How many types of wine are there? The short answer: thousands of individual wines, but they all fall into a handful of fundamental categories. Understanding the main types of wine — and what makes each one different — is the foundation of all wine knowledge. This guide covers every major style, from everyday table wines to sparkling, dessert, and fortified wines.
The 6 Main Types of Wine
All wines in the world can be grouped into six fundamental categories. Everything else — grape varieties, regions, vintages, producers — is detail within these six types of wine.
- Red wine — made from dark-skinned grapes, fermented with skins
- White wine — made from light-skinned grapes, fermented without skins
- Rosé wine — made from red grapes with brief skin contact
- Sparkling wine — wine with bubbles from a second fermentation
- Dessert wine — sweet wines made from very ripe or specially processed grapes
- Fortified wine — wine with added spirit to increase alcohol and stability
Red Wine
Red wine is made from dark-skinned grape varieties and fermented in contact with the grape skins, seeds, and sometimes stems. This skin contact is what gives red wine its colour, tannins, and many of its characteristic flavour compounds. Red wine is one of the most diverse types of wine in the world — ranging from light and delicate to massively powerful and tannic. For a deep dive into how red wine differs from white, see our guide on red wine vs white wine.
Light-Bodied Red Wines
- Pinot Noir — Burgundy (France), Oregon, New Zealand. Red cherry, earthy, silky texture.
- Gamay — Beaujolais (France). Fresh, fruity, low tannin. Best drunk young.
- Schiava — Alto Adige (Italy). Light, delicate, and floral.
Medium-Bodied Red Wines
- Merlot — Bordeaux (France), California, Chile. Plum, chocolate, soft tannins.
- Sangiovese / Chianti — Tuscany (Italy). Cherry, tomato leaf, high acidity.
- Tempranillo / Rioja — Spain. Leather, vanilla, red fruit. Usually oak-aged.
- Malbec — Mendoza (Argentina). Dark plum, violet, velvety.
- Grenache / Garnacha — Spain, France. Red fruit, spice, low acidity.
Full-Bodied Red Wines
- Cabernet Sauvignon — Napa Valley, Bordeaux, Chile. Blackcurrant, cedar, firm tannins.
- Syrah / Shiraz — Rhône (France), Australia. Dark fruit, black pepper, smoked meat.
- Nebbiolo / Barolo — Piedmont (Italy). Tar, roses, intense tannins.
- Zinfandel — California. Jammy dark fruit, high alcohol, spice.
White Wine
White wine is made from light-skinned grapes — or occasionally from red grapes pressed quickly before the skins release colour. The juice is fermented without skin contact, producing a wine with virtually no tannins. White wine ranges from bone-dry and mineral to rich and buttery to sweet and luscious.
Light and Crisp White Wines
- Sauvignon Blanc — Marlborough (NZ), Loire (France). Gooseberry, cut grass, zesty acidity.
- Pinot Grigio / Pinot Gris — Italy, Alsace. Light citrus and pear.
- Albariño — Galicia (Spain). Peach, citrus, saline minerality.
- Vermentino — Sardinia, Provence. Herbal, citrus, bitter almond finish.
Full-Bodied White Wines
- Chardonnay — Burgundy, California, Australia. Unoaked: citrus and green apple. Oaked: butter, vanilla, toast.
- Viognier — Rhône (France), California. Peach, apricot, floral. Rich and aromatic.
Aromatic White Wines
- Riesling — Germany, Alsace, Australia. Citrus, green apple, petrol notes with age.
- Gewürztraminer — Alsace (France), Germany. Lychee, rose petal, ginger.
- Muscat / Moscato — worldwide. Intensely floral and grapey. Often off-dry or sweet.
Rosé Wine
Rosé is made from red grapes with brief skin contact — just long enough to extract a pink colour but not enough tannin to make it a red wine. Most rosé is dry, fresh, and versatile.
- Provence rosé — France. Pale salmon, dry, delicate red fruit and floral notes. The world benchmark.
- Spanish Garnacha rosé — deeper pink, more fruit-forward, great value.
- White Zinfandel — California. Usually off-dry to sweet. Popular entry-level style.
Sparkling Wine
Sparkling wines get their bubbles from a second fermentation that traps carbon dioxide in the wine.
- Champagne — France. Traditional method. Toasty, bready, complex. The world’s most prestigious sparkling wine.
- Cava — Spain. Traditional method. Similar style to Champagne at a fraction of the price.
- Prosecco — Veneto (Italy). Tank method. Light, fresh, pear and apple.
- Crémant — France (various regions). Traditional method but outside Champagne.
- Sekt — Germany. Often made from Riesling. Dry to off-dry, elegant bubbles.
Dessert Wine
Dessert wines are sweet wines made from grapes with very high sugar content — achieved through late harvesting, drying grapes, freezing (ice wine), or the action of noble rot (Botrytis cinerea).
- Sauternes — Bordeaux (France). Noble rot botrytis. Apricot, honey, marmalade.
- Riesling Auslese / TBA — Germany. Noble rot or late harvest. Extraordinarily concentrated.
- Ice Wine (Eiswein) — Germany, Canada. Grapes frozen on the vine. Intensely sweet and acidic.
- Moscato d’Asti — Piedmont (Italy). Lightly sparkling, low alcohol, gently sweet.
- Vin Santo — Tuscany (Italy). Dried grapes. Amber, nutty, dried fruit.
Fortified Wine
Fortified wines have neutral grape spirit added during or after fermentation, raising the alcohol to 15–22% ABV.
- Port — Douro Valley (Portugal). Rich, sweet, and warming. Ruby, Tawny, and Vintage styles.
- Sherry — Jerez (Spain). Ranges from bone-dry (Fino, Manzanilla) to very sweet (Pedro Ximénez).
- Madeira — Madeira Island (Portugal). Intentionally heated. Virtually indestructible.
- Marsala — Sicily (Italy). Used in cooking but also drunk as aperitif or dessert wine.
Orange Wine: The Seventh Type
Orange wine is made from white grapes fermented with their skins — the opposite of how white wine is normally made. The extended skin contact gives orange wine its amber colour, tannins, and earthy, oxidative character.
Types of Wine: Quick Reference Table
| Type | Key Characteristics | Best Known Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Red | Tannins, dark fruit, full body | Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Malbec, Rioja |
| White | No tannins, high acidity, fruit/floral | Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Grigio |
| Rosé | Pink, dry, fresh, versatile | Provence rosé, Garnacha rosé |
| Sparkling | Bubbles, high acidity, celebratory | Champagne, Prosecco, Cava |
| Dessert | Sweet, concentrated, low volume | Sauternes, Moscato, Ice Wine |
| Fortified | High alcohol, complex, long-lived | Port, Sherry, Madeira |
| Orange | Amber, tannic, oxidative | Georgian amber wine, skin-contact whites |
The Right Glass for Each Type of Wine
Different types of wine benefit from different glass shapes. For our complete recommendations, see our wine glasses guide.
🥇 Best Overall: Riedel Extreme Cabernet Glass
The ideal all-purpose wine glass — its wide bowl works beautifully for full-bodied reds, medium reds, and even full-bodied whites.
👉 View on Amazon
🥈 Best Value: JoyJolt Layla White Wine Glasses (Set of 6)
For white wines, sparkling, and rosé — a slightly smaller, more upright glass. Exceptional value for dinner parties.
👉 View on Amazon
Frequently Asked Questions
How many types of wine are there?
There are six main types of wine: red, white, rosé, sparkling, dessert, and fortified. Orange wine is sometimes counted as a seventh.
What type of wine is best for beginners?
White and rosé wines are generally the most approachable. See our full wine for beginners guide.
What is the difference between red and white wine?
The main difference is whether the wine is fermented with or without grape skins. See our red wine vs white wine guide.
What type of wine has the least alcohol?
Moscato d’Asti (5.5% ABV) and some German Rieslings (7–8% ABV) have the lowest alcohol of any wine.
Is rosé a mix of red and white wine?
No — almost never. Rosé is made by briefly macerating red grape skins with the juice until the desired pink colour is achieved.
Explore More
- Red wine vs white wine — all the real differences
- Wine for beginners — everything you need to get started
- How to taste wine — a step-by-step guide
- Wine pairing guide — match any food with the right wine
- Wine glasses guide — the best glass for every type
- Best wines under $20 — top picks across every style