Wine 101
Wine 101: A Beginner's Guide
Everything a new wine drinker needs to know: the main styles, how to taste and how to find wines you'll love.
The five main styles
- Red: fermented with grape skins for color and tannin
- White: fermented without skins, crisp to rich
- Rosé: brief skin contact for a pink color
- Sparkling: bubbles from a second fermentation
- Dessert and fortified: sweet wines like Port and Sauternes
How to taste wine
Look at the color, swirl to release aromas, smell, then sip and notice sweetness, acidity, tannin, body and finish.
Finding what you like
Keep notes on bottles you enjoy. Most people find favorites by grape first, then region.
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Keep exploring
Find your next bottle in our honest wine reviews.