Different Types of Wines

Other Important Red Wine Types

Discover some of the different types of wines including Mourvedre, Nebbiolo, Carmenere, Petite Sirah and Gamay. These red wines types are popular in their respective wine regions, but are not grown as widely as other reds.

Below, you will find a brief description of these five additional types of red wine. Many of these reds are on the comeback, so you will start hearing more about them. For years, most of these were only in red wine blends. However, as wine makers continue to experiment, many are creating single varietal wines from these reds.

Read on to learn a little more about each of these different types of wines. You can also find some comparisons to other wines so you can see the similarities with other popular types of red wine.

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Mourvedre Wine: A Spicy, Spanish Red Wine

Mourvedre Wine is the second most planted red wine in Spain behind Grenache. Early Spanish wine information points the origins to Spain where it is also known as Monastrell.

You'll find that a lot of producers blend this with Syrah wine and Grenache wine. In fact, until recently it was mostly used in blends. A new focus on this wine has increased interest in its ability to make great single varietal wines.

This wine grows well in windy, warmer climates. You'll taste flavors of dark fruits such as cherries, plums and blackberries. You'll also find hints of spices and pepper. This is one of the different types of wines that has a gamey taste when young so make sure you give it a little time to age.

Mourvedre also grows well in southern France. For a number of years it was called Mataro in the California and Australia wine regions where it is also grows. It's now renamed to Mourvedre in both of these wine regions. Find ratings and reviews for single varietal Mourvedre.

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Nebbiolo Wine: Full Bodied Italian Red Wine

Nebbiolo wine is one of the most popular red wines in Italy. It grows primarily in the Piedmont wine region. This Italian red wine is used to make single varietal wines. Barolo and Barbaresco are the two most popular different types of wines made from the Nebbiolo grape.

Nebbiolo wines are rich, full bodied wines. This is one of the different types of wines that is usually high in both alcohol content and tannins. You should allow them plenty of time to age to soften them out before you drink them. They are dark colored wines with hints of raspberries, chocolate, roses and violets.

If you like heavy, full Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah wines, you should give Nebbiolo a try. Review ratings and prices for Nebbiolo wines.

Very little of this red wine type is grown outside of Italy. However, you will find small amounts in Oregon wineries, California and Washington wineries in the US. Australia and Argentina also grow a small amount of this wine.

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Carmenere Wine: The Often Mistaken Red Wine

Carmenere Wine has a very interesting history. This wine was once a very popular choice in the Bordeaux fine wine region. However, now it's one of the different types of wines grown in Chile.

For more than a century in Chile, everyone thought this was Merlot wine. These two wines have very similar characteristics and the mistake was not identified until the 1990s.

In the northeastern part of Italy, wine makers thought this was Cabernet Franc wine. Italy recently identified and corrected this misidentification also.

Carmenere wines are medium to full-bodied with a rich, deep color. You'll taste hints of red fruits such as cherries. Wine makers in Chile are also experimenting with it and started blending it with Cabernet Sauvignon wine.

If you like Merlot wines, you will enjoy trying Carmenere wine. Most of them are a little heavier than the typical Merlot, but they have some of the same characteristics. Find Carmenere wine.

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Petite Sirah Wine: The Popular Blending Wine

Petite Sirah wine is a dark, rich colored wine that is high in tannins. It grows well in warmer climates and flourishes when it is dry farmed.

This wine grew in France for a number of years and they always called it Duriff. The names was from a vineyard caretaker in the 1870s. Its name probably changed when it was brought to the US by another wine maker.

Petite Sirah was confused with Syrah wine until DNA testing occurred in the last 1990s. At that time, they determined that this varietal was a cross between a few different types of wines including Syrah. This explained the some of the similar characteristics between the two types of wines.

Petite Sirah is used as a blend with Zinfandel wine. You can also find it blended with Cabernet Sauvignon wine. Wine makers sometimes add a little to Pinot Noir wine to build it up in years when Pinots are not as rich and hearty on their own.

You'll find great Petite Sirah wines in California including Sonoma Wineries and Wineries in Napa Valley. This wine also grows in South America. Review ratings and prices for Petite Sirah wine.

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Gamay: The Heart for the Popular Beaujolais Wine

Gamay wine is one of the different types of wines from the Beaujolais wine region in France. It is the main grape for the popular Beaujolais wine from France. A small amount is also sometimes used in Bourgogne wine in the southern part of the Burgundy wine region.

This type of red wine is usually very fruity and sometimes jammy. Gamay ranges from lighter, fruity wines to heavier, full bodied wines. These wines have more of a blue or purple tint rather than red.

You'll taste black cherry, strawberry, cranberry and peaches in this wine. You'll also taste small hints of pepper and spices. Common aromas include iris, violet and rose.

Gamay wine is low in tannins, which makes the fruit in this wine stand out even more. It is also high in acidity. You can pair these wines with light, simple dishes such as grilled chicken or turkey.

If you are new to red wine, this is a perfect wine to try. You will also like the price as most bottles are $20 or under. Find Gamay wines from Beaujolais.

Gamay grows only in a few other regions outside of France. You will find small amounts in Italy, Switzerland and a few other places.

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These are just some of the different types of wines that are a little lesser known. However, some of these are making a comeback as single varietal wines, so now is the time for you to try some of these.

Here are some additional pages on red wines you might enjoy:

Decanting Wine: Is your wine a little too tannic? Does it have some sediment in the bottom of the bottle? If you said yes to either of these questions, then you need to decant your wine. Read on to find out the steps and tools you need to decant your wine.

Ordering Wine in a Restaurant: Is it a little intimidating to order wine in a restaurant? Uncover the secrets to reading the wine tasting menu, selecting the right wine for your meal and more in the Ordering Wine in a Restaurant article.

Most Popular Red Wine Types: What are the most popular red wines? Discover the five most popular reds wines in the world. Each one is special and all are very important to red wine lovers.