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White
The many varieties of white wine tend to be more refreshing and lighter in both style and taste than most of their red wine counterparts.
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Burgundy
White Burgundies are unoaked simple wines with mineral and apple notes.
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Chablis
Wines from this grape are zippy and lean with lime-like mineral flavors.
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Sauvignon Blanc
The herbal character of these wines suggests bell pepper or freshly mown grass.
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Chenin Blanc
A dry or off-dry wine with flavors of quince and apples, it can develop honey and floral characteristics with age.
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Red
The stuff of poetry and legend, red wines are made from dark grapes, with colors ranging from the intense violet of young vintages to the ruddy brown of older ones.
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Merlot
Fruity and versatile, these full-bodied wines with velvety tannins ripen into something lush and powerful.
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Rosé
Perhaps the oldest type of wine, these are produced with sweetness levels ranging from bone-dry Provençal rosé to sweet white Zinfandels and blushes.
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Champagne
The real thing—sparkling and ethereal—is produced exclusively in the Champagne region of France.
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Brut Champagne
The most common style produced currently, this has fewer than 12 grams of residual sugar.
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Extra Dry Champagne
This style contains between 12 and 17 grams of residual sugar.
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Rosé Champagne
As dry as Brut, this pink style is produced by adding a small amount of Pinot Noir grapes.
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Sparkling
These fizzy white wines, ranging from sweet to dry, are produced all over the world and there are also many good domestic options available.
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Prosecco
This sparkling Italian white wine, named for the village where it’s made, comes in three styles: sparkling (spumante), semi-sparkling wine (frizzante) or still (tranquillo).
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Sake
This Japanese rice wine is brewed like beer. Its many versions range from sweet to dry, from milky to clear, from fruity to spicy.
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Vermouth
This fortified wine is flavored with various aromatics and botanicals, including roots, bark, flowers, seeds, herbs and spices.
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Dry Vermouth
This white vermouth, a classic aperitif and a quintessential element of the Martini, contains at most 5 percent residual sugar.
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Bianco Vermouth
Although similar in appearance to dry vermouth, this one is a lightly sweetened version.
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Red Vermouth
Sometimes known as sweet or “rosso” vermouth, this Italian style is sweet and mildly bitter.
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Lillet
An aromatized wine, this nuanced blend of Bordeaux wine and macerated citrus liqueurs is aged in oak vats. It is made in two versions, blanc and rouge.
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Moscato
Made from Muscat grapes, this Italian wine is sweet, lightly fizzy and loaded with musky fruit flavor.
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Ruby Port
Extensively produced and reasonably priced, this claret-colored port is made to be drunk right away.