Find Your Wine Style

With over 1,000 wines on our shelves, knowing which bottle to buy next can be confusing, so we designed the O'Briens Wine Compass to help you navigate the wonderful world of wine. Learn More about our wonderful wine styles below!

Dry Refreshing White

Flavour Profile: Green Apple / Green Pear / Lemon / Lime / Greengage / Honeydew Melon

These are dry wines with a moderate aroma profile and light-to-medium body. They’re easy to enjoy, with refreshing acidity and good primary fruit flavours and no significant oak influence.

Aromatic Fruity White

Flavour Profile: Grapefruit / Red Apple / Apple Blossom / Bell Pepper/ Basil / Gooseberry

These wines have powerful aromatic profiles, with a heady bouquet of fruit, flowers or herbs. The aromas come from natural compounds in the grape variety and this fruity style of wine can be found in dry and off-dry styles.

Rich Luscious White

Flavour Profile: Honey / Mango / Buttered Toast / Quince / Pineapple / Lemon

The most full-bodied and richly textured dry white wines, many will have a significant influence from the winemaker such as oak fermentation, barrel ageing and extended lees contact giving a luscious mouthfeel.

Juicy Lively Red

Flavour Profile: Raspberry / Strawberry / Red Currant / Cranberry / Lavender / Nutmeg

Lighter in tannin and body, usually with noticeable fresh acidity and bright juicy fruit flavours, these lively wines are generally from cooler climates. They don’t have a heavy oak influence and are often made to be drunk young.

Smooth Supple Red

Flavour Profile: Blackberry / Cherry / Blueberry / Thyme / Vanilla / Nutmeg

These medium-bodied red wines, are darker in colour with moderate tannin levels and soft, smooth, supple fruit flavours that tend to lean towards darker fruits. They will often express some subtle use of oak.

Rich Robust Red

Flavour Profile: Blackcurrant / Black Olive / Plum/ Cinnamon / Vanilla / Espresso

The heaviest and most full-bodied red wines with a robust body and rich, ripe fruit flavour profile. They will often have higher alcohol and tannin levels, and many will have a significant influence from the winemaker, including extended oak ageing.

Rosé Wine Styles

Elegant Crisp Rosé - Light-bodied with crunchy red berry aromas and flavours. Typically pale in colour, with no noticeable tannins. The grapes are often picked early to retain a refreshing acidity.

Ripe Fruity Rosé - A richer style of rosé displaying ripe red fruit flavours and typically darker in colour. Can be made in a dry or off-dry style and should be drunk young and fresh.