History of Wine - Types of Wines
Geographical factors are the main factors when classifying wines, including where the grapes come from or where the wine is produced. This is especially true in countries such as France and Europe, where geographical factors predominate, as well as in the United States (California), South Africa and New Zealand, where wines are increasingly being sold commercially. These types of classifications already appear on restaurant wine lists.
When you dine in American restaurants, you will find on the menu the Zinfandel variety, considered typical of California, or the Cabernet Sauvignon, etc. Red wines appear both on the menu and on the wine list. In the event that we discover a Chardonnay, we know that we will be drinking a fruity white wine.
Once the vineyard has been chosen, the winery that produces it is another important element. It is not common in European restaurants to find wines listed by colors (white, red and rosé), after which a specific type is chosen.
You can find “Rueda” -a geographical criterion- among white wines or among red wines if you want. Rioja or Ribera del Duero, which are geographical criteria, can be found among red wines. The vineyard is not mentioned on the label of French wines.
The geographical classification of wines, unlike classification by vineyard, has commercial consequences. The form of perception is altered. Information from both perspectives is complementary. The ideal is to combine geographical data with those of the vineyards.
Hugh Johnson’s wine guides systematize wines by toponymic names. Around 80% of the entries are toponymic names. The final figure is poor, excluding toponymic names, because it reaches eight classifications: four based on color, eight on sweetness and one on whether or not it contains gas bubbles.