Guide to Wine
At Total Wine & More, we’re passionate about wine, and know many of our customers feel the same way. So we wrote the Guide to Wine to share our knowledge about the more than 8,000 wines we sell.
This online wine guide – like its print cousin, which is yours free at any Total Wine & More store – shows you the world of wine we know: producing regions, from the world-famous to our latest discovery; wine styles, including red, white, sparkling and more; and the winemakers themselves, whether they’re young innovators, or the latest caretakers of a historic family winery. This is ground Total Wine & More covers every day, sometimes literally, as our experts travel the world to find delicious and interesting wines for you to enjoy.
We love the romance of wine, how the best ones can evoke a time and place and make any moment special. But we also crave specific information: about the science of winemaking, say, or how weather and terrain affects a wine’s body and flavor, or the occasionally arcane rules of appellations.
If you’re the same way – or even if you’d just like to know a little more about the bottle you picked up in our store this evening – the Guide to Wine is for you.
White Grape Varietals
Every white wine grape variety can have myriad expressions, depending on where it is grown and how the winemaker chooses to style the wine. The same grape can produce both a dry white wine and a sweet white wine, one that’s crisp and refreshing or honeyed and mellow.Every white wine grape variety can have myriad expressions, depending on where it is grown and how the winemaker chooses to style the wine. The same grape can produce both a dry white wine and a sweet white wine, one that’s crisp and refreshing or honeyed and mellow.
Red Grape Varietals
Red grapes produce an amazing array of red wine types: from the boldest, heartiest big reds, to elegant and structured dry red wines, to sweet and simple picnic sippers. So much depends on where grapes are from and what the winemaker does with them, but the most important factor is the variety of the grape itself.Red grapes produce an amazing array of red wine types: from the boldest, heartiest big reds, to elegant and structured dry red wines, to sweet and simple picnic sippers. So much depends on where grapes are from and what the winemaker does with them, but the most important factor is the variety of the grape itself.
Champagne & Sparkling Wine
Champagne and the best sparkling wines share the unique quality of making any occasion special – and of making special occasions that much more magical. The pop of a cork has traditionally signaled the start of a celebration, after all.Champagne and the best sparkling wines share the unique quality of making any occasion special – and of making special occasions that much more magical. The pop of a cork has traditionally signaled the start of a celebration, after all.
Rosé / Blush Wine
American wine drinkers have fallen in love with rosé and blush wines … one more time. Different styles of rosé have fallen in and out of popularity over the years, with sweet Portuguese rosé all the rage in the 1970s, and California white zinfandel making a sensation in the 1990s. But today’s rosés – dry, refreshing and stylish, made in some of the world’s best winemaking regions – are here to stay.American wine drinkers have fallen in love with rosé and blush wines … one more time. Different styles of rosé have fallen in and out of popularity over the years, with sweet Portuguese rosé all the rage in the 1970s, and California white zinfandel making a sensation in the 1990s. But today’s rosés – dry, refreshing and stylish, made in some of the world’s best winemaking regions – are here to stay.
Dessert Wine
You put careful thought into pairing wines with dinner entrees. Why stop there? With so many excellent dessert wines available, it’s easy to find a sweet wine to complement any final course. Whether you’re serving a light, fruit-based dessert, something intensely chocolaty, a savory assortment of cheeses or a simple plate of cookies, there’s a wine to go along.You put careful thought into pairing wines with dinner entrees. Why stop there? With so many excellent dessert wines available, it’s easy to find a sweet wine to complement any final course. Whether you’re serving a light, fruit-based dessert, something intensely chocolaty, a savory assortment of cheeses or a simple plate of cookies, there’s a wine to go along.
