There are four major types of wine: red, white, rosé (or blush), and champagne. As far as dining is concerned, we are going to focus only on the first two types since champagne is its own animal and rosé is largely considered a joke. That's not entirely true, but you'll be safer sticking to reds and whites; most wine advisors recommend chilled rosé only for a picnic on a hot day.

WHITE WINES

Colour: Paler colours tend to indicate younger wines. A green tinge may often indicate a wine made from the Riesling grape. A deeper, golden colour is likely to indicate that the wine is either older, sweeter, or from a hotter climate such as Australia. If the colour is beginning to take on a brown hue, the wine is either very old and/or out of condition.

Aroma: Different grape varieties and climates can produce a wide range of different aromas. Some white wines can be delicately scented, showing aromas of pear, apple, honeysuckle, rose or citrus fruits. Sweeter white wines may well smell of honey or sweet fruits such as apricot or lychee. White wines aged in oak barrels may have more buttery or creamy aromas, in some cases smelling of freshly sawn wood but the oak should not dominate the aroma and may be complemented by aromas of melon or tropical fruit (especially in Chardonnay – the most commonly oaked white)

Palate: Consider whether the wine is dry, medium or sweet. Assess how heavy it is and whether it is full- or light-bodied. White wines do not normally have tannin so the key component is the acidity which should be sufficient to make the wine refreshing, but not so high as to load the tartness. Higher acidity will normally lead to a longer and more refreshing aftertaste in the wine. White wines which have the right balance of fruit, acidity and, in some cases, alcohol, may be capable of being cellared.

RED WINES

Colour: Young, red wines tend to have a ruby red colour, generally with a vivid, purple or pink rim. As they age, the vividness of the colour fades leading to browner, more tawny tones especially at the rim. Higher quality wines tend to lose their colour more slowly than cheaper wines, and the best will retail considerable depth of colour over many years.

Aroma: Young red wines often display aromas reminiscent of red fruits. Pinot Noir and Gamay grapes deliver aromas such as strawberry and raspberry. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot produce aromas closer to fruits of the forest, especially blackcurrant and redcurrant. As red wines age, especially Cabernets, they take on secondary aromas such as cedar, tobacco and cigar box. Red wines aged in oak will often smell of vanilla, especially when American oak barrels have been used. Also, as the wines age, the oak aromas will become progressively less evident.

Palate: The red colour in red wines comes from the grape skins, and these same skins also import tannin: a component which often makes red wines more astringent than whites but which also contributes to their longevity. New World red wines are often characterised by softer tannins and riper fruit meaning that they are easily drunk young. More traditional reds may need time to soften. Red wines will be described as ready for drinking when the fruit, tannin and acidity are all in balance.