How do the words Elegant, Bold, Savory and Fruity relate to wine? How do wine experts curate the most ideal wines for your taste? Believe it or not, there is a system to what defines the wine styles that most appeal to you. So what’s the secret to finding great wine?

The truth is, wine experts have a large repertoire of tasting experience and are capable of making connections across different varieties and regions in order to find something in a similar wine style. In order to build that repertoire, you’ll need to taste a lot of wines (sounds like a fun challenge, right?). There are, however, some basic techniques and understanding you can apply when reading wine descriptions that can help you find your wine styles.

A lil’ Justification: Breaking down all red wine into just 4 styles is a bit simplified because wine is such a complex and nuanced product. However, these styles help you explore different types of wine without having to blindly trust a sommelier. Anyway, a sommeliers’ job is to help you match your wine with food and to inspire you to try new wines.

Elegant vs. Bold Wines

We like to use the word elegant because ‘light’ sounds wimpy. Basically an elegant wine tastes lighter, leaner and more tart than a bold wine. Bold wines are forceful and fill your mouth with their taste; they are richer, rounder and more creamy than an elegant wine.

Fruity vs. Savory Wines

People talk a lot about the fruit flavors in wine but there are also a lot of savory and herbal flavors. For instance, Syrah from the Northern Rhône is noted for its olive and bacon notes. Whether a wine has savory vs. fruity flavors has a lot to do with the grape variety and where it’s grown.

Original Source on Wine Folly 4 Wine Styles To Rule Them All, Which one fits you?