Exploring wine styles
We've developed this system of styles to help make it easier to find a wine you like. Every wine has its own unique personality, of course. But wines of the same style will share some key characteristics, and pair well with the same types of food.
White Wines
White wines can be refreshing and quenching or rich and complex – or anywhere in between. Click on the image to watch a short video introducing our four white wine styles.
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Light & Crisp
These whites are known for their quenching character and crisp acidity. Fresh, light and invigorating, their flavours will remind you of green herbs, citrus and green apple. They’re social sippers and great with many different dishes.
Off-dry & Fruity
You’ll love these wines for their kiss of sweetness. They have fruit-forward aromas and flavours. Think ripe apple, fresh peach and juicy melon, balanced by a pleasant acidity.
Aromatic & Flavourful
These whites are true show-stoppers! Their bold, exotic fruit flavours of lychee, papaya and mango shine through. With thrillingly intense floral aromas, these wines have personality to spare.
Full-bodied & Rich
Meet the most flavourful whites! They have a luxurious texture, often described as “buttery.” They have nutty, vanilla and spice notes thanks to oak-barrel ageing. Their fullness makes them an excellent choice for rich food.
Red Wines
There's so much variety in the world of red wine that you can always find something new to discover! Click on the image to watch a short video introducing our four red wine styles.
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Light-bodied & Fruity
If you’re new to red wine, this is a great place to start. These easy-drinking wines are fresh and fruity, with bright berry flavours. They’re great anytime sippers.
Medium-bodied & Fruity
Not too heavy, not too light, this is a very popular style of red. These versatile crowd-pleasers are deliciously balanced, with fruit-forward flavours and a casual, go-with-anything style.
Full-bodied & Smooth
Ready to explore? Try these velvety smooth, mouth-filling reds, with intense, dark-fruit flavours. Often aged in oak barrels, they can have soft tannins, spice and vanilla. This style includes some of the most popular varietals in the world.
Full-bodied & Firm
If you’re an adventurous red-wine fan, try these! They’re captivating and powerful, with complex flavours of black fruit, spice and vanilla. Get ready for big wines with firm tannins. Robust wines like these are best paired with food.
Rosé Wines
Let yourself fall in love with a rosé! They're refreshing and flavourful, and will surprise you with their versatility – on their own at a casual get-together or paired with a variety of your favourite dishes and snacks. Click on the image to watch a short video introducing our three rosé wine styles.
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Soft & Off-dry
These popular rosés are a great choice for those who are new to wine. They’re balanced with light to medium sweetness and are a perfect crowd-pleasing choice for entertaining. Their sweetness will tame spicy food.
Easy-going & Fruity
These pink, light-bodied wines will remind you of summer berries all year round. They’re refreshing and pair beautifully with just about any casual food.
Medium-bodied & Dry
These versatile wines are made for food! Their refreshing character features fuller fruit flavours and greater complexity, providing excellent value for dinner parties. Serve these wines lightly chilled.
Dessert Wines
Some of your favourite varietals… but sweet. These wines are naturally sweet thanks to very ripe fruit. Typically served with dessert, they range from lightly sweet to luscious and everything in between. Click on the image to watch a short video introducing our three dessert wine styles.
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Lightly Sweet
Intenseley aromatic and flavours, these wines are mildly sweet and balanced by a pleasant, crisp acidity. Even if you don’t have a sweet tooth, you’ll love them. These are a light, value alternative to Icewine and Sauternes.
Medium Sweet
These delicious wines have a moderate sweetness that is anything but cloying thanks to a pleasant citrus acidity. Reds in this style are particularly delicious.
Lusciously Sweet
For those with a sweet tooth, these rich, lush wines are a sure-fire hit. They’re deliciously complex, and can be served as a substitue for dessert. Reds in this style are slightly more balanced by a pleasant acidity.
Fortified Wines
Talk about rich and dramatic! These intense, full-bodied wines are produced in most warm-climate countries. They’re blended with grape alcohol and range in style from from dry to sweet. Click on the image to watch a short video introducing our three fortified wine styles.
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Dry
These have all the mouth-filling flavours of sweeter fortified wines with a crisp, fresh character and a dry finish. Serve them well chilled for lovely slow-sippers and a delicious match for many foods.
Medium
Not bone-dry, not too sweet, these fortified wines have intense, mellow flavours. They’re excellent as apereitifs, digestifs and with food.
Sparkling Wines
The wines you love… with bubbles! Sparkling wines can be white, rosé and even red. They come in a range of styles from dry to sweet, with drier styles pairing beautifully with food, especially appetizers. Why wait for a celebration? Click on the image to watch a short video introducing our three sparkling wine styles.
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Light & Fruity
Few wines can match these fizzy beauties when it comes to crowd-pleasing refreshment. With their palate-cleansing acidity, they’re great with before or after light foods.
Medium-bodied & Flavourful
These sparklers come in a range of sweetness levels with lovely acidity. They’re a great match with a variety of foods and make superb sippers. Serve chilled.
Rich & Complex
These are bubbly royalty! They’re great for formal toasts, but they are also one of the best food-pairing wines available. Try them when you want a fizzy treat.