For a simple but effective categorization, you want to think about wine along two dimensions: color and body. The body refers to the degree of thickness of the liquid -- much like you have skim milk, 2% milk and whole milk, you have wines of varying levels of thickness called light, medium bodied and full bodied. Going back to our categorization, that's two colors and three body levels, accounting for 6 wine classes in total. Trust me, to appear knowledgeable about wine and actually have a decent rapport with wine if you will, all you need to know is these 6 classes:

	LIGHT	MEDIUM BODIED	FULL BODIED
RED	Pinot Noir	Merlot	Cabernet Sauvignon
WHITE	Riesling	Sauvignon Blanc	Chardonnay

To choose the appropriate wine, consider your mood, the ambience and the accompaniment. As a general rule, pick lighter wines with lighter foods and heavier/darker wines with heavier foods. For example, if you're at a dinner party and you're served steak, a Cabernet is an excellent choice. If you're served a white fish like a halibut, a medium-bodied white wine (Sauvignon Blanc) is appropriate. If you're served a crab cake, which is a bit heavier, a full-bodied Chardonnay is a better choice. With chicken, pick a Merlot or a Cabernet, depending on how heavy the dish is. Finally, the lighter wines are excellent with light appetizer courses, or, just for sipping stand-alone.

So the next time you're at a party, go beyond just saying "red" or "white". You'll know exactly what you're getting, enjoy the wine more, and may just impress your host!