As you guessed from my question, I am completely new to wines. The only words I know are merlot, cabernet and a couple more - when asked by a waiter. I was just reading about the different types of basic 6-7 wines. Can someone tell me the difference between the these wines - in terms of flavor and taste as opposed to the way they are made. Also, please use simple words (if possible).
I understand that there are thousands of types and brands of wines but I am just trying to better at selecting a wine when I go to Olive Garden (a low priced restaurant chain).
These are grape varieties not wines in themselves. They do tend to have characteristic flavours in the wines produced from them, and maybe someone else will be kind enough to post them here. I could not describe many from memory I am afraid.
What I would say though is that you will be amazed how different the same variety of grape can taste in wines, even it is basically the same style of wine. So whatever anyone says, be prepared for surprises.
The best I could do is to encourage you to experiment - it will be cheaper at home then in the restaurant. If you have a few people round, open a couple of bottles and compare. And don't be afraid to ask questions about the wines in shops and restaurants.
Others will have different impressions and several will be eager to note that while there may be some characteristics, a wine will vary greatly depending upon the vintner, the vintage, the vineyard and more.
Typically a dark, dry red wine. Can have layers of flavors (and that's part of the joy of tasting--seeing what you can discern). My impressions have been that you can get dark berries, leather, cedar, "cigar box", tar, eucalyptus and various other brooding, deep tastes. Styles vary considerably and the most obvious illustration for you would be to compare a French cabernet-based Bordeaux to a California Cabernet Sauvignon.
A white, not a red. Noted for "flint" in some iterations. Also citrus, melon, and crisp, slightly acidic fruit flavors.
My impressions of merlot (which isn't one of my favorite varietals for some reason), is usually of chocolate.
Here again there's a lot of differences in style. Compare French Burgundy with California or Oregon Pinot Noir. Lighter styles show bright red cherry and occasionally raspberry. Darker styles go toward black cherry. You'll also get velvet sensations, smoke, violet, earth, farmyard and more.
Not really a white. Mostly reminiscent of cherry Kool-Aid. Avoid if at all possible.
Chardonnay usually leans toward butter or vanilla tastes. Compared to sauvignon blanc, you'll probably find the Chard to be sweeter and thicker feeling in the mouth.
If at Olive Garden, you're probably going for pasta or generic Italian. That should be a clue to what goes good with that type of food--explore Italian wines. You won't break the bank with the choices at an OG. Pick a Chianti or Valpolicella for a red. (The V is lighter). Try a Pinot Grigio for a crisp white to balance against an alfredo style of sauce.
Explore your own tastes. Linger. Swirl, swish, slurp. Talk to your dining partner about what you are tasting. Have fun.
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