Most wine is made with grapes, but they're not like the ones you find in the grocery store. Wine grapes (latin name: Vitis vinifera) are smaller, sweeter, have thick skins, and contain seeds. There are over 1,300 wine grape varieties used in commercial production but only about 100 of these varieties make up 75% of the world's vineyards.

Today, the most planted wine grape in the world is Cabernet Sauvignon ("cab-err-nay saw-vin-yon"). Find out more about the basics of wine (and which ones to try) in the following sections:

• What is Wine Exactly?
• The 9 Primary Styles of Wine
• Taking On The Wine Tasting Challenge
• Common Types of Wine (the top varieties)
• Guide to Wine For Beginners (Infographic)
• The Many Different Types of Wine (poster)

Learn how to pick out flavors in wine and identify pesky wine faults. Additionally, your tasting practice will help you spot great quality too! Definitely check out this how-to video on the 4-step tasting method that's used by professionals. (Don't worry, it's easy to learn!)

• The Wine Tasting Method (Video)
• Tips on Tasting: Wine Bouquet vs Aroma
• Learn How to Taste Wine and Develop Your Palate
• The Real Difference Between Flavor vs Taste
• How to Write Excellent Wine Tasting Notes
• Find Out if You’re a Wine Supertaster
• Identifying Flavors in Wine
• 7 Wine Faults and How to Sniff Them Out

The wine marketplace is constantly changing. It's also a big market. There are over 100,000 labels registered with the TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) each year.

Despite the vastness of options, there are some tactics you can use to find more of what you like. Consistently.

• 3 Useful Tips on Reading Wine Labels
• The Secret to Finding Great (Value) Wine
• 2017 Wine Buying Guide
• Reality of Wine Prices (What You Get For What You Spend)
• Dear Delicious Cheap Wine, Stop Lying To Me
• A Pragmatic Approach to Using Wine Ratings
• Buying Wedding Wines: What to Get and How Much
• 120 Most Common Wine Descriptions (Infographic)