An Explanation Of Different Wines
If you are thinking of entertaining in your home, having dinner
parties, or you just want to have a bit of knowledge for that
next romantic dinner here are some descriptions for you of
different classifications of wine and why they are named the way
they are.
There are many different types of wines which can lead to some
confusion on which to choose for a particular meal or occasion.
The information offered here should help clear things up a
little.
In many cases wines will be named for the place where they are
made such as Champagne while others are named for the grapes the
wines are made from like Chardonnay or Merlot. Some get their
name from other better known vineyards which are slightly
similar such as Chablis and Burgundy. How a wine comes by its
name is also influenced by local laws and traditions especially
in Europe.
Below are the three main categories:
Regional Wines come first. These wines are primarily European
and have a long history of distinctive wine making governed by
strict regulations that determine which grapes to use for a
particular wine and location. These laws and rules come from
hundreds of years of experience using different grapes and
fermentation methods which have resulted in knowledge of what
will work best for a specific location. Almost all French,
Italian, and Portuguese wines are classed in this category with
regional names such as Bordeaux, Chianti, and Burgundy.
Variety wines or varietals are next, so named from the grapes
from which they are derived. Many countries now allow for wines
to be named in this manner though it is still helpful to know
about the local variations and local laws. For
example, in
California a wine need only consist of 75% of a certain grape to
be able to use that name while in France it must contain 100% of
that specific type of grape. The countries in the "New World"
tend to be more relaxed with their regulations and also will
label their better wines with these varietal names while the
"Old World" European countries tend to use this for their
everyday table wines like Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The generic wines are the last and are more common in the United
States than other countries and for reasons explained above are
virtually unseen in Europe. These wines have no regulatory
labeling and no content or place of origin requirements so an
American wine that is a sparkling wine may be called Champagne
even though it is nowhere near the quality of the wine of that
name coming from the Champagne region of France. Some other
examples of this are Chablis, Burgundy, and Port. This generic
naming can be confusing for the uninformed; the best advice is
to go with the French made or other European wine where you are
assured of the higher quality.
Hopefully the information we have shared with you here will be
helpful to you. One other quick tip I will share with you is to
remember this where meals are concerned; for red meats choose a
red wine and for fish and poultry go with a white.
About the author:
Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online
and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida with his 16
year old son. For a great selection of wine gift baskets
go to http://www.winebasketdelivery.com
Written by: Gregg Hall
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