The Basics | Wine Enthusiast

Grapes 101

ng man, detail, harvesting white grape Malvasia in vineyard — Getty Images

3 Promising Places Where the Ancient Malvasia Bianca Grape Is Thriving

A wine glass full of 3 types of wine — Getty Images

As Tastes and the Climate Change, Muscadine Wine ‘Deserves Respect’

Illo by Joao Neves — Illustration by Joao Neves

Where Gamay Shines Across the Globe

Illustration of Viognier grapes — Illustration by João Neves

3 Wine Regions Where France’s Viognier Grape Flourishes Abroad

row of sherry glasses — Getty Images

Everything You Need to Know About Sherry Wine

Crush Gruner Veltliner — Illustration by Joao Neves

Austria’s Famed Grüner Vetliner Thrives in These Global Wine Regions

How To Taste

Hand holding up a wine glass with a large checkmark behind it. — Getty Images

A 4-Step Checklist to Assess the Quality of Wine

white wine grapes with 6 bottles of wine in the background — Getty Images

A Six-Bottle Masterclass to Albariño (Alvarinho)

Sangiovese tasting tips grapes on vine — Getty

A Six-Bottle Master Class to Sangiovese

Waiter offering cheese and grapes to people in wine tasting room. Waiter serving fruits and cheese to people in winery. — Getty

How to Find (Free!) Wine Tastings Everywhere You Go

Red Wine Information & Basics

The White Wine Basics Every Drinker Should Know

Is Wine Vegetarian, Vegan or Neither?

When Should You Decant Wine?

How Long Can Wine Stay Open?

What are Tannins, Really?

Live: Wine Reviews & Ratings

Visual Guides

Drinks Terms Defined

Hands holding a wine bottle full of math equations — Illustration by Pablo Tesio

What Does ‘Complexity’ Mean in Wine?

a bunch of multicolored grapes representing veraison — Getty Images

What Does ‘Veraison’ Mean in Wine?

A bottle of wine split in half with a flint stone inside — Getty / Evan de Normandie

What Does ‘Flinty’ Mean in Wine?

A packet of Wine gum on a pink background — Illustration by Pablo Tesio

What Does ‘Chewy’ Mean in Wine?

a psychedelic wine glass surrounded by normal wine glasses on a purple background — Illustration by Jose Berrio

What Does ‘Lush’ Mean in Wine?

An abstract illustration of a grapes connect to molecules — Illustration by Jose Berrio

What Does ‘Mouthfeel’ Mean in Wine?

Region Rundown

Saumur chateau, Maine-et-Loire, Loire Valley, France, Europe — Alamy

A Beginner’s Guide to the Loire Valley and Its Iconic Wines

A wine glass in front of a map of Luxembourg — Getty Images

The Wines of Tiny Luxembourg Make a Big Impression

Georgia wine map — Getty

Georgia’s Ancient Wine Culture has Lasting Relevance

GOTG Petit Verdot Illo — Illustration by João Neves

There’s Nothing Petite About Petit Verdot

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How It’s Made

a digital collage of champagne barrels with production dates — Getty Images

The Difference Between Multi-Vintage and Nonvintage Champagnes

Winery workers treading red wine — Photo Courtesy of Getty Images

Alcoholic Fermentation: What Is It, and Why Is It Important?

A grape on a grey and red background with the shape of Austria — Getty Images

A Guide to Austria’s Underrated Red Grapes

Bottles of Ouzo with broken plates — Aerial View of Ouzo

Ouzo 101: An Introduction to Greece’s Celebratory Spirit

Beer faults — Getty

Five Common Beer Faults and How to Recognize Them

A hand squeezing grapes on a salmon colored background — Getty Images

What is ‘Free Run’ Wine?

How To Pair

Raw Oysters — Photography by Robert Bredvad, Food Styling by Takako Kuniyuki, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks

Shell Shocked: Why It’s More Important Than Ever to Consider the Oyster

Sake bottles outside restaurant. — Getty Images

Saké Food Pairings That Will Change Your Drinking Experience

Roasted seaweed strips — Getty Images

Briny, Green and Smoky: How to Pair Seaweed and Wine

3 trader joes products on a designed background — Images Courtesy of Trader Joe’s, Amazon, and Getty

The Best Trader Joe’s Snacks Pairings

How To Serve

a glass of orange wine with a thermometer as the base — Getty Images

You’ve Been Drinking Orange Wine Wrong

Multiple wine glasses on a table with a bottle being poured into a glass in the background — Stocksy

How Many Glasses of Wine Are in a Bottle? It Depends

traditional wine glass versus stemless wine glass — Graphic by Eric DeFreitas

Are Stemless Wine Glasses Any Good? We Investigate

L’Atelier du Vin Bilami Twin-Blade Corkscrew and a cork on a designed background — Wine Enthusiast Catalog / Getty Images

How to Use a Twin-Blade Wine Opener

Getty Images

How Many Ounces Are in a Shot Glass? It Varies

Bottle of champagne next to a decanter — Getty Images

Should You Decant Champagne? It Depends

Buying + Collecting

Uncorked champagne or sparkling wine bottles, arranged in line. — Getty images

How to Store Champagne Properly

Dusty bottles in a wine cellar — Drink or delay? / Getty

How to Store Wine Properly, and Why It Matters

how to store liquor in shelves at home — Getty

Vodka In The Freezer? How To Properly Store Liquor At Home

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Chardonnay

Sauvignon Blanc

Pinot Noir

Shiraz / Syrah

Malbec

Pinot Grigio / Gris

Riesling

See All Grapes

Advanced Studies

Cover Crop at Weninger Winery — Weninger Winery | Photo by Nicole Heiling

The Rise of Micro-Managed Cover Crops in the Battle Against Climate Change

A bunch of grapes laid over a Carmenere leaf on a dark purple background — Image Courtesy of Getty Images

Rediscovering Chilean Carmenère

3 tiers of the liquor distribution system on a designed background — Getty Images

The Highs and Woes of Alcohol’s Three-Tier System

a warped grape on a smoke background — Getty Images

Amid Smoke and Climate Change, Napa Embraces an Imperfect Red Grape

A fist holding a wine glass with a design treatment — Getty Images

How the Fall of the Soviet Union Changed Wine Forever

Loam soil wine glass with roots coming out of the bottom, going into dirt — Getty

Understanding Loam Soil in Wine