Types of Wine Chart: Four Factors Around Red and White Wine

There are hundreds of wine varietals on the market ranging from dry to sweet, fruity to earthy, and with a range of calories in wine. This can make it very difficult to choose the right wine for the right occasion-including Valentine’s day promotion ideas for restaurants.

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Whether you're trying to craft a food and wine pairing menu, want to become a wine negociant, or are just looking to learn about wine, there's a lot to consider.

Keep reading to get greater insight into a wide array of wines from our comprehensive red wine types chart and white wine types chart. Whether we are talking about regular wines, vegan wines, or certified gluten-free wines, it all applies. You can also read our article on health benefits of wine to increase your knowledge even more!

Red Wine Types Chart

Contrary to popular belief, red wine types don't have to be heavy and dry affairs. There are dessert reds, sweet reds, light reds, fortified reds, and more. Flavors can also range from fruity to earth and there’s great variance in the wine alcohol content and calories in red wine. The more important thing is to pay attention to the body and sweetness so you can pick the type that best fits the situation.

Here are the 10 most common red wine types by aroma, body, and sweetness:

Red Wines	Sweetness	Body	Aromas and Flavors
Cabernet Sauvignon	Semi-Sweet	Full-bodied	Oak, blueberries, raspberries, black currant
Pinot Noir	Semi-Sweet	Medium-bodied	Cherry, raspberry, strawberry, spices
Merlot	Semi-Sweet	Medium-bodied	Vanilla, chocolate, earth, ripe fruits
Zinfandel	Semi-Sweet	Medium to full-bodied	Fruit jam, berries, spices, earth, smoky finish
Chianti	Dry	Medium to full-bodied	Cherry, dried herbs, earth, smoke
Cabernet Franc	Dry	Medium-bodied	Roasted peppers, plum, earth
Burgundy	Dry	Full-bodied	Black cherry, blackberry, peaches
Shiraz/Syrah	Sweet	Medium to full-bodied	Pepper, spices, sweet red fruit
Port	Sweet	Full-bodied	Grape, blackberry, wood spice, pepper
Sangiovese	Dry	Light to medium-bodied	Tobacco, spices, cherry, fruits

White Wine Types Chart

White wine types are often the easiest for beginners and come in a wide range of flavors and sweetness. White wine pairs particularly well with seafood dishes and is the best wine to pair with salmon. They are generally light or medium-bodied, so they tend to be less complex and easier for an untrained palate to explore and enjoy. However, white wines do tend to have higher calories in white wine, so you should make sure you stick to the standard wine pour if you’re worried. You should also explore the best white wine types and see which ones are better to start with.

Here are the 10 most common white wine types by aroma, body, and sweetness:

White Wines	Sweetness	Body	Aromas and Flavors
Riesling	Dry, Semi-sweet, or Sweet	Light-bodied	Apple, orange, limes, honey
Chardonnay	Dry	Medium to full-bodied	Apple, papaya, oak, vanilla
Sauvignon Blanc	Dry or Sweet	Light to medium-bodied	Grapefruit, peach, grass, herbs
Pinot Grigio	Dry	Light-bodied	Citrus fruits, salt, honey,
Chablis	Dry	Light-bodied	Citrus, flowers, minerals, salt
Viognier	Dry or Sweet	Medium-bodied	Peach, apricot, flowers, vanilla
Chenin Blanc	Dry	Light-bodied	Apple, pear, honey, spices
Moscato/Muscat	Sweet	Light-bodied	Orange, lemon, pear, flowers
Sparkling Wine	Dry	Medium-bodied	Apple, pear, minerals, vanilla
Ice Wine	Sweet	Medium to full-bodied	Pineapple, mango, papaya, herbs, honey

What Makes a Wine Dry?

If the charts above are at all confusing, it’s likely because the term dry doesn’t seem like it would be the opposite of sweet. Isn’t that sour? Well, in the wine world, dry identifies a particular phenomenon where the acidity, tannins in wine, and aroma all work together to make your mouth feel drier after a sip of wine. In general, higher acidity and an increased amount of tannins, like in deep red wines, will lead to a dry wine.

Dryness can be evaluated after the first sip as your taste buds can feel as though they didn’t just have a liquid on them. Many people love this feeling and often these wines can be some of the most enjoyable to drink, especially when paired with food. Dry wine is ideal for meat-based entrees–learn more about the best wine to pair with turkey, chicken, and beef before crafting your pairing menu. Though tannins play a role, wine doesn’t have to be red to be dry. In fact, some of the most popular white wines like Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio are renowned for their dryness.

What Makes Wine Sweet?

Sweetness in wine is a much clearer concept than dryness and can often be discovered by smelling wine. If you get a sweet fruity aroma from a wine, the odds are that the wine will be sweet or semi-sweet. This is due to the low acidity and low amount of tannins imparted by the light-skinned grapes used during fermentation. Wines that have the flavor of figs, raisins, or jam are some of the most common sweet wines.

Often the addition of additional sugar in wine will also overpower any dryness that naturally occurs. This is why fortified red wines are often much sweeter than their more natural counterparts. Wines like vintage ports can be surprisingly sweet while still being such a deep red that you should still invest time in learning how to remove red wine stain.

Straight From the Chart

Red wine and white wine come in a wide array of flavors, sweetness, body, and more. Use the charts above to make more informed decisions. Whether you're looking to increase your restaurant profit margin, need more wine varietals to upsell, or just want to try something new, there are plenty of options at your disposal.

Make sure to stay on top of your wine knowledge. One of the best ways to do that is to look at the most famous wine lists or most popular wine lists in the country. There are so many types of wine lists you can create, so looking at the competition can really make a difference! You should also learn the proper way to handle different wines. Preventing wine oxidation or dealing with bottle shock can help keep you from having a bad day.