Ever Wonder? Why Do the Colors of Red Wines Differ?

I was recently asked about the color of wine. Specifically, why does the color of a red wine vary, especially within the same variety. So, let’s take a look at the factors that affect a red wine’s color.

As the grapes are harvested, they are piled into containers. And, under their own weight, some of the grapes get squeezed to the point of releasing their juice. This is referred to as ‘free-run’ juice. The color of this juice is generally pretty light and transparent, as shown in the photo.

But, the colors of finished and bottled red wines can range from pale pink (rosé wines), to purple (Syrah), to ruby (Cabernet Sauvignon) and to deep garnet (Borolo).

This range of color in red wines comes from the pigment from the skins of grapes. By soaking the grape skins in the juice, the pigment ends up “staining” the juice and producing the various colors. Rosé wine spend very little, if any, time in contact with the grape skins while other wines will spend as much as two weeks in contact with the skins. And, different red varieties (i.e., Gamay vs Cabernet Sauvignon) just naturally produce different levels of pigment.

Thus, deeply opaque red wines simply have more pigment in them. And, it should be noted that wines generally lose pigment as they age. So an older wine will actually have less intensity of color (and likely a bunch of sediment in the bottom of the bottle!).

So, there’s a quick overview of how the colors of red wines differ. Cheers!

Did You Know that White Wine Can be Made from Red Wine Grapes?

Traditionally, white wine is made from ‘green’ grapes and red wine is made from ‘red’ grapes. But, did you know that white wines can be made from red wine grapes?

First, let’s take a quick look at how white and red wines are made. In the production of white wines, the grapes are pressed to extract the juice from the grapes. The juice may undergo additional processes to remove particles so that fermentation begins with clear juice. But, with red wines, the grape juice, skins and seeds are all present for fermentation. Then, the fermented red wine is drained from the tanks either by allowing the wine to freely drain, or by pressing the mixture to extract the wine.

The key to producing a red wine is the time that the red grapes and seeds spend soaking in the fermenting juice. If you simply were to press the red grapes, you’d find that the juice is nearly clear. It’s the skins that impart the color. So, to produce a white wine from a red wine grape, you simply don’t allow for any contact between the grape juice and the skins and seeds. That is, you simply follow the white wine-making process but using red grapes.

One of the most famous white wines that is made from red grapes is Champagne. Traditional Champagne is made from two red grapes (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier (Pee-noh Mehr-n'yay)) and one white wine grape (Chardonnay). The Champagne is a white wine because the clear juice from the Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes are combined with the clear juice from the Chardonnay grape prior to fermentation with no skin contact.

And, other white wines are produced from red wine grapes. Interestingly enough one of the biggest red wine grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon, is being made into a white wine. And that will be the subject of the next Behind the Cork™ wine of the week feature. Look for it! Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Thomas Allen Generations

2016 Thomas Allen Generations Red Blend ($7)

This was a new one to me. I’d previously tried the Thomas Allen Cabernet Sauvignon, but wasn’t aware of their red blend.

Thomas Allen is owned and operated by third generation wine grape growers, Thomas Michael Stokes and Allen Lombardi, who grown their grapes in Lodi, CA.

This Thomas Allen Generations is a blend of Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Tannat that makes for a very full-bodied wine. Bright fruit aromas and a hint of pepper hit your nose while its flavors include dark fruits, plum and sour cherry. The oak also gives this red blend nice vanilla and mocha flavors.

It’s an easy one on the palette, low tannin and a light finish.

This is yet another wine that fits the Behind the Cork™ mold being a great value that you should be able to easily find. Enjoy this one. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Pagos de Galir Mencía

2016 Pagos de Galir Mencía ($17)

This 100% Mencía (men-thee-uh) is from the Valdeorras region which is located on the eastern-most fringes of Galicia, in North-Western Spain.

It was cold macerated, went through malolactic conversion and aged in French and American oak barrels for six months.

This Mencía exhibits some herbal notes of mint along with the dark fruit aromas. On the palette its got black cherry and plum, some moderate acidity and tannin yet finishes with light notes.

This medium-bodied Mencía from Pagos de Galir is a wine that would pair as well with turkey or pork as it would with beef or lamb.

Cheers!

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Donna White Communications

Ever Wonder? - What's that Stuff at the Bottom of Your Wine Glass?

Have you ever taken that last sip of wine only to find a nasty surprise either at the bottom of your glass or in your mouth? Sediment! It can be a very unpleasant discovery. But, luckily, it’s nothing to be worried about.

Sediment is a natural bi-product of the wine making process.

Wines are made from the juice of grapes. And, the skins of the grapes. And the seeds. And sometimes the stems. So, there are actually a lot of solids that are involved in wine making. That’s why, in some cases, you get some ugly particles in your wine glass.

It doesn’t just happen with red wines. White wines are susceptible too.

There’s a lot of chemistry involved in for formation of various types of sediment in wine. But, keeping it simple, these solids in your glass are mostly filtered out at the winery and are just microscopic when they leave the winery in the bottle.

But, age and temperature then act upon these microscopic particles to form the stuff you see in your wine glass.

Next time, I’ll get into a bit more detail on this topic. But, for now, don’t worry. This sediment is not harmful to consume. Cheers!