What is the Classification of Wine
These are the three main wine classification factors:
1. Color
According to colors, the wines are classified into 4 types White wine, Red wine, Rose wine, and Blush wine.
a) White Wine: White wine color ranges from pale straw with a green tinge to dark gold. It is produced. If produced from black grapes, the skin of the grapes must be removed soon after crushing, to prevent the must, from taking on the color from the pigments present in the skin.
b) Red Wine: Produced by being fermented in contact with grape skins from which the wine gets its color. Normally dry wines.
c) Rose Wine: This can be made in three ways – from black grapes fermented on the skins for up to 48 hours, by mixing red and white wines together, or by pressing grapes so that some color is extracted. Rose wine may be dry or semi-dry or semi-sweet. Rose wines are called blush wines in the USA when made wholly from red grapes.
d) Blush Wine: It is the new style of rosé wine developed in California, USA.
2. Taste
According to the taste, Wine is classified into 3 types Dry, Medium, and Sweet.
a) Dry Wine: It is produced when all the sugar is converted to alcohol.
b) Sweet Wine: It is obtained when there is some sugar left after the fermentation.
3. Content
Based on the content of a wine, wines are classified as Still wine, Sparkling wine, Fortified wine, Aromatized wine, and Tonic wine.
a) Still Wine: It is a kind of wine obtained by the natural fermentation process without adding anything else. This type of wine is also termed table wine. The alcoholic content is 10 to 14 percent above. Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most popular table wines.
b) Sparkling Wine: These are wines bottled with the carbon dioxide produced during fermentation. The alcoholic percentage is between 10 to 13 percent. Champagne is an example of this kind of wine.
c) Fortified Wine: The alcoholic strength of the wine is increased with the addition of brandy either during or at the end of the fermentation. For example- Sherry, Port, Madeira, and Marsala.
d) Aromatized Wine: These wines are fortified and aromatized with herbs, bark, spices, roots, etc. The alcoholic content is 14 to 20 percent above. Vermouth is the most popular aromatized wine.
e) Tonic Wine: This wine has health improvements added to it.
- Also check: Top 5 Free Wine Courses Online for Beginners