Welcome to part 1 of 9 in our beginner series Wine for beginners: Getting started. Here we start right from the bottom, so you can find your footing at your own pace, whether you have just discovered the joy of a glass of wine or simply want to be able to say something well-informed when the bottle comes to the table.
Think of the world of wine as a large kitchen. Before you throw yourself into the fancy recipes, it helps to know what the main ingredients are. In this first part you will get to know the four major types of wine. It is the most useful map you can carry with you, and the rest of the series builds on top of it.
Hvad du lærer
- The major types of wine, and what sets them apart from one another
- When the different types often suit best
- Why bubbles are a little world of their own
- Where you can usefully begin your own journey
The four major types of wine
When you tidy up the wine shelf, most of it falls into four major groups: red wine, white wine, rosé and mousserende vin (the wine with bubbles). The first three are, with a fine word, called still wines, precisely because they do not bubble. The fourth, mousserende vin, has that joy within it.
The common starting point is simple. Wine is the juice of fresh grapes that has fermented. During fermentation the sugar of the grape juice turns into alcohol, and the result is the wine you pour into the glass. The grape is therefore the main ingredient, and it is especially how you treat the grape and its skin that determines which of the four types you end up with.
It is worth remembering that wine has a long history behind it. Grape cultivation spread across the Mediterranean millennia ago, and the Romans, among other things, brought vines to Bordeaux and large parts of Europe. So when you open a bottle today, you are drinking along with a very old tradition.
What sets red, white and rosé apart
The short version: it is largely about the grape's skin.
Red wine gets its colour and its character from the skins of the dark grapes, which are allowed to draw colour and flavour out into the juice. This is also where the red wine gets its little astringent sensation, the dryness you feel on the tongue and gums. Red wine ranges from the light and fruity to the dark and powerful.
White wine is typically made without the long contact with the skins. The grape juice ferments more on its own, and the result is fresher and lighter in its expression. White wine can be crisp and citrus-fresh or more rounded and full-bodied. Aromatic grapes such as Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewürztraminer give fragrant, lively white wines that are easy to love.
Rosé sits beautifully in between. It is made from dark grapes, but the skins are only allowed to give colour for a short time, from a couple of hours to a little longer. That is why rosé gets its pale, pinkish colour and a style that is often light, fresh and fruity.
A good way to remember it: red wine is like a hearty meat sauce that has stood and drawn flavour for a long time, white wine is like a fresh salad with lemon, and rosé is the light summer dish in between.
When do they suit best?
As a rule of thumb, powerful red wine happily dresses powerful food such as roasts and stews. Fresh white wine is lovely with fish, shellfish and light meat. Rosé is a friendly all-rounder that often works well with light dishes and a quiet afternoon in the sun. These are guidelines, not rules, and the most important rule we will come back to.
Bubbles in brief
Mousserende vin is quite simply wine with bubbles. The bubbles come from an extra fermentation, where carbon dioxide is formed and becomes trapped in the wine. It is the tingling sensation you feel, and it makes a bottle of bubbles something special to bring along to a festive moment.
There are a couple of ways to make bubbles. With the traditional method the extra fermentation takes place inside the bottle. This gives fine, persistent bubbles and often a light aroma of bread and brioche. Champagne is the most famous of its kind and comes exclusively from the Champagne region in France. Crémant is French mousserende vin made in the same way but outside Champagne, and Spanish Cava is also made by the traditional method.
With the tank method the extra fermentation takes place in a large tank, which gives a fresh and fruity style. Italian Prosecco is the well-known example. Common to all of it: mousserende vin is best when served nicely chilled.
Where should you begin?
The simple answer is: begin with whatever sounds tempting to you. There is no wrong order. A good approach is to taste one type at a time and notice what you like and why.
If you want a gentle start, a fruity white wine or a light rosé is often easy to get into. If you like a bit more body, then feel your way with red wine, preferably at the lighter end first. And when something is to be celebrated, a bottle of bubbles is never a bad idea. With us you will find, among other things, an Italian selection and a number of organic wines, if you would like to bring provenance and growing method into your considerations.
Courage and curiosity are the only tools you need at the start. Taste broadly, be honest about what you think, and let your own taste be the compass.
Kort fortalt
- The four major types of wine are red wine, white wine, rosé and mousserende vin.
- The difference between red, white and rosé lies especially in how much the grape's skin is involved.
- Red wine is often powerful, white wine fresh and rosé pale and light. Bubbles are wine with carbon dioxide from an extra fermentation.
- Champagne comes only from Champagne, while Crémant, Cava and Prosecco are other sparkling styles.
- The best start is to taste one type at a time and follow your own curiosity.
Ofte stillede spørgsmål
Is rosé just red wine and white wine mixed together?
No, not for still rosé. Rosé is made from dark grapes, where the skins are only allowed to give colour for a short time. It is precisely that short contact with the skins that gives the pale colour and the light style.
What is the difference between Champagne and Prosecco?
Champagne comes exclusively from the Champagne region in France and is made by the traditional method with fermentation in the bottle. Prosecco comes from Italy and is made by the tank method, which gives a fresh and fruity style.
Klar til næste skridt?
Now you have the map of the major types of wine. In the next part we will look more closely at what it means when a wine is dry, off-dry or sweet, so you can better anticipate what awaits in the glass. You can read on in Dry, off-dry or sweet? Understanding the style of the wine.
Take your time, taste your way forward, and remember the simplest truth of them all: the best pairing is the wine you like with the food you like. Do come by our selection and let curiosity show the way.