Newbie Question: Different Types of Wines!?

Actually both, and then some. In many wine producing areas of the world, the grape type (varietal) is the basic name of the wine, i.e. Merlot. In others, the name is refering to a place, i.e. Bordeaux, Chianti. In still some areas, and wineries, the name refers to a propriatary handle, often a blend of grapes. This can be very confusing and a good deal of reading and research is necessary to differentiate what is what. Google is a good place to start. For instance, Joseph Phelps Insignia should yield a definition that this is a Cabernet based "Bordeaux style" blend from Napa, CA. There are a lot of Web sites that offer great identification for these names. Experience and good research are invaluable in this respect. This NG is also a good resource, when you encounter a name with which you are not familiar. It is almost certain, that someone here has some experience with almost any wine you could possibly run across, so do not hesitate to ask.

Hunt

Goyan wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news.teranews.com:

yes and well.

New world wines tend to be classigied according to the grape hence all fo the Cab saubignon from Cal and Australia

French and other European wines historically were described by the region and the aracteristic wines of that region, hence Bordeaux, Bourgogne (Burgundy) Rhone etc. MOre recent efforts in Europe have been met with the grape name esp in the south of France the Pays d'oc (Languedoc region) where wine exportation is fairly new and the styles have evolved inthe more international manner.\

All being a rough guide and quick answer to your question