditional method for their production. T he Cava Denomination of Origin is the one that produces the vast majority of this type of wine, and the main grapes authorized for its production are: Macabeo, Xarel lo, Parellada, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Garnacha Tinta, among others.

Fortified or fortified wines are characterized by increasing their alcohol content and stopping fermentation with the addition of wine alcohol in their production process.

Generally, a fortified wine is a wine with a high alcohol content (between 15 and 25º), which never exceeds twice the level of the base wine.

Spain is one of the main producers of fortified wines in the world, with Marco de Jerez being the area with the greatest tradition in the production of these wines.