When you visit an Oklahoma winery, you have the opportunity to discover Oklahoma wines. Before you visit, familiarize yourself with the different classifications of Oklahoma grape wine. This knowledge will make it easier to choose the types of wine you want to try. There are four main classifications.
4 Types of Oklahoma Grape Wine
Red Wine
There are a variety of red wines available at an Oklahoma winery. Red wines are made from fermented black or red grapes. Red wines range from sweet to dry, but most are rich in tannins that provide a robust flavor. Popular Oklahoma reds include Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, and Sangiovese.
White Wine
White wine is typically made from white grapes. Although, some white wines are created with red grapes without their skins. White wine is often more acidic than red wine and lacks the color of red wine. The flavor profile of white wine varies, and they can be either sweet or dry. In Oklahoma, white wines that do exceptionally well include the Seyval Blanc, Vignoles, Muscat Blanc, and Riesling. Since Rieslings and other white wines can be dry or sweet, be sure to make your preferences known before tasting anything.
Rosé Wine
Rosé is known for its pink hues from the red grapes typically used to make it. They usually have a lighter flavor profile than red or white wines because the skins are not part of the fermentation process. Since the skins are part of the early wine-making process, they do leave a slight coloration to the wine. Some winemakers do create rosés by blending red and white wines together.
Rosé wines are versatile. They can be sweet or extremely dry, and they are prevalent in social settings. You will often find rose, citrus, melon, and berry flavor profiles in various rosé wines.
Sparkling Wine
Any wine with carbon dioxide is a sparkling wine. While most sparkling wines are white wines or rosés, It is possible to create sparkling red wines. Carbon dioxide in wine can come as part of the fermentation process. Some winemakers will inject the carbon dioxide into their Oklahoma grape wine. The result is a bubbly vintage that is perfect for parties.
Seyval Blanc is an Oklahoma wine that works beautifully as a sparkling wine. Sparkling wine can be extremely dry or extremely sweet, so there is something for everyone.
These are the four main wine classifications, but an Oklahoma winery is more likely to serve red, white, and rosé wines in their tasting room.
There are also dessert wines that pair with the final course of a meal. Their sweetness and alcohol content is usually higher than the four main classifications of wine. However, there are drier dessert wines. The sweetness of dessert wine comes through slowing the fermentation process to keep the sugar, leaving the grapes on the vine longer, adding extra sugar, or fortifying the wine with liquor. An example of a fortified wine is port.
If you are ready to discover Oklahoma wines, find a winery or vineyard, or contact us.