Learn what every wine tastes like.

Argentina, France

Malbec is usually a dry, full-bodied red with blackberry, black plum, dark cherry, violet, and cocoa flavors. Argentine examples often feel ripe and smooth, while Cahors Malbec can be firmer, earthier, and more savory.

Bordeaux, Napa Valley, Chile

Cabernet Sauvignon is the king of bold reds: rich, structured, and built to age. Expect dark fruit like blackcurrant and blackberry, layered with notes of cedar, tobacco, and a firm tannic grip.

Burgundy, Oregon, California

Pinot Noir is a light to medium-bodied red with bright red fruit, silky texture, and an earthy, almost mushroomy depth. It's elegant, food-friendly, and rarely heavy.

Bordeaux, California, Italy

Merlot is the smoothest big red — soft, plummy, and easy to drink with no rough edges. It's everything you love about Cabernet, with the volume turned down a notch.

Rhône Valley, Australia, California

Syrah and Shiraz are names for the same grape. The wines often suggest blackberry, plum, pepper or savory aromas, with medium to full body and noticeable tannin. Region and winemaking shape how fresh, ripe or rich a bottle feels.

Spain (Rioja, Ribera del Duero)

Tempranillo is Spain's signature red — savory, leathery, and full of cherry and tobacco. With age, it gains beautiful notes of dill, vanilla, and dried fig from American oak.

California

Zinfandel is California's bold, jammy red — full of ripe berries, sweet spice, and a touch of black pepper. It's the wine equivalent of barbecue: big, fun, and unmistakably American.

Tuscany, Italy

Chianti is Tuscany's signature red, made primarily from Sangiovese. It's bright, savory, and built for food — think tart cherry, tomato leaf, and a refreshing acidity that begs for pasta.

Rioja, Spain

Rioja is Spain's most famous red wine region, best known for Tempranillo blends. Expect savory cherry, dried fig, and signature notes of vanilla, dill, and coconut from American oak aging.

Napa Valley, California

Napa Valley Cabernet is the New World benchmark — opulent, powerful, and polished. Expect ripe blackcurrant, dark chocolate, and lavish oak, all wrapped in plush, mouth-coating tannins.

Burgundy, France

Burgundy Pinot Noir is the gold standard for Pinot — refined, earthy, and obsessed with terroir. Expect tart red cherry, mushroom, and forest floor wrapped in silky, ethereal tannins.

Mendoza, Argentina

Argentine Malbec — especially from Mendoza — is the wine that put South America on the map. Expect intense blackberry and plum, plush tannins, and a signature floral note of violet from the high-altitude vineyards.

Burgundy, California, Australia

Chardonnay is usually a dry white wine that can taste crisp and citrusy or rich and creamy. Unoaked styles emphasize lemon, green apple, pear, and mineral notes; oak and malolactic fermentation can add vanilla, toast, butter, and a fuller texture.

Loire Valley, New Zealand, California

Sauvignon Blanc usually tastes dry and crisp, with high acidity and flavors of lime, grapefruit, gooseberry, or fresh herbs. Some bottles lean grassy and restrained, others show passion fruit and ripe citrus. Oak-aged examples can feel rounder and carry subtle toast.

Germany, Alsace, Australia

Riesling is a highly aromatic white wine with lime, green apple, peach, apricot, flowers, and sometimes honey or a petrol-like note as it ages. It can be bone dry, off-dry, or sweet, and its high acidity keeps the wine bright.

Italy (Asti)

Moscato usually tastes sweet and strongly aromatic, with ripe peach, apricot, pear, orange blossom, and honeysuckle. Moscato d'Asti is gently sparkling and typically lower in alcohol, while still and fully sparkling Moscato styles can differ.

Marlborough, New Zealand

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc — especially from Marlborough — is the most distinctive style in the world. Expect a vibrant punch of passion fruit, gooseberry, and fresh-cut grass with mouthwatering acidity.

Provence, Spain, California

Rosé is the perfect summer wine — pink, crisp, and somewhere between a white and a red. The classic Provençal style is bone-dry and refreshing, full of strawberry and watermelon.

Veneto, Italy

Prosecco is Italy's effortless sparkling wine — light, crisp, and full of fresh pear and green apple. It's bubbly without the seriousness of Champagne, and built for everyday celebration.

Champagne, France

Champagne is usually crisp and dry, with apple, citrus, fine bubbles, and sometimes toast or brioche. Sweeter styles also exist. Read the sweetness label first, then use the grape blend and aging notes to choose between fresh, fruity, and toasty flavors.