1. Wine is made from fermented grapes.

These grapes are similar to table grapes but are much smaller and have thicker skins.

Some common examples are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot & Chardonnay.

2. The main types of wines are red, white, rosé, sparkling & fortified wines.

• Red wines are made from red grapes
• White wines are made from white grapes
• Rosé wines are pink in colour and are usually made from red grapes ( some new world rose wines are made by blending red and white grapes)
• Sparkling wines contain carbon dioxide which makes them bubbly. A sparkling wine can be red, white or rose
• Fortified wines are fortified with spirits such as Brandy. Examples of fortified wines are Sherry & Port

           Red wine            White wine       Sparkling wine     Rosé wine      Port (Fortified wine)

3. Most wines are essentially named in two ways:

• Based on the grapes used to produce them, these are called Varietal wines (for example Shiraz, Pinot noir)
• Based on the region where they are produced (for example Bordeaux, Burgundy)

 4. Wines can be old world wines or new world wines;

Old world wines are from countries where wine making originated like France, Spain, Italy & Portugal. 

New world wines are produced in countries where wine making was imported after the age of exploration. Examples are United States, Australia, South Africa & Chile.

5. Red wine is best served at room temperature (15-20°C); White and rosé wines are best served chilled (8-12°C): and Sparkling wine is best served ice cold (5-7°C)