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HomeTopicsWine TypesOther Wines
Other Wines: Beyond Red and WhiteThe world of wines does not just include red and white wines. If you wish, you can explore the many other types of wines that are available to you.
Sparkling WinesBubbly wines are a favorite for special celebrations such as weddings or ringing in the New Year. Sparkling wines are also wonderful to drink in front of a cozy fire or during an elegant brunch.
On the top of the list of sparkling wines are champagnes. In many parts of Europe, the designation "champagne" is allowed to be used only in reference to the bubbly wines produced in the Champagne region of France. Sparking wines produced in other regions of France cannot be designated as champagne.
For many years, sparkling wine producers in the United States called their wines champagnes. Wine producers did this largely because consumers in the United States were familiar with the word "champagne" and the qualities attributed to drinking champagne. The wine producers felt that placing "sparkling wine" on the labels would be less desirable to consumers.
However, bubbly wine drinkers in the United States have become more sophisticated as the quality of wine production in the United States has improved. Today, more and more wine producers are switching to labeling their wines "sparkling wine," taking pride in the quality of their products.
Some notable champagnes and sparking wines include:
Typically, three types of grapes are used to make champagne in France:
In Italy, Muscat blanco is used to make bubbly wines. In larger production facilities, Columbard, Chenin Blanc, Sultana and Shiraz grapes are also used.
Blush WinesMany experts have less than kind remarks about blush wines. Despite this, the popularity of blush wines is very high. Popular light blush wines such as rosés and white zinfandels are perfect for hot summer days.
Wines are all naturally clear. Blush wines can get their color through one of several methods. In one method, grape skins are left in the juice for a given, short period of time. In other cases, some red wine might be added to a white wine to change the wine's color and flavor.
Other Wines: Fruit Wines and Rice WinesFruit wines are made worldwide from fruits other than grapes. Wines can be made from almost any type of fruit, including:
Rice wines are actually closer to beer than they are to wine. If your only exposure to drinking sake is at a Japanese restaurant, you may be missing some great rice wine. Many Japanese restaurants serve inferior sake and heat the rice wine to hide the wine's imperfections.
Most sake served in restaurants is what we would consider to be table-wine quality. If you are interested in better grades of sake than the futsu-shu, or table grade, look for tokutei meishoshu, also called "special designation sake."
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