Red wine, 101

A guide to white wine

Aside from color, how does white wine differ from red? This comprehensive guide to white wine covers everything from grape varieties to production methods to aging techniques. It provides explanations for several common white wine blends as well. You'll also discover an overview of tasting notes for several popular white wines, and suggestions for foolproof food pairings like brie and Chardonnay.

Wine explained

Wine is the sublime product of fermentation, the process of breaking down fruit—typically grapes. As the grapes ferment, yeast consumes the natural sugars and converts them to alcohol. With the process first developed and refined thousands of years ago, wine has been a central feature of celebrations throughout modern history. Want to learn more about its origins? Check out 1440's explainer on wine.

A quick guide to rosé wine

What is a rosé? Rosé wines are technically reds, though they’re typically served cold and have more flavor characteristics in common with white wines. This primer explains the basics of the fastest-growing wine category in the US. It covers production and rosé-making regions and styles, along with some common tasting notes for each bottle.

What is orange wine?

You've heard of rosé, a so-called anomalous wine. But what about orange wine? Orange wine is made using white wine grapes and red wine production methods. This guide walks you through the history of these wines—now trendy in the global market after being produced for thousands of years in places like Georgia. It also explores the flavors typically found in orange wine and how to pair it with food.

Wine is divided between Old World and New World

The distinction stems from both geography and winemaking technique and tradition. This video breaks down how different viticultural regions fit into each category and the common traits of both Old World and New World wines. It also provides helpful tips for reading Old World wine labels.

A database of grape varieties

All wines are defined in part by the type of grapes used, whether a single grape or a blend. This encyclopedic archive of grape varieties and their respective attributes is an easy way to become acquainted with just about any wine grape out there—from Albariño to Zweigelt. It also includes brief introductions to non-wine alcoholic beverage categories like beer and hard seltzer.

Wine connoisseurs say proper tasting requires looking, smelling, tasting, and thinking

Tasting wine can be intimidating, which is why Wine Folly cofounder Madeline Puckette breaks down the four steps in this helpful video, encouraging viewers to pour a glass and follow along.

How winemaking has changed throughout history

Winemaking is an ancient practice, and researchers continue to find evidence that this ritual came even earlier than previously estimated. This article outlines five key turning points in wine’s history, from the fermentation of fruit by our primate ancestors to today’s increasingly popular “New World” wine. Discover the fascinating scientific and cultural factors that led to wine’s changes in flavor and increased symbolic importance.

Making Champagne from start to finish

This video from wine educator Amelia Singer covers everything from grape to glass. She’ll walk you through pressing the fruit, fermentation, aging, disgorgement, and, of course, drinking.

How fermentation works

Alcoholic fermentation is the process where yeast transforms grape sugars into ethanol, creating wine. Microscopic fungi (commonly known as yeast) metabolize sugars, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide. Fermentation's speed and temperature impact wine's flavor and style: cooler temps suit fruity whites, while warmer ones enhance red's tannins. Fermentation stops when sugars are depleted or by temperature extremes, and sometimes yeast removal yields sweeter wines. Get a quick breakdown of the process with this easy explainer.

The non-alcoholic wine market

A no-nonsense, stats-based exploration of the relatively new market for nonalcoholic wine. Driven by people looking to consume less or no alcohol at all, production of nonalcoholic wine has increased dramatically over the last few years. This report details the basics of nonalcoholic winemaking, as well as the current state of the market and what to expect in the future.

Although vinegar was first discovered when wine was left to sour after exposure to air, the fermentation of different base ingredients contributes to the variety of vinegars seen today.

Tannins contribute to a wine's composition

Tannins are compounds found in many different types of food, including grape skins. When consumed, they produce a noticeable drying effect in the mouth. Because of the difference in production methods, red wines typically have tannins while white wines do not.

Georgian wine and the qvevri method

What do we know about early viticulture? The earliest evidence of winemaking comes from the country of Georgia. More than 8,000 years ago, people began fermenting grapes in clay vessels called qvevri (pronounced kway-vree). Join Master of Wine Konstantin Baum for a video diving into the origins of winemaking in Georgia, exploring how that country's unique mix of climates and cultures made it the perfect place for wine to flourish.

California's Napa Valley and Sonoma County both produce world-class wines, but they have key differences.

Food & Wine magazine's guide to the Napa Valley (and its next-door neighbor, Sonoma Valley) walks through the environmental and geological conditions that differentiate these two first-class wine regions from the rest of the world and from each other. It also includes in-depth explanations of what to look for in their wines, including common grapes, stylistic choices, and tasting notes.

How disgorgement works while making sparkling wine

After riddling, winemakers still need to dispose of collected sediment in wines. While this was once done by hand, the modern method of freezing the bottle's neck and removing the now-solid sediment is ubiquitous. In this short video, an enologist (wine expert) from California’s Halter Ranch vineyards explains each step of the mechanical disgorgement process, complete with footage from their production line.

Napa Valley has unique growing conditions, a quality the wine industry refers to as 'terroir.'

View a detailed list of Napa Valley wines, dating all the way back to the 1991 vintage.

The top wine-producing countries in the world

Three European countries dominate the world in wine production: France, Italy, and Spain. This table lays out how the world's top wine-producing countries compare in terms of annual volume, with Europe and the United States comprising the bulk of production. Visualize the country-by-country difference with this bar graph.

Animal wines: Wine bottles with pigs on the label had the lowest median prices at $23.22

If you’ve ever spent too much time staring at a shelf in a wine store, you might have noticed something similar: animals, specifically, cats, pigs, or birds on the labels. So, what do these wines have in common? This interactive tool attempts to figure out what wines that include the same animal have in common.

Why your wine smells unpleasant

Ever had the experience of receiving a bottle of wine with a janky, less-than-favorable odor? This Esquire article ventures to answer this question and offers the explanation that the culprit is likely corked wine. Read to understand why corks can create a moldy or musty scent, and feel emboldened to send a corked bottle back for something with improved quality.

Strict rules dictate the making of Champagne

Some regulations, such as geographical area and grape varieties, are fairly well known. But to be true Champagne, winemakers must follow guidelines for all sorts of finicky things, including pruning, press yield (how much juice is extracted from the grapes), alcohol content, vineyard management, and aging, among others.

'1440 Explores,' Episode 2: Why We Drink and What It Does to US

Alcohol is the world's most popular drug—a molecule that can calm or excite and bond communities or tear them apart. We trace alcohol's journey from ancient rituals to modern hangovers, uncover how it shaped civilizations, and dive into the neuroscience of how it affects your brain and body. With insights from leading experts, we ask: Given all that we know, why do humans continue to drink?

A history of Rome and wine

Wine and winemaking were integral parts of everyday Roman life. Wine was used medicinally and for religious rites, as well as for pleasure. It also contributed to the expansion of the Roman empire as wine and grapes were traded throughout the Mediterranean. Roman winemaking practices spread as the empire grew. Without Rome, wine may never have grown into what it became, and vice versa.

The numbers on US wine consumption

Ever wonder how much wine the average American drank in 1949? Wonder no more! The answer is 0.89 gallons. That’s way less than 2022, where the number has quadrupled to 2.86 gallons. Check out this simple table that tracks average United States wine consumption from 1934 through 2022, by individuals and as a whole. American wine consumption peaked during the early pandemic but has lessened since then.

The robust wine production of Antarctica

Antarctica might not be known for its agriculture, but parts of its unique climate are suitable for growing wine grapes. Most of the wine produced there is icewine, a style of dessert wine commonly found in Canada and Germany. This guide covers Antarctica’s unique soil composition, grape varieties, and how exactly penguins contribute to this unusual wine-growing region. There’s even a recommendation for an Antarctic tasting room for adventurous souls.

Visualizing California's wine production

While Europe has France, Italy, and Spain, the US has California. The bulk of US wine production takes place in the Golden State, accounting for roughly two-thirds of the United States’ nearly 800 million gallons produced each year. This chart compares California and United States wine production from 1995 through 2022. Production in both has been trending down for several years, partially due to extreme weather events.

Intriguing facts about tomatoes

This episode of the Lunchbox Envy podcast dives deep into the world of tomatoes. Why do they taste nicer in certain settings? Do they "scream"? What are their health benefits? All of these questions and more are answered about the luscious red fruit. Listen and reflect on the historical and cultural significance of the tomato.

Watch experts blindly taste test Champagne and other sparkling wines

Champagne’s prestige typically comes with a high price. So is it worth it? Professional wine judge Dr. Matthew Horkey invites a Champagne expert and a producer to a blind taste test to find out. The individuals try sparkling wines from across the world and do their best to sniff out (sip out?) which is the real-deal Champagne.

A blind taste test in 1976 determined that California produced better wine than France in a decision known as 'the Judgment of Paris' that realigned the wine world.

Napa Valley became a player on the international stage in the mid 1970s, when judges in a blind taste test deemed its wine superior to France's.

12 things we learned about Champagne

Champagne isn’t just sparkling wine—it’s a protected name tied to France’s Champagne region and made using the strict champenoise method. This explainer looks at its surprising history, from early fermentation mishaps to how it became a global symbol of celebration.

The Judgment of Paris was organized by Steve Spurrier

The English wine merchant organized the competition with Patricia Gallagher at his Paris wine shop. In this in-depth interview, he talks about how he got into the wine trade, how the Judgment of Paris impacted his own career and the global wine scene, and tells some of his favorite stories from the past.

The science of dogs, from wolf origins to color-blindness

This under 10-minute podcast episode dives into the rich, fascinating science behind dogs: From their world-class sense of smell to their domestication from wolves.

Election 101 podcast

What’s actually at stake when someone casts their vote in a US election? CNN’s “Election 101” podcast series provides ten episodes summarizing some of the basics of democratic elections. The ins and outs of voting are highlighted in 15-minute episodes on voter registration and voting by mail. Additional segments highlight how the electoral system works, how ballots are counted, the Electoral College, why it takes so long to get election results, and more.

Explore the wineries of Napa Valley with an interactive map of its hundreds of wineries, vineyards, and tasting rooms.

See the 17 most expensive wines ever sold, including a 6-liter bottle of wine that sold for $1M.

Cultivate your coffee taste with this interactive flavor wheel

Coffee is one of the more complex things humans consume, and taste can vary drastically based on bean genetics, roasting technique, and more. Using this flavor wheel, you can more accurately describe your coffee's aroma by starting from the center and moving outward.

Santa Barbara County features seven designated wine regions

Grapes are notoriously fickle about where they grow and cannot be cultivated just anywhere. That’s what makes the county’s seven American Viticultural Areas so unique and cool—from the Santa Ynez valley to the Los Olivos District.

Napa Valley is an internationally known wine destination, but it only produces only 4% of California's wine.

The 19th-century Gold Rush and its sudden influx of European residents helped turn California's Napa Valley into wine country.

Wildfires and rising temperatures have seriously impacted Napa's winemaking in the 2020s.

More than 100 types of beer are produced around the world

Beer dates back to ancient times, and since then, the fermented drink has taken on many different styles around the globe, depending on the grain and ingredients used. See how pilsners, IPAs, Sours, and other types evolved from the drink's early history.

A 103-episode podcast offers an unmatched deep dive into the Russian Revolution

After covering the entire history of Rome, historian Mike Duncan devoted Season 10 of his Revolutions podcast to Russia, producing 103 episodes that trace the origins, upheaval, and aftermath of the Russian Revolution. Start with Episode 10.1 — The International Working Men’s Association.

California's Napa Valley, one of the wine world's most famous regions, is home to some of the most valuable agricultural land in the US.

In 2008, one writer demonstrated the fickle nature of wine reviews

Robin Goldstein submitted a fake restaurant to the well-respected Wine Spectator for a competition. He created a website for the fake Milan-based business, complete with a menu of wines the magazine itself had disparaged. That didn't stop Wine Spectator from naming Goldstein's ruse among that year's winners.

One of the Widow Clicquot’s many innovations was the process of riddling

Riddling involves storing Champagne bottles at an angle and methodically turning them in order to collect any sediment in the neck of the bottle. The technique—which was kept a strict secret—cut down on both time and waste, allowing the House of Clicquot to outsell its competitors for decades until word inevitably leaked and riddling became the standard.

Champagne’s fizz used to be considered a flaw

The bubbliness that we love now was once considered a winemaking failure. In fact, Dom Pérignon probably would have referred to it by its common nickname at the time, "vin du diable," or devil’s wine. The wine’s volatility often caused bottles to explode, which was both dangerous and costly. It wasn’t until the development of sturdier bottles and more consistent winemaking techniques that popularity truly soared.

Experts say 2023 was a welcome year for Napa's wine

Many vintners say Napa’s 2023 vintage was a landmark year due to plentiful rain and a lack of extreme weather events, particularly extreme heat, which can stunt grapevine photosynthesis. The graph below illustrates the town of Calistoga's relatively cooler temperatures in 2023.

How tea gets made

Tea is one of the most consumed beverages in the world, and this video walks us through the process of supplying it from farms to our mugs. Workers handpick leaves, ferment them, and dry them as part of this involved operation. Follow along for a scientific understanding of the many steps it takes to produce tea and appreciate the detail and effort to create its flavor, aroma, and color.