An Introduction to Wine Classifications

Wine. Wine is probably the most widespread andsweet, for example. Or wines may be classified
historically significant beverage other than water,according to specific flavors.
and has been for thousands of years. Wine is theVintage is another method of classifying wines.
drink of kings, just as it is the beverage of choiceVintage is just another name for the year the
for the wino on third street. Wine has played agrapes for the wine were harvested. Vintage
major role in the rise and fall of countlesswines are often made of the highest quality
individuals, nations and even civilizations.grapes, and normally command a higher price than
As interesting as the history of wine is, though,non-vintage (wine from mixed years) wines.
this article is about the classification of differentWine may also be classified by any one of dozens
wines. Wine is normally classified by vinificationof wine styles. For example, Bordeaux is a style
method, by taste, by vintage, by wine style, andof red wine from France. Kerner is a style of
or by quality.white wine from Italy.
Vinification refers to how the wine is made.Wine may range in price from a few dollars a
Examples of classifications by vinification methodbottle to hundreds or thousands of dollars a
include still, sparkling, rose, or blush. For example,bottle. Many premium wines cost hundreds of
champagne is a sparkling wine. Sparling wines aredollars a bottle. Part of the reason for the high
wines which contain carbon dioxide, which mayprice is that many premium wines are aged for
either be a by product of the fermentation, oryears or even decades. Many bottles are lost
may be added.during the aging process, so the end price goes
Wines are also classified by taste. Wines may beup.
classified as dry (meaning not sweet), fruity, or