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

A Short About Wine Summary

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 her...


Click Here to Read More About Wine ...

About Wine Items For Viewing

Feast of Bordeaux Standard


The finest French Bordeaux, sweetened with delectable French desserts! Wine selection is the Les Conquettes Bourdeaux Red a wonderful young Bronze Metal Bordeaux Cabernet and 10% Merlot, surrounded by Cheese Spreads, Camembert and Brie Flavor, 3 Cheese Wedges, Tuscany, Amstel and Kumin, Beef Sausage, Wheat Water Crackers and Water Crackers are presented in a woven basket. Magnificent! FOB04 FOB04S


Price: 77.95 USD



News about About Wine

Saintsbury 2006 Carneros Pinot Noir - Red Wine

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:19:41 -0800
Red Wine by Saintsbury from Carneros, California. From Pommard clones, this delivers distinctive Pinot Noir character of black cherry, sour cherry and spice in a vibrant wine of power and elegance. Saintsbury’s house style and the essence of the appellation show most clearly in this Carneros bottling where they work with more than a dozen vineyards located throughout Carneros but with a heavier emphasis on the Napa Valley side of the AVA. Reverence for the appellation is most obvious by the g

But That's Just the Way I Think

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:18:00 -0800
It's always a fun day when we go to my sister's house. We get to bring the dogs. Their puppy, Cash, our dogs Chuck and Rocko, and Girlfriend basically run around and explore the depths and heights of the property while we snack. There are leaves everywhere, and pomegranates and lemons and fruits and nuts so mysterious, we don't know what the heck they are. There's even a semi-secret and really old wine cellar that Dooze and her husband discovered on the bottom floor of the property, right next

Hello Toronto!

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:05:40 -0800
My name is Rachel Segal and I’m your new tour guide to the fabulous city of Toronto. I’m so excited to have the chance to share with you some of my favourite spots as well as an excuse to get out there and see what other amazing places there are that even I don’t know about! A little bit about me - well, by day I run the Content Team at b5media, which coincidently happens to be right in the heart of Toronto near Queen and Spadina. I’m an avid amateur photographer and a lover of fine food, wine

Ironstone 2003 Shiraz - Syrah/Shiraz Red Wine

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:55:10 -0800
Red Wine by Ironstone from California. Blend: 91% Shiraz, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon The 2003 Shiraz is an Australian-styled red wine with a distinct spicy nose with hints of pepper and dark rich fruit. Unlike its cousin, Syrah, Shiraz is sweeter with bolder upfront fruit flavors of currant and plums with a white pepper undertone. Full-bodied with a smoky quality, this wine lingers in your mouth dancing on your taste buds. Shiraz is a wonderful food-friendly wine that goes well with Ethnic cuisine

Who Watches the Watchdog?

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:20:48 -0800
A little over a week ago, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed raising the state excise taxes on alcohol producers in order to fix the state’s budget problems, in effect punishing an entire industry for a problem not of their making. Neo-Prohibitionist groups across the country heaped praise on the proposal, none more glowingly than the Marin Institute, a neo-prohibitionist organization that styles itself as an “alcohol industry watchdog.” Their mission is “to protect the public

WINE: $125,000 federal grant for sustainable wine program (The Santa Rosa Press Democrat)

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:07:55 -0800
The California Sustainable Winegrow-ing Alliance, created by the San Francisco-based Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers to administer the Sustainable Winegrowing Program, received a $125,000 specialty crop block grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service to create a certification...

An Italian Thanksgiving celebration in California

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:48:52 -0800
So, on Thanksgiving Day, joining our other guests were four aspiring Alitalia Airline pilots in their mid to late twenties. They arrived bringing several bottles of good Italian wine, cameras to capture the moments and great attitudes.


Total Wine
Food Wine

Labels: Wine Lovers | Wine Magazine

Posted by Larry Smithson | 0 comments