The five types of wine

It mostly comes down to grape skins

Grape juice is nearly clear, even from dark grapes. Colour comes from the skins. Leave the skins in the juice for a week or two and you get red wine. Take them out straight away and you get white. Leave them in for a few hours and you get rosé.

The skins also carry tannin, the thing that makes strong tea feel dry in your mouth. That is why red wine can feel grippy and white wine almost never does.

A hand squeezing a bunch of dark grapes over a white bowl — Squeeze a dark grape and the juice runs almost clear. The colour is in the skin.

Red

Made from dark grapes with the skins left in. Reds run from light and fruity (Pinot Noir) to dark and powerful (Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah). Serve them a little cooler than the room. Twenty minutes in the fridge helps most reds.

More about red wine

Three glasses of red wine in a row, from pale to almost black — Red runs from pale and light to dark and bold.

Three kinds of red

A glass of pale red wine on a garden table with sliced sausage and radishes

Light

Pale, fresh and fruity, with very little grip. Lovely slightly chilled.

Try Pinot Noir, Gamay (Beaujolais)

A glass of red wine beside a bowl of pasta in tomato sauce

Medium

The all-rounder. Enough flavour for dinner without feeling heavy.

Try Merlot, Sangiovese (Chianti), Tempranillo (Rioja)

A glass of dark red wine on a low table by an open fire

Bold

Dark, full and firm. Best with rich food or on a cold evening.

Try Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec

White

Made from the juice alone. Whites run from sharp and light (Riesling) to rich and round (oaked Chardonnay). Serve them cold, though not so icy that you cannot taste them.

More about white wine

Three glasses of white wine in a row, from almost clear to deep gold — White runs from pale and crisp to golden and rich.

Three kinds of white

A glass of pale white wine and a plate of oysters by a harbour

Crisp

Light, dry and mouth-watering, like a squeeze of lemon.

Try Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chablis

A glass of white wine with a cut peach, lychees and elderflower

Aromatic

You smell flowers and ripe fruit before you even taste it. Dry or a touch sweet.

Try Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Viognier

A glass of golden white wine with buttered toast, a baked apple and hazelnuts

Rich

Fuller and rounder, often aged in oak, with flavours of butter, toast and ripe fruit.

Try Oaked Chardonnay from California or Burgundy

Rosé

Pink wine, made from dark grapes with only a short time on the skins. Most rosé is dry, light and meant to be drunk young and cold. It is not a mix of red and white, with one famous exception: pink Champagne is often made by adding a little red wine.

More about rosé

A bottle of rosé in an ice bucket and two glasses on a garden table

Sparkling

Any wine with bubbles. The fizz is carbon dioxide from a second fermentation. In Champagne that second fermentation happens inside the bottle you buy. It takes well over a year, which is part of why it costs more. Brut on the label means dry.

More about sparkling wine

Bottles of sparkling wine resting neck-down in wooden racks in a chalk cellar — Bottles resting neck-down in a chalk cellar while the bubbles form inside.

Two glasses of pale golden sparkling wine with fine bubbles rising

Three names you will see

A bottle of sparkling wine in an ice bucket and two glasses on a white tablecloth

Champagne

From the Champagne region of northern France. The bubbles form slowly inside each bottle, which gives a toasty, bready taste. The most expensive of the three.

Tastes of Apple, lemon, toast

Two glasses of sparkling wine with olives and crisps on a café table in an Italian square

Prosecco

From north-east Italy. The bubbles form in a big sealed tank, which is quicker, so the wine is lighter, fruitier and costs less.

Tastes of Pear, apple, white flowers

Two glasses of sparkling wine with ham, almonds and olives on a tiled bar

Cava

From Spain, mostly near Barcelona. Made in the bottle like Champagne, from local grapes, for far less money.

Tastes of Lemon, apple, a little toast

Sweet

Wine that keeps some natural grape sugar, because the grapes were picked very ripe or the fermentation was stopped early. Sweet wines are served cold in small glasses and can be wonderful with cheese or dessert.

More about sweet wine