Differences in wines

[Zinner]

Hi Harlequin,

Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are names of grapes and as you taste more wines, you'll become more familiar with the flavor profiles of these wines. It's pretty much like Granny Smith and Golden Delicious are the names of apples and when you taste them you learn the difference.

What confuses consumers sometimes is that in France, where the names you mentioned come from, they are more likely to put the name of the place on the bottle....Burgundy for example. Then folks who are acquainted with these wines know that if it's red, it's the Pinot Noir grape and if it's white, it's Chardonnay because those are the grapes grown there.

There are some good books recommended on here by the others and when you're starting out you might get some wines from different grape varieties and read and taste.
Also I'm betting that some wine stores in your area have tastings. Often these are cheap or free because they hope you'll find some wine you like and buy it--this is a good economical way to explore wines.

It may seem complicated at first, but very quickly you'll learn when you begin to experience the different varietals for yourself. Also it's a heck of a lot of fun.