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Types - Description from Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB)
Red: USA | France | Italy | Australia | S. America | S. Africa | Spain
White: USA | France | Germany | Italy | New Zealand
Food And Wine Affinity

Common Wines at PLCB Wine and Spirits Stores
USA RED	DESCRIPTION	TASTE	SERVING TEMPERATURE
Cabernet Sauvignon	Medium to full-bodied. Can have great concentration and depth. Tend to be tannic in their youth.	Dry	Room (59-64 Degrees)
Merlot	Medium to fairly full-bodied. Lighter, softer tannins than cabernets, more accessible when young. Similar aromas and flavors, can be herbaceous.	Dry	Room
Pinot Noir	Generally light to medium-bodied. Known for their elegance rather than power. At their best, aromatic with a touch of spice.	Dry	Room
Syrah/Shiraz	Medium to full-bodied. Can be tannic with earthy, spicy and dark fruit flavors and aromas.	Dry	Room
Zinfandel	A grape almost unique to California. Varies greatly according to winemaker's style...from light to heavy-bodied, from tannic and concentrated to easy drinking and fruity, and from table wines to dessert wines.	Dry	Room Back to Top
FRANCE RED	DESCRIPTION	TASTE	SERVING TEMPERATURE
Beaujolais	Light-bodied. Made from Gamay grapes. Preferred for its fruity aroma and taste. Should be drunk young.	Dry	Slightly Chilled (50-55 Degrees)
Bordeaux	Medium to full-bodied. Made mainly from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes. Astringent in youth, can have great complexity and life. Ages well.	Dry	Room
Burgundy	Made from the Pinot Noir grape. Medium to full-bodied with an aromatic bouquet and earthy flavors.	Dry	Room
Rhone	Some of the most robust of the French wines. Very full-bodied, tannic, intense and fruity. Tend to have a purplish cast when young. Made primarily from Mourvedre, Grenache and Syrah blends.	Dry	Room Back to Top
ITALY RED	DESCRIPTION	TASTE	SERVING TEMPERATURE
Bardolino	Dry, pale, light-bodied Veronese reds. A blend of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara. Fruity and fresh. Should be drunk young.	Dry	Room
Barolo	Dry, very robust, heavy-bodied and tannic wines that need to be aged in order to soften out. Made from the Nebbiolo grape. One of the greatest of the Italian reds.	Dry	Room
Chianti	Dry medium to full-bodied. Fruity and slightly acidic. Made primarily from the Sangiovese grape. Riserva level receives three years of aging.	Dry	Room
Lambrusco	Dry, light, slightly effervescent, soft and fruity.	Semi-dry	Room to slightly chilled
Primitivo	Italian grape related to American Zinfandel. Medium-bodied with plum flavors.	Dry	Room
Valpolicella	Veronese red. Modern blends employ mostly Corvina and Rondinella. Light and fruity with a slight bitterness. A touch heavier-bodied than Bardolino. Should be consumed young.	Dry	Room Back to Top
AUSTRALIA RED	DESCRIPTION	TASTE	SERVING TEMPERATURE
Shiraz	Light to full-bodied. Often blended with Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Those from Barossa can be very robust and tannic.	Dry	Room Back to Top
S. AMERICA RED	DESCRIPTION	TASTE	SERVING TEMPERATURE
Carménère	Single varietal wine from Chile. Medium-bodied with pretty red fruit and a sweet spiciness.	Dry	Room
Malbec	Argentina's signature grape. Medium to full-bodied with dark fruit, tobacco and earthy notes.	Dry	Room Back to Top
S. AFRICA RED	DESCRIPTION	TASTE	SERVING TEMPERATURE
Pinotage	South Africa's signature variety. A cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault. Can be light to medium-bodied, and is generally fruity and acidic.	Dry	Room to slightly chilled Back to Top
SPAIN RED	DESCRIPTION	TASTE	SERVING TEMPERATURE
Garnacha	Medium to full-bodied with wild berry, leather and earth flavors.	Dry	Room
Tempranillo	Medium to full-bodied, these wines can also have a pronounced acidity.  Flavors of black cherries, black berries and tobacco.	Dry	Room Back to Top
USA WHITE	DESCRIPTION	TASTE	SERVING TEMPERATURE
Chardonnay	This grape produces wine with an apple aroma. Light to medium in body. Often a wine of depth and character.	Dry	Chilled (43-50 degrees, slightly warmer for more complex wines.)
Chenin Blanc	Light, fruity. Produced in both a dry and semi-dry style. Crisp, clean, and simple.	Semi-dry	Chilled
Sauvignon Blanc	Slightly grassy aroma. Light to medium body. Usually some degree of complexity.	Dry	Chilled
Riesling	This grape produces distinctive fruity, delicate wines. Peachy or apricot aroma. Late harvest styles tend to have honey-like character.	Semi-dry to sweet	Chilled
Gewurztraminer	Light to medium-bodied with spicy notes and delicate fruit flavors. "GewŸrz" means spice in German.	Semi-dry to sweet	Chilled Back to Top
FRANCE WHITE	DESCRIPTION	TASTE	SERVING TEMPERATURE
Alsace	Light to medium-bodied fruit filled whites made from Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris.	Semi-dry to dry	Chilled
Bordeaux	Light-bodied pleasant and soft. Tend to have a slightly herbal aroma and light flavors. Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle are the allowed grapes.	Dry	Chilled
Burgundy	Chardonnay-based, medium-bodied, complex and longer lived than most whites. Considered by many to be the world's finest whites.	Dry	Chilled
Champagne	Light to medium-bodied sparkling wines made from a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir.	Dry	Chilled
Loire	This region covers a variety of light to medium-bodied wines. From very dry Melon and Sauvignon Blanc-based wines to off-dry Chenin Blanc-based wines.	Dry to semi-dry	Chilled Back to Top
GERMANY WHITE	DESCRIPTION	TASTE	SERVING TEMPERATURE
Mosel	Light, flowery, delicate. Among the world's finest when made from the Riesling grape. May have a slight spritz when young.	Semi-dry to sweet	Chilled
Rhine	A touch fuller-bodied, broader and softer than Mosels. Those made from Riesling can have great character and complexity, especially in the late-harvest levels.	Semi-dry to sweet	Chilled Back to Top
ITALY WHITE	DESCRIPTION	TASTE	SERVING TEMPERATURE
Frascati	Lightest in color and body of all Italian wines. Very delicate, soft and smooth. Produced from Malvasia, Trebbiano and other light grapes.	Dry	Chilled
Orvieto	Produced from Trebbiano, Verdello, Grechetto and Malvasia grapes. Made in two styles: Abboccato(semi-sweet) and Secco(dry). Fruity, light and neutral in aroma.	Dry to semi-dry	Chilled
Moscato d'Asti	Slightly sparkling light-bodied wines featuring soft fruit flavors and aromas. Aperitif or dessert wine.	Semi-dry	Chilled
Pinot Grigio	Light-bodied with floral aromas. Fruity, yet dry with a crisp finish. Produced in many regions.	Dry	Chilled
Soave	Produced from Garganega and Trebbiano grapes. Light fragrance and light in body. Best are labeled "Classico."	Semi-dry	Chilled
Trebbiano	Straw yellow, light-bodied with a faint aroma. Rather neutral taste with a hint of bitter almond. Produced in many regions.	Dry	Chilled Back to Top
NEW ZEALAND WHITE	DESCRIPTION	TASTE	SERVING TEMPERATURE
Sauvignon Blanc	Light to medium-bodied, epitomized by tropical fruit flavors and bold, grassy notes.	Dry	Chilled Back to Top

FOOD and WINE AFFINITY
Drink the wine you enjoy with the food you enjoy.
Beef	Barbera, Barolo, Burgundy, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo,  Pinot Noir
Cheese Dishes	Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Riesling... very ripe cheese hides the flavor of wine...serve fine wines with mild cheese
Chicken	Chablis, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Loire, Sauvignon Blanc
Clams	Chablis, Chardonnay
Crab	Chablis, non-vintage Champagne
Duck, Goose	Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Rhone, RosŽ, Zinfandel
Fish	Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Alsace White
Ham	RosŽ, Gewurztraminer, Zinfandel, Beaujolais
Hamburger	Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chianti, Zinfandel
Lamb	Chianti, Pinot Noir, Rhone, Zinfandel, Tempranillo
Liver	Beaujolais, Merlot, Rhone, Zinfandel
Lobster	Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Riesling
Omelettes	Chenin Blanc, Riesling, RosŽ
Oysters	Chablis, Chardonnay, Muscadet, Sauvignon Blanc
Pasta with red sauce	Barbera, Barolo, Chianti, Zinfandel
Pheasant	Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Rhone
Pizza	Almost everything
Pork	Zinfandel, Chenin Blanc, Alsace White
Quiche	Sauvignon Blanc, or a young Red according to ingredients
Scallops	Chablis, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
Shrimp	Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer
Turkey	Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Loire, Sauvignon Blanc
Veal	Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Riesling
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Wine Serving tips (wine - food pairing) at:
FurlongsLiquor.com and Quarterly Review of Wines (QRW.com)

BestWineSites.com

Wine Ratings:
Wine Spectator
Classic Wines
Top 100 Wine sites

Links:
www.wine-searcher.com
Wine Spectator