Exploring Different Types of Wine: From Champagne to Vermouth

Wine is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages in human history, but not all wines are created equal. Depending on how they are produced – whether through secondary fermentation, fortification with spirits, infusion with herbs, or distillation – wines can take on dramatically different identities. From the effervescent pop of Champagne to the herb-infused complexity of vermouth, the world of wine is far more diverse than most people realise. This post breaks down seven major types of wine you should know about: Champagne, sparkling wine, liqueur wine, sherry, port, vermouth, and brandy.

Champagne: the original foaming wine 🔗

Champagne is a sparkling wine that can only be produced in the Champagne region of France. What sets it apart from other sparkling wines is both its geographic origin and its specific production method, known as méthode champenoise (or the traditional method).

The process begins with creating a still base wine from grapes harvested early for higher acidity and lower sugar. The winemaker then blends different base wines to create a cuvée. A mixture of sugar, yeast, and nutrients – called the liqueur de tirage – is added to this cuvée, and the wine is sealed into thick-walled glass bottles.

Inside these sealed bottles, a secondary fermentation takes place. The yeast consumes the sugar and produces alcohol along with carbon dioxide. Since the bottle is sealed, the CO₂ has nowhere to escape, so it dissolves into the wine, creating those signature fine bubbles. This secondary fermentation typically takes six to eight weeks, after which the dead yeast cells (called lees) settle and begin breaking down in a process known as yeast autolysis, which adds depth and complexity to the flavour profile.

Riddling, disgorgement, and dosage 🔗

After ageing on the lees – a minimum of 15 months for non-vintage Champagne and at least three years for vintage – the bottles undergo riddling (remuage). The bottles are gradually turned and tilted so the yeast sediment slides toward the neck. The neck is then frozen in a cold brine solution, and when the cap is removed, the pressure from the dissolved CO₂ ejects the frozen plug of sediment. This is called disgorgement.

The bottle is then topped up with a mixture of wine and sugar known as the liqueur d’expédition (dosage), which determines the final sweetness level – from brut nature (no added sugar) to doux (very sweet). A cork, wire cage, and capsule are fitted, and the Champagne is ready.

Sparkling wine: bubbles beyond Champagne 🔗

While Champagne is the most celebrated sparkling wine, sparkling wine is a broader category that includes any wine containing dissolved carbon dioxide that produces bubbles upon opening. Not all sparkling wines go through the labour-intensive traditional method – several other production techniques exist.

Key production methods 🔗

The most commonly used alternative is the Charmat method (also called the tank method), widely employed for producing Prosecco and Lambrusco. In this process, the base wine undergoes secondary fermentation in a large pressurised stainless steel tank rather than in individual bottles. The CO₂ produced under pressure dissolves into the wine, and once ready, the wine is filtered and bottled directly. Charmat-method wines tend to be fresher and more fruit-forward compared to traditional-method wines.

There is also the carbonation method (sometimes called the soda method or industrial method), where CO₂ is simply injected into still wine under pressure – much like how carbonated soft drinks are made. This is the simplest and least expensive approach, typically used for budget sparkling wines. The bubbles produced tend to be larger and dissipate faster than those created through natural fermentation.

Other methods include the transfer method (a hybrid of the traditional and tank methods) and the ancestral method, which is actually the oldest technique for making sparkling wine, predating the traditional method by almost 200 years.

Liqueur wine: sweet, strong, and concentrated 🔗

Liqueur wine – sometimes referred to as dessert wine in the United States – is a category of wines known for their pronounced sweetness and elevated alcohol content. In the EU, the term “vin de liqueur” refers broadly to fortified wines, but the category specifically includes wines where a grape spirit is added to unfermented or partially fermented grape juice (must).

The process is straightforward: a distilled spirit (typically brandy) is added to the grape must before or during fermentation. This addition serves two purposes – it raises the alcohol content well above what natural fermentation would achieve (typically to 15-22% ABV), and it halts fermentation by killing the yeast. Because the yeast cannot finish converting all the natural grape sugars into alcohol, the resulting wine retains a high level of residual sugar, giving it that characteristic sweetness.

Well-known examples include French Pineau des Charentes (made by blending Cognac with grape juice), Floc de Gascogne (blending Armagnac with grape juice), and vins doux naturels such as Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise and Banyuls from southern France. These wines are typically served chilled as aperitifs or paired with desserts like fruit tarts, chocolate, and rich cheeses.

Sherry: Spain’s versatile fortified wine 🔗

Sherry is a fortified wine produced exclusively in the Jerez region of southern Spain, specifically within the “Sherry Triangle” formed by the towns of Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa María. It has ancient roots – the origins of winemaking in this region date back to the Phoenicians around 1100 BCE.

How sherry is made 🔗

Sherry is made primarily from the Palomino grape, though Muscat and Pedro Ximénez grapes are also used for certain styles. After the grapes are fermented into a dry white wine in stainless steel vats, the wine is fortified with grape brandy. A key distinction from other fortified wines is that sherry is fortified after fermentation is complete, which means most sherries start as completely dry wines. Any sweetness is added later in the process.

Another unique feature of sherry production is the solera system – a fractional blending method where barrels are stacked in tiers. Wine from the youngest barrels is gradually blended with older wines across the tiers, so that the final product contains a mixture of many different years. This is why sherry wines do not carry a vintage year on their labels.

Sherry production is also notable for the deliberate exposure of the wine to oxygen, which creates a distinctive nutty flavour profile. The alcohol content of sherry typically ranges from 15% to 22% ABV.

Types of sherry 🔗

Sherry ranges widely in style. Fino is light, dry, and pale – it develops under a layer of yeast called “flor” that protects it from oxygen. Manzanilla is similar to fino but produced specifically in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Amontillado starts as a fino but is further aged with oxygen exposure, developing an amber colour and nutty character. Oloroso is a dark, rich, full-bodied sherry aged entirely with oxygen contact. And at the sweetest end, Pedro Ximénez (often called PX) is intensely sweet and syrupy, made from sun-dried grapes of the same name.

Port: Portugal’s celebrated sweet wine 🔗

Port wine is a sweet, fortified wine originating from the Douro Valley in northern Portugal. Like Champagne, port is a geographically protected designation – only wine made from grapes grown in the Douro Valley and processed according to specific standards can be labelled as port.

The port production process 🔗

The key difference between port and sherry lies in when the fortification occurs. While sherry is fortified after fermentation is complete, port is fortified midway through fermentation. A neutral grape spirit (such as aguardiente) is added when roughly half of the natural grape sugars have been converted to alcohol. This addition raises the ABV to around 19-22% and simultaneously kills the yeast, stopping fermentation. The result is a wine that retains significant natural grape sweetness.

After fortification, port wine is aged in wooden casks – and the type and duration of ageing largely determine the style of port produced.

Main styles of port 🔗

Ruby Port is the most straightforward style, aged for a shorter period in large tanks to preserve its deep red colour and fresh berry flavours. Tawny Port is aged for much longer (often 10-40 years) in smaller wooden casks with some oxygen exposure, which gives it a lighter, amber hue and complex flavours of caramel, nuts, and dried fruit. White Port is made from white grape varieties and can range from dry to sweet, often featuring citrus and honey notes. There is also Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) port and Vintage Port, which are wines from a single exceptional harvest year.

Vermouth: the aromatised wine 🔗

Vermouth stands apart from other fortified wines because it is not just fortified – it is also aromatised, meaning it is infused with a blend of herbs, spices, botanicals, and sometimes fruits. The modern version of vermouth traces back to 18th-century Turin, Italy, where Antonio Benedetto Carpano is credited with creating the first commercial recipe in 1786.

The name “vermouth” comes from the German word Wermut, meaning wormwood – historically one of the key botanical ingredients. Under Italian law, vermouth must contain at least 75% wine and must be infused with a blend of aromatic ingredients.

How vermouth is made 🔗

Vermouth production begins with a white wine base (even for red/rosso vermouth). The wine is infused with a proprietary mix of botanicals that can include ingredients like cardamom, cinnamon, chamomile, marjoram, coriander, cloves, juniper, citrus peel, and dozens of other herbs and spices. After infusion, a distilled spirit (usually brandy) is added to raise the alcohol content. The vermouth may then be sweetened, blended, clarified, and filtered before bottling.

Dry vermouth vs. sweet vermouth 🔗

Dry vermouth (often called French vermouth) is crisp, floral, and herbal with a slightly bitter edge. It is a foundational ingredient in the classic Martini. Sweet vermouth (or Italian vermouth) has a higher sugar content, a richer mouthfeel, and a more caramelised, fruity character. Sweet vermouth is essential in cocktails like the Manhattan and Negroni. Both styles can also be enjoyed on their own, chilled or over ice with a splash of soda water.

Brandy: when wine becomes a spirit 🔗

Brandy is not technically a wine – it is a distilled spirit produced from wine. However, it sits firmly in the wine family because its starting material is fermented grape juice. The word “brandy” comes from the Dutch brandewijn, meaning “burnt wine,” which refers to the heat applied during the distillation process.

The distillation process 🔗

Brandy production begins with a base wine – typically a dry, acidic, low-alcohol wine made from early-harvested grapes. This base wine is then heated in a still. Because alcohol has a lower boiling point (78°C) than water (100°C), the alcohol vapours rise first, travel through the still’s neck, and condense into a liquid with a much higher alcohol concentration.

Most premium brandies undergo double distillation using copper pot stills. The first distillation produces “low wines” at about 28-30% ABV. The second distillation further concentrates the alcohol and separates the distillate into three fractions – the heads (harsh, unpleasant compounds), the heart (the desirable middle fraction), and the tails (weaker, less aromatic compounds). Only the heart is kept for ageing.

After distillation, brandy is typically aged in oak barrels, which imparts colour, smoothness, and complex flavours like vanilla, caramel, and spice. The final product generally contains 35-60% ABV.

Famous types of brandy 🔗

Cognac is produced exclusively in the Cognac region of southwestern France using specific grape varieties and double distillation in copper pot stills, followed by ageing in French oak for a minimum of two years. Armagnac, also from southwestern France, is similar but is typically distilled only once and aged longer, resulting in a bolder flavour. Brandy de Jerez comes from Spain’s Sherry Triangle and is aged using the solera system. Calvados is an apple brandy from Normandy, France. And grappa, from Italy, is a pomace brandy made from the skins, seeds, and stems left over from winemaking.

How these wines compare at a glance 🔗

Each of these wine types occupies a distinct position based on how it is made and what defines its character. Champagne gets its bubbles from a natural secondary fermentation inside the bottle. Sparkling wine may use the same method or simpler techniques like the tank method or direct carbonation. Liqueur wine is sweet and strong because spirit is added before fermentation completes. Sherry is fortified after fermentation and aged through the unique solera system. Port is fortified during fermentation, preserving grape sweetness, and aged in wooden casks. Vermouth is fortified and additionally infused with herbs and spices. And brandy is the result of distilling wine to concentrate its alcohol and flavour.

Understanding these distinctions is not just academic – it directly affects how these beverages taste, how they are served, and what foods they pair well with. A dry fino sherry works beautifully before a meal, a tawny port is ideal with dessert, and a well-aged Cognac is best savoured slowly after dinner.

Why these categories matter in food science 🔗

From a food chemistry perspective, the differences between these wine types come down to a few core processes – fermentation, fortification, aromatisation, and distillation. Fermentation converts sugars into ethanol and CO₂. Fortification adds an external spirit to raise alcohol and sometimes preserve sweetness. Aromatisation introduces botanical compounds that add flavour complexity. And distillation separates and concentrates alcohol through controlled heating.

Each of these processes alters the wine’s chemical composition – its sugar content, alcohol level, acidity, volatile aroma compounds, and phenolic profile. These chemical differences are what give each type of wine its unique sensory characteristics, from the yeasty brioche notes of aged Champagne to the herbal bitterness of dry vermouth to the warm vanilla and caramel tones of barrel-aged brandy.

What do you think? Among Champagne, sparkling wine, liqueur wine, sherry, port, vermouth, and brandy, which type of wine interests you the most for food pairing – and can you think of ways the production method directly influences how a wine complements certain dishes?

References

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_method
2. https://bishopscellar.com/education/wine/countries/france/champagne/the-traditional-method/
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparkling_wine_production
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortified_wine
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dessert_wine
6. https://springsgroup.ca/news/port-sherry-vermouth-fortified-wine-guide/
7. https://www.virginwines.co.uk/hub/wine-guide/wine-types/quick-guide-to-fortified-wine/
8. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/complete-guide-to-fortified-wine
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandy
10. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/brandy-alcohol-guide