Sherry: History, Styles, Tasting and Storage
Discover how sherry is made, what separates its principal styles and how serving temperature and storage affect an opened bottle.
Read the guide →Wine Types
Find your way through wine styles.
Understand how familiar wines differ in sweetness, structure, flavour and production. These approachable guides give you useful context before your next tasting or bottle choice.
About this collection
Style guides without the jargon
Wine labels and tasting terms can make a simple question feel complicated. Coastal Vineyard Garden breaks each style into the characteristics that matter: grapes, production, sweetness, acidity, body and serving.
Use these articles as a foundation rather than a fixed rulebook. Climate, vintage and winemaking decisions can create meaningful differences within the same category.
Explore the archive
Five essential wine guides
Start with a broad red or white overview, then explore distinctive styles such as sherry, dry wine and naturally sweet ice wine.
What Is Dry Wine? Red and White Styles
Learn what “dry” means, why fruity aromas do not necessarily indicate sweetness and how acidity influences perception.
Read the guide →
What Is Ice Wine?
Explore the conditions behind this concentrated sweet wine, the grapes commonly used and practical tasting and pairing ideas.
Read the guide →11 Popular Types of Red Wine
Compare well-known red styles through their typical fruit profile, tannin, acidity and body, from lighter bottles to structured reds.
Read the guide →20 Popular Types of White Wine
A practical overview of familiar white wine grapes and styles, including the differences in aroma, texture, acidity and sweetness.
Read the guide →What’s included
A framework for comparing wine
Every bottle is individual, but a few core characteristics make styles easier to understand. Our guides use these reference points to organise the details.
01
Sweetness
How residual sugar and fruit character shape the impression of dry, off-dry or sweet wine.
02
Acidity and tannin
The structural elements behind freshness, grip and the way wine interacts with food.
03
Body and aroma
A guide to weight, texture and the fruit, floral, herbal or savoury notes you may notice.
04
Serving context
Useful starting points for temperature, glassware, pairing and short-term storage.
Common questions
Understanding wine types
What is the simplest way to compare wine styles?
Begin with sweetness, acidity, tannin and body. These four characteristics provide a useful structure before you consider individual aromas or regional details.
Does dry wine have no fruit flavour?
No. Dry refers to low perceived sweetness. A dry wine can still smell and taste strongly of fresh, ripe or dried fruit.
Are all white wines light and sweet?
No. White wines range from light to full-bodied and from bone-dry to intensely sweet. Grape variety and winemaking both influence the result.
Why does red wine usually feel more drying?
Red wine is commonly fermented with grape skins, which contribute tannin. Tannin creates the drying or gripping sensation felt along the gums and tongue.
Is sherry always sweet?
No. Sherry includes very dry styles as well as rich sweet examples. Check the specific style on the label rather than relying on the category name alone.
What makes ice wine distinctive?
It is produced from grapes that freeze naturally on the vine, concentrating their sugars and acidity before pressing. Production rules vary by region.
Looking for another wine topic?
Search the Coastal Vineyard Garden journal by style, grape or practical question.