An Introduction To Wine Classifications
Author: Gabriel Adams

Wine. Wine is probably the most widespread and historically
significant beverage other than water, and has been for
thousands of years. Wine is the drink of kings, just as it is
the beverage of choice for the wino on third street. Wine has
played a major role in the rise and fall of countless
individuals, nations and even civilizations.

As interesting as the history of wine is, though, this article
is about the classification of different wines. Wine is
normally classified by vinification method, by taste, by
vintage, by wine style, and / or by quality.

Vinification refers to how the wine is made. Examples of
classifications by vinification method include still,
sparkling, rose, or blush. For example, champagne is a
sparkling wine. Sparling wines are wines which contain carbon
dioxide, which may either be a by product of the fermentation,
or may be added.

Wines are also classified by taste. Wines may be classified as
dry (meaning not sweet), fruity, or sweet, for example. Or
wines may be classified according to specific flavors.

Vintage is another method of classifying wines. Vintage is just
another name for the year the grapes for the wine were
harvested. Vintage wines are often made of the highest quality
grapes, and normally command a higher price than non-vintage
(wine from mixed years) wines.

Wine may also be classified by any one of dozens of wine
styles. For example, Bordeaux is a style of red wine from
France. Kerner is a style of white wine from Italy.

Wine may range in price from a few dollars a bottle to hundreds
or thousands of dollars a bottle. Many premium wines cost
hundreds of dollars a bottle. Part of the reason for the high
price is that many premium wines are aged for years or even
decades. Many bottles are lost during the aging process, so the
end price goes up.


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